A friend of mine greeted me with an "oh my god....you're wearing a jacket, it must be cold!" Yeah, well I guess I really don't wear jacket and such until it does get a bit chilly. In a way, I enjoy this time of the year since I can make the rounds getting noodle soup.
Minh Ky:
Of course, Minh Ky has been a staple of mine since that first post way back in January of 2006. Recently, it's mainly been for the Sate Beef Egg Noodle "dry". But on this morning, I really wanted egg noodles in soup and I was starving. Having recalled how generous the portion size were for the combination egg noodle was; I ordered the won ton and dumpling combination.
So, while the broth here is still lighter than it used to be; on this day, it had a bit of richness and flavor (other than sweet-salt MSG tones).
The charsiu was decent if a bit on the chewy side. I think that over the years the dumplings and won tons have improved. At this price point; I don't expect perfection....I do expect glorified noodles; but the fillings were tender as were the wrappers.
The noodles were cooked perfectly, just enough crunch-chew.
And yes, I finished the entire bowl.
Minh Ky Restaurant
4644 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115
Tu Thanh:
Calvin had been wanting to revisit since the last time I took him here. Finding parking was of course an issue; the shop next door has put "Only for Customers of Mucha Fruita" signs up. Though the folks at Tu Thanh say that's not true.
One thing I quickly noticed was that the namesake of the place - Chi Tu Thanh was not in the kitchen. Perhaps she's retired? Too bad because everytime I come here I think of having her come out and go over eating Bun Mang Vit at "Chinese Kitchen" way back in 2006. Of course ordering was a no-brainer....Bun Mang Vit.
This was an interesting visit; some things were the same and I quickly noticed some differences.
The herbs and cabbage still has rau ram; but banana blossom is totally MIA. At least on this day.
That wonderful Nuoc Mam Gung; the gingery-slightly sweet-tangy-savory concoction is still present and as good as ever.
The noodles were decently prepared; no complaints there.
The duck was prepped decently, but the chopping job was just shoddy. Compare what it used to be like:
To today......
As is the norm for me here; I leave the broth for last as it's very mild initially. But after having those dried bamboo shoots release it flavors and all of the dunking and such it gains traction. On this day; it was sneakily salty.....like I need a couple of glasses of water salty. Not quite as good as before.
I'm sure I'll return. I just hope things return to how they used to be.
Tu Thanh
4804 University Ave. #A
San Diego, CA 92105
glad you were able to get your soup noodle fix
Posted by: kat | Monday, 31 December 2018 at 02:54 AM
This past weekend was especially chilly at night. At least in terms of San Diego. I got my soup fix at Shan Xi last night! And some pho the night before.
Posted by: Junichi | Monday, 31 December 2018 at 10:06 AM
Minh Ky is one of my fav spots to get won ton soup!
Posted by: Soo | Monday, 31 December 2018 at 12:59 PM
I really needed that fix Kat!
I'm glad it's not just me Junichi....I feel like it's extra cold this year.
It's definitely a good value for what you get Soo.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 01 January 2019 at 07:46 PM
I need to try something different at Minh Ky - I always end up with the Beef satee even though the soups always look strong.
Posted by: Derek R | Tuesday, 08 January 2019 at 09:56 PM
It's pretty easy to stick with the Beef Sate at Minh Ky Derek. I think it's the best item on the menu.
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 09 January 2019 at 06:51 AM