Pho Tommy Opens in Linda Vista

A few weeks ago, right before heading out on our Road Trip to Laguna Beach; I was picking up take-out from Thai Papaya, I noticed that Farm Market and Sandwiches was gone and replaced with something called "Pho Tommy".

Not quite sure what to make of this rather large space....after all it was a market and all, I was curious and decided to visit soon after.

The place seems to be put together....or at least renovated in a rather strange and haphazard way. It seems that they just pulled out all the shelving and replaced things with tables.

And there are still some grocery items for sale.

A "stage" has been put in near the entrance that faces Linda Vista Road. You gotta watch your step......the UPS guy walking in tripped and almost fell.

Another strange thing was that, other than the UPS guy, and the friends of the really friendly guy running the place named "Kim", I was the only customer on all three visits. Not sure what's going on here. Well, on with the show.....

Since the place was named "Pho Tommy"; it was only natural that I ordered the Pho Dac Biet.

First off, as you can tell, the basil and sprouts were past their "due date" and browning. The broth was clear with a decent amount of richness/texture, but like many places in San Diego these days, it had a salty-sweetness that isn't to my taste. I did enjoy the good amount of cilantro and scallions which helped a bit, along with a good amount of lime to try and balance things out.

As for the proteins; well the rare steak was too well done by the time the bowl hit the table and being the usual top round it was tough and dry. The fatty flank was on the bland side....no tripe in this bowl, though the tendon was fairly buttery and not bad. Not a great bowl overall. There's much better less than a block away.

When I went to pay; Kim just charged me eight bucks. Not wanting to short the place, I showed him the $9.50 on the menu, but was told, "I rang it up already, it's okay, eight dollars for you....."

So, I decided to go back the next morning since I needed to get some stuff from Thuan Phat, I was kinda hungry so I decided to drop by.

This time I ordered the Broken Rice with Bi, Cha (steamed egg), Pork Chop, and Egg ($8.99).

First off, the rice was nice and fragrant and the nuoc mam cham wasn't watered down, nor too sweet.

The Bi, shredded pork and pork skin was really dry and tasteless though. The cha was fine, though a bit drier than I prefer.

The pork chop was nicely charred, though it needed more seasoning as it was also bland.

But that egg was wonderful. Perfectly sunny side up, runny, with crisp edges, and nicely seasoned.

The broth provided, was basically the pho broth....it was less "sweet", but still too salty for me to fully enjoy.

Still, this was an improvement over the pho, so this past weekend, I decided to drop by early in the morning (apparently they open around 730), which is great for me.

I had seen something on the menu that I hadn't had for quite a while.

A dish named after the capital of Tiền Giang Province, My Tho; Hu Tieu My Tho.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't know what to expect. But the plate of sparkling fresh Tong Ho (chrysanthemum leaves, we call it Shingiku in Japanese) and sprouts started things off on the right foot. The Tong Ho was mild in flavor, without that resiny-overly green-grassy flavor. These were mildly sweet and bitter, obviously very fresh.

What really impressed me about this bowl was the liver....I'm usually not a fan of liver in Vietnamese noodle dishes because often times they are old and taste plain gross; but this was fairly tender and had just the right amount of earthy-offal flavor. In fact, in spite of the shrimp being cooked perfectly, the liver was the best meat item in the dish. The other pork was pretty bland.

The Hu Tieu was a bit overcooked for my taste. Though the clear broth wasn't quite as salty this time around. In fact, combined with that rather rich, almost greasy, bright red pork broth, it created a balance in a way. This was also quite a bit more than I'd usually put away for breakfast.

The third time was a charm it seems.

I enjoyed the guy working here; but unless evenings and lunches are super busy....somehow, I don't think it is, I don't know how long a place like this can last. I hope they hang in there. There's something definitely "old school" about Pho Tommy, without the brusque service, that I enjoyed.

Pho Tommy
6959 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA

Comments

[Derek R]

That egg was absolutely beautiful. Once upon a time I used to eat sandwiches at that location too

[kat]

hope they can make a go of it

[Kirk]

That egg was really good Derek. I'm not 100% sold on the place though.....will probably wait a few months then check back.

I hope so too Kat!

[Junichi]

I drove by the other day and saw the change. Was wondering how it was. Too bad the pho doesn't measure up to its neighbors. Did you take a pic of the menu?

[Kirk]

I actually have a paper copy of the menu Junichi....let me get that.

[Soo]

That's great you got a discount. Bummer they don't season the pork chops enough.

[Derek R]

Kirk, who has the best pho north of the 8 and South of the 52 these days?

[Kirk]

Hopefully they'll improve a bit Soo.

That's a pretty tough question Derek. The best bowl I've had recently was at Pho Hoa:

https://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2019/05/pho-fusion-and-pho-hoa-huong-revisited.html

Pho Hiep was ok as well.. Duyen Mai used to be ok; but I've heard they've gone downhill. Sadly, the Clairemont/Kearny Mesa area seems to be a pho wasteland.

[Denver]

I was wondering about Pho Tommy since there hasn’t been a Yelp review yet. Glad you reviewed it. It seems like an odd place to have a restaurant and always looked empty.. I may try that place soon.

I also think Pho Hoa has one of the best pho. And it’s the closest to me. Your “fastest pho in the west” post drew me in hahaha

[Kirk]

Check them out and let me know what you think Denver! Now that the weathers cooler; I'll have to "make the rounds" of pho shops!

[Denver]

So I tried Pho Tommy yesterday..You nailed it on the head. The place is set up in a haphazard way. At first I thought they were closed but it was only 5:30p. A lot of the chairs were stacked on tables. Some of the open tables had junk on them like the we’re working on things. I was also the only customer at the time and I almost left right right away because the guy working there didn’t notice me or acknowledge me after a while. But chose to stick around.

Got the broken rice and grilled chicken. Was decent. The whole dining experience was awkward with being the only customer there at a restaurant that is clearly struggling. Even being the only customer, the guy working there seemed distant. You would think being a new restaurant, he would put more effort.

Unfortunately I give this place 2 months. I think the location isn’t the best, plus there are two other Pho places in walking distance. It’s unfortunate because it would be good have more dining options. Too band they couldn’t move into the old dim sum place close by but that would’ve put them next door to Pho Hoa

[Kirk]

It's going to be a tough go for them Denver! Thanks for the update!

[Vu T]

Been here a few times now. The place has some pretty good food. I believe after 8pm, it turns into a quan nhau( drinking food) spot with music and karaoke. I tried their Nhau food and they are all delicious. I also tried their pho, hu tieu, and bun bo, but they were ok, although some of my friends say it’s the best tasting pho and bun they have eaten. I guess everyone has different taste in good. I’m actually going tonight to see if I can get their goat hotpot and drink some beers.