Revisits: Pho Hoa Huong and Tim Ky Noodle

Here are a couple of revisits that had been sitting around for a while.

Pho Hoa Huong:

Man, has it been almost three years since I'd last visited? Though Cathy did a post back in November of last year. I still hadn't intended on visiting, but "Junichi" commented about having the Bo Kho here on one of my "What's my craving" posts, that I decided to check the Banh Mi Bo Kho here a few weeks later.

Over my last couple of visits I'd noticed a softer, kinder Pho Hoa, and on this visit they were still quite nice, I was greeted with a smile, and actually handed a menu....this place used to infamous for basically flinging a menu onto the table....but then again, I used to call them the "Fastest Pho in the West".

I ordered the Banh Mi Bo Kho; which actually took a while. This gave me some time to look around and make some observations. No much"older" gentlemen with "wives" at least 20 years or more younger this time around, though the guy on the table next to me managed to work through three Heineken. This was 8am mind you! I also noticed that a fair amount of customers didn't seem to bother to tip? Or maybe they're just leaving the tip with the cashier....I hope so.

So what to say about this? The broth was super hot, but was really fatty and had a bit of a greasy tongue feel. It was decently beefy, but missing in the mild tanginess and slightly pepper/pungent tones I enjoy. The meat was a bit too lean for my taste and there didn't seem to have much tendon; perhaps I'd been gringoed? The carrots were underdone. I liked the lemon, but didn't know what to do with the bean sprouts and all that basil?

The banh mi was nicely heated and crusty; the yeastiness of the bread; standard issue, did well.

And then there was the piece of bone that I nearly cracked my teeth on......no damage done; but a trip to the dentist would have really been a bummer.

I think I'll stick with the fastest pho in the west the next time I visit.

Pho Hoa-Huong Restaurant
6921 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

Tim Ky Noodle:

So, I've been working a few hours on most weekends to keep up with work. I'd usually go in at around 6am and get out in time to do some shopping and run other errands. I'm glad some of these places open rather early; though not many of them in Kearny or Clairemont Mesa do. I needed to pick something up at Lucky Seafood, it was nearly 10am on Sunday, so why not drop by Tim Ky since it had been a while?

Not much going on this morning, but they had 4 guys working in the dining room, so I guess they do get busy. It was a bit too warm to have the won ton egg noodle soup, so I went with the Beef Sate Egg Noodle Soup...dry.

This was much better than the version I'd had here on previous visits. Especially surprising was how tender the beef was and that the sate had hit a decent balance between savory and mildly spicy. The egg noodles were nicely done and all those wonderful savory flavors just went so well together.

The soup was a bit too heavy on the MSG end for me; but spooned onto the noodles it did ok.

Hmmm, now I'm wondering how this place would now compare to the version at Minh Ky? Well, I already did a Won Ton and Dumpling Egg Noodle Soup comparison, so I guess part 2 will be the Beef Sate episode!

Tim Ky Noodle
9330 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126 

Stay Tuned for That One!

Comments

[kat]

glad you didn't have to visit the dentist!

[Kirk]

Yes, that would have been one expensive Bo Kho Kat!