Here you are, back at mmm-yoso!!!, reading about food. Kirk and His Missus are having a memorable time together and Cathy is doing the blogging.
These chilly mornings and warm afternoons have been pleasantly 'Autumn/Summer' for the past few weeks. Food choices are something The Mister and I have great discussions about each day near lunch time...hot or cold; spicy or mild; forks, fingers or chopsticks...
We've returned again to Saigon Pho & Seafood. (Kirk has been here, too.)
The signage hasn't changed, nor have the dual 'one way' entrances (both going in the same direction).
The giant fish tank is still here.
The Goi Tom Thit ($12.99) pork, shrimp and jellyfish salad-always refreshing and vegetable filled. I do really enjoy celery and this salad has it, along with bamboo, carrots, mint and peanuts. The pork and shrimp are chilled and the meld of flavors are just right.
The soup, Mang Cua ($4.95 small) crab meat with white asparagus was just the right amount of flavors to have in one meal. The soup has egg, peas, carrots, bamboo, cilantro and onion and the small size is just enough for a light meal.
The Bo Bia ($4.25)- daikon and carrot rolls with Chinese sausage and egg are served with a peanut sauce. I've been trying sausages of various ethnicities lately and these Chinese ones were very flavorful and still warm when served. An amazing amount of flavors; different from the 'plain' shrimp and pork rolls we usually get. Trying different items from the menu has always been a winner here.
Cha Banh Xeo ($8.95), a crispy crepe filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, onion and mung beans is ordered before we look at the menu. Each Vietnamese place uses the same ingredients, yet each plate presented is unique in flavor. The sprouts here are very lightly steamed and the crispiness, combined with the crepe, pork and shrimp, wrapped in lettuce with some mint, dipped in the fish sauce is clean and bright in flavor.
I tried this Bun Tau Hu Ky Thit Nuong ($8.95). Char grilled pork, rolled and shrimp in bean curd skin with cold vermicelli and salad greens, sliced cucumber and mint as well as pickled carrots, radish and chopped peanuts. This is so fresh, refreshing and flavorful on a hot day.
The Mister ordered the stir fried shrimp and vegetables and was asked if he wanted crispy noodles and he answered in the affirmative. The carrots, broccoli and cabbage along with canned corn and the plump shrimp coated in a velvet 'gravy' on top of the crispy egg noodles was quite a comfort food.
I decided to try the Tom Tai Chanh ($11.99)- rare shrimp salad served with lemon sauce. This was wonderful- the vegetables (carrots, cucumber, celery and radish) were thinly sliced the 'long way' with a potato peeler or mandoline and were just so very different. The shrimp were so plump and had been cooked in lemon (or maybe lime, it appears) juice. The addition of the fish sauce based 'dressing' enhanced all of the flavors.
It's always a fun and tasty adventure trying out the menu here.
Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant 4455 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego 92115 (619)284-4215 Open Sun-Th 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri-Sat 9a.m.-11 p.m.
Yum, you've got me craving Cha Banh Xeo hard. It's neat to see the different Vietnamese restaurants place their own spin on this common dish.
Posted by: Nicole @ Bento Momentos | Wednesday, 29 November 2017 at 03:52 AM
I might end up doing a Banh Xeo comparison post, Nicole! Thanks for that idea.
Posted by: Cathy | Wednesday, 29 November 2017 at 07:01 AM
Bert and I were here on Lunar New Year and enjoyed our meal. We had the banh xeo (I still like Pho Hiep Grill Chateau's version and Pho Banh Mai). Table 4 again?
Posted by: Caninecologne | Wednesday, 29 November 2017 at 09:50 AM
I didn't remember your celebrating Lunar New Year here, cc. February is so long ago! I'm pretty sure what my 'comparison' post will be this year...it will be fun doing the 'research'. There have been a total of two times we did not get seated at Table 4 here...both because it was already occupied.
Posted by: Cathy | Friday, 01 December 2017 at 03:47 PM