mmm-yoso!!!

It's (kinda) Soup Weather - Takeout from Phuong Nga 2 and Mien Trung

Man, it's been a hot couple of months! We're somewhat happy with the cooler weather the last couple of days and took advantage of it by getting Bun Rieu, then Bun Bo Hue from our favorite places.

Phuong Nga 2:

After working on the Missus to try the Bun Rieu from Phuong Nga 2 for over two years, She finally gave in and we had it for three weekends in a row back in March - April of this year.

I dropped by Phuong Nga 2 and I was surprised to see no one lese waiting for anything. It looks like they are still doing takeout only.

Looking at the notice on the plexiglass partition, I noticed that the prices on most items have gone up by about a dollar. It as a short wait for our bun rieu, but soon enough I was back home, and heating up the broth. Of course I poured hot water over the noodles to warm up a separate.

Much like Bun Bo hue; because of the herbs and veggies, the broth needs to be super hot and you'll get a different texture in every bit as the steaming broth reacts with the crisp shredded banana blossom and morning glory. The bean sprouts adds a whole different texture as it cooks thru along with that mild grassy-almost pea like-nuttiness. The strong anise-citrus tones of the perilla leaves and a squeeze of lime adds a nice acidity, which helps cut through the savory broth which has been elevated with a dab of mam tom. I like the fact that the generous portion of noodles provided is a tad undercook as once it's heated with a pour of hot water, drained, then placed in the bowl it reaches prime texture.

   The Missus really enjoys the fried tofu and tomato; I like the cha lua....we both enjoy the pork-seafood "cakes"; though it seemed to be a bit tougher than what we previously experienced. The Missus always eats both red chilies provided.

Phuong Nga 2
4016 54th St
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tues - Sunday 9am - 6pm
Closed on Mondays

Mien Trung:

The first thing I actually wanted when the weather started cooling off was Mien Trung. Man, had it been almost a year-and-a-half since we last did takeout at the beginning of the pandemic? 

And the gentleman who was at the counter seemed so happy to see me; he wasn't working during my last takeout visit.......it was great talking to him, he still remembers me from when I first started visiting back in 2006! Man, almost fifteen years now! MT is doing both dine in and takeout; but since it was rather early in the day, there was only one customer eating in the corner while I waited for my Bun Bo Hue.

And since MT specializes in catering and takeout (in the beginning, they only made their BBH for catering), everything was packed perfectly.

After going thru my typical reheating drill (related above), everything was ready.

 Loved the slippery noodles; though the herbs and veggies didn't seem as fresh as usual. Nice savory-lemongrass tones from the broth; though it wasn't quite as spicy as I recall. The chili oil fixed that up nicely. The mam tom added deep savory tones and a couple of squeezes of lime balanced things out.

For some reason, I really enjoyed the thick cuts of beef as the flavor was so very deep and intense; the tendon softer than I recalled. Has time made my heart grow fonder?

I realize that I've done over 20 posts on Mien Trung over the last 15 years, but it's been one of those places that I never tire of. Once the weather starts getting a bit cooler or when we've returned from a long trip, MT often comes to mind when I get back home. Of course there have been ups and downs over the years; I think I've documented those. But, there have definitely been more ups than downs.

And of course while eating my bowl of BBH, I couldn't help but think of my good friend; the late "Ed from Yuma". We shared a few meals at Mien Trung and without fail he'd wear a lightly colored shirt which would end up dotted with specks of red from the annatto tinged broth! I couldn't help but wonder what Ed would think about the the state of the the US and the world during the pandemic. We miss you Ed!

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111
Hours:
Tues - Sat 9am - 8pm
Sunday 830am - 4pm
Closed on Mondays

Takeout From Da Nang Corner

Back in August; I noticed a shop named Da Nang Corner was opening up on Convoy and was quite happy to see the possibility of more regional Vietnamese cuisine being represented in the Convoy area. The shop opened during November and since around the middle of that month, I've managed three visits. I was really excited to try what I consider DaNang's signature dish to be; Mi Quang. To be honest; I've never had a decent version of Mi Quang in San Diego. The now closed Mi Quang Mien Trung was a disappointment and other versions just weren't very satisfying.

Da Nang Corner has an online ordering system, which I used on all three visits. Or at least tried to use. The first two times, they actually called me to confirm my order and I still had to wait for it when I arrived for pick-up. On the third visit, I got no confirmation call and no one had a clue about it when I arrived....the very nice young lady walked over and pulled my ticket out of the POS machine, so I just had to wait. I know grand opening jitters; but remember, this was over the space of almost 80 days.

Still, nice young ladies, the dining area is very clean and well set-up. I'll definitely eat in when everything settles down.....whenever that may be.

Of course I ordered the Mi Quang Ga ($11.50).

Things were nicely packed, the veggies and herbs were sparkling fresh, I loved that there was a good amount of shredded banana blossom as I really enjoy the texture it adds to various soups and it tends to absorb flavors quite well.

There was more soup than I'm used to for Mi Quang, which while on the salty side had a nice tongue coating finish to it. It wasn't deeply complex, but pretty darn good....with nice savory tones and a hint of sweetness.

The rest of the dish was somewhat problematic. The noodles were unevenly prepared and many of the noodles were broken into small pieces. Some of the pieces were mushy, some were super hard, barely cooked, just not good eats.

The chicken was strangely bland and also on the dry side, like all the flavor had been boiled out of it even though it was dark meat, go figure. The boiled egg was overcooked with that purple ring around the yolk....a true sign it had been boiled too long.

Now, once we're over the pandemic, I'm going to order this to dine in and am hoping all of these issues will be remedied.

I took a gander at the menu at Da Nang Corner to figure out what to try next......and two items got my attention; and no, it wasn't the pho......perhaps someday, but not in my top ten of items to try at a place with Danang in the name. I decided to try the Com Ga Hoi An ($10.50)….Hoi An's famous chicken and rice dish.

This was during the time before the last lockdown when outdoor dining was allowed....but of course I got my order to go. Ordered online, got a call back during my drive over to the restaurant and there was another ten minute wait after I arrived to get my food.

Now in typical Hoi An Chicken Rice the rice is cooked with turmeric; giving the rice, much like the mi quang a vibrant yellow color. It should also be cooked with chicken broth and fat......but in this case, there was barely any chicken flavor and the rice was really hard as well. The chicken was a bit chewy but that's to be expected, the sauce was a bit too sweet, I prefer mine to have a bit more acidity, but it wasn't bad, though there was a distinct shortage of chicken. Loved the herbs in the dish though. The nuoc mam cham was way too sweet as well.

This isn't something I'll order again.

During this visit; I asked the young lady working what I should order and was told that the Bun Bo Hue was really good. I asked her if it was as good as Mien Trung and her expression changed, she gave me a shrug; not exactly the seal of approval, but I decided to try the Bun Bo Hue ($12.75). This was after all outdoor dining had been shutdown, I placed an online order, though this time I didn't receive a confirmation phone call. When I arrived, I walked to the counter and said I had placed an online order receiving a blank stare.....the young lady then walked to the printer and guess what? There was my order....oh well; it's still "grand opening", right?

Once my order was ready, I took my package to the car and returned home, not thinking this was going to be any good......though I would be proven wrong.

I did reheat the broth for this and once put together it looked, and smelled quite good.

First off, while I wished there were more veggies and herbs (especially banana blossom), what was provided was fine.

Second, the noodles were perfectly prepared, good texture, nice and slippery.

Third, the broth was good, perhaps a bit too much MSG, but heck, even Mien Trung goes a bit far at times. But the broth had a mild beefiness, decent spice, and while I think it could have used more lemongrass, that was still acceptable....there was a nice mild spice as well. The cilantro and onions added just a touch of pungency to help move the flavors forward.

In addition to the well prepared beef shank and tendon (better than MT I think), there was a nice and tender meatball like you'd find in Bun Rieu. The only item that was not prepared well was the pork hock which was too tough and rubbery and needed more cooking time. Other than that, I'd say this was way better than typical "pho shop Bun Bo Hue" you'll find in the area and not a bad alternative to Mien Trung in my opinion.

I'll definitely have this again....hopefully this wasn't just a day I hit the lottery.

I'm hoping Da Nang Corner does well and keeps improving. Time will tell.....as I'm not just happy "to have something" available, my hope is that the next bowl of Mi Quang will be much better and that Bun Bo Hue wasn't just a visit on a "good day".

Da Nang Corner
4428 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 737-4919
Current Hours:
Tues - Sun 11am - 7pm
Closed on Mondays

Covid-19 Takeout - Mien Trung

Or maybe I should call it SARS-CoV-2; which is the name of the virus that causes Covid-19, which is the disease caused by the virus....well, enough of that.

This past Saturday, I finished up my work by 10 and needed to hit up Carnival Market on the way home for some groceries. The Missus was busy at work and I'd be making dinner, so I wanted something for an early lunch. It suddenly dawned on me that Mien Trung is right down the street. When I've eaten at Mien Trung; I have never failed to notice the bags and pots of take-out stacked up for pick up. I guess it was my turn. I called in my order for Bun Bo Hue and drove the few blocks over after shopping; waltzed in, paid, got my order, and sauntered out the door in less than two minutes.

Things were packed nicely; man, they wrapped up the herbs and veggies in a tight bundle. It practically exploded as I started to unwrap it.

I liked the fact that they included some pretty spicy chili oil and mam tom; which added a nice funky-umami layer to my Bun Bo Hue.

The broth was quite bracing; in fact it started to pop and crackle from the chili-annatto oil as I heated it on the stove top. Lots of lemongrass tones and this was pretty spicy......not too heavy handed in terms of MSG, a nice squeeze of lime added some balance to the broth. The noodles were firm and slippery....I made sure to wear a dark t-short while eating this to avoid the dreaded "red dot syndrome".

Needless to say; it did "hit the spot".....right between the eyes; especially since the weather, while decent on this day, had been pretty wet and cold (by San Diego standards) than usual over the week.

I'm shocked that I hadn't done take-out from Mien Trung sooner; after all, we've been coming here since 2006 and it felt good supporting a place that's been on our rotation for fourteen years.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Soup Weather, the Old Standbys Episode - Mien Trung and Santouka. Plus, a Little Quiz at the End

Well, that spot of warm weather didn't last very long, did it? To be perfectly honest; I enjoy cooler weather since it means I can hit up my old standbys. Like these two. I'll keep the post short; cause I've done so many posts on these two places.

Mien Trung:

Ok, I think I have at least a dozen posts on Mien Trung…..going way back to 2006! They seemed to have hit a rough spot for a while; but this last bowl was the best I've had in a while.

The Bun Bo Hue really hit the spot; the broth didn't have too much msg, there was a decent spice, nice lemongrass tones; the noodles were cooked to a perfect slipperiness. And to add to the joy of a nice bowl of bun bo hue; I got little red dots all over my shirt.....oh well, it was definitely worth it.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Santouka:

Funny thing; my first visit to Sanoutka when they first opened in San Diego in 2008 was auspicious. But over the years they've righted the ship and is a favorite of the Missus......let me beat that dead horse again; to the point that the Missus just had to visit the flagship shop in Asahikawa...in winter!

The funniest thing to the Missus is; that "even in Japan, Santouka's boiled eggs are terrible...." So there's some consistency for ya'. For us; it the Shio Toroniku style all the way. Rich, hot tonkotsu broth; noodles with a good chewy-crunch to them, pork cheek that tastes great with a short dunk in the broth......

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

And as a little bonus:

So, I was cleaning out some old photos, deleting most of them; when I came by a couple of oldies, but goodies.....places that are gone but not forgotten, at least by me.

So, can you guess the first two?

That's an easy one, right?

Here's a place that didn't last very long; but I really enjoyed...…..

Boy do I miss this place.....

Now here's one that lasted for even a shorter time....but man, we really enjoyed the place when it was around.

Did you get all three???

Happy Monday everyone!

Revisits - Woomiok and Mien Trung

It feels like (San Diego) winter now; so here's a couple of revisits to a new place on the rotation and an old favorite.

Woomiok:

Woomiok has become a favorite of the Missus. So, with the recent cooler weather, the Missus wanted Her fix.

This time around we ordered the assorted beef in stone pot. As with previous visits; the kkakdugi and the squid panchan were the best, while the baechu kimchi was decent but, could have used some really more intense fermented flavor. The japchae was really bland.

We were pleasantly surprised with the portion size of the dish ($34.99).

The tendon was buttery and the brisket and other usual "tougher cuts" were tender and beefy. There was what looked like typical pho top round, which was drier and tough and the worst cut overall. The bone based broth was very nice with a touch of salt. A very comforting dish overall. In fact, I loved the leftovers which I mixed with rice and heated up; making a rice porridge of sorts.

We left warm and satisfied.

Woomiok
3860 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Mien Trung:

Just like last year; Mien Trung was my first real meal out after returning from our trip.

The place was hopping; I just ordered the smaller bowl of Bun Bo Hue. It looked kinda light; but it was pretty good. Nice spice, great lemongrass flavor, the meats were more tender than on previous visits....even the tendon. Not over-loaded with MSG......the noodles were slippery and firm; the veggies (I still miss not having banana blossom though) fresh.

This had that "aaaah" factor going.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Never Made the Cut Road Trip Edition

Here are some photos that I was just going to delete.....I have a bunch of breakfast one's from when I was driving to Irvine almost weekly as well. But since these weren't in San Diego; where I try to visit places more than once; I thought I'd just do one of those "never made the cut" posts.

I went to lunch with the folks I was working with in Irvine a couple of times.

Ngu Binh:

I've posted on Ngu Binh before, but was excited to try the Bun Bo Hue. Unfortunately, the folks that got there first ordered for all of us...….

They like their Bun Bo Hue not spicy with no pork hock and that's what I had waiting for me when I arrived......what the??????

Ngu Binh Restaurant
14072 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683

Pho Lovers:

Which was right in front of Lien Hoa, it has since moved.

loved the herbs which were amazingly fresh.

The pho was seriously defatted, the noodles over-cooked, though the broth wasn't overly sweet or salty.

Now at:

9892 Westminster Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92844

From other Road Trips.

Chengdu Taste (Alhambra):

The Missus was seriously psyched to try the place that had been declared the "best Sichuan Restaurant in America". We were quite disappointed.

And the service was so terrible, that we got our mapo tofu and Shui Zhu Niu Rou, the beef boiled in hot sauce to go. Both just didn't have enough spice and were seriously defatted versions. The won tons in hot sauce were too sweet and lacked spice, not even close to the version I had at Long Chau Shou (龙抄手).

828 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803

The Lark (Santa Barbara):

This one was from the same road trip where we had a wonderful meal at Yoichi's. It was a super hot weekend; yet they had the fire pit going!

From the mushy brussel sprouts to the teeth rattling sweet duck wings, not our favorite meal.

Though the lamb shoulder confit was quite good.

The Lark Santa Barbara
131 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

So there you go; thanks for indulging me.

I'll be back tomorrow with more San Diego restaurants.

Clearing Out the Memory Card - Revisits to Menya Ultra (Mira Mesa), Tim Ky, and Mien Trung

We've sure been getting some extended soup weather this year; and I'm not complaining one bit. Of course, going to the same old places would make for some pretty boring posts. So, please bear with me for tonight....I got these photos just taking up space.

Menya Ultra (Mira Mesa):

Yes, yet again. Though "FOY" Jason had been asking if I tried the Miso Ramen. So guess what Jason? I finally did.

And it was indeed very good; though to be perfectly honest, I still prefer the clean richness of the tonkotsu.

Menya Ultra
8141 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126

Tim Ky:

Yet another place that I've posted on a bajillion times since they opened.

I did notice a whole different set of employees working on this visit.

And of course I got my Beef Sate Egg Noodle "Dry"......

No complaints from me.....

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

Mien Trung:

And yes Mien Trung yet again.

For my Bun Bo Hue fix. After a few bumpy visits; my visits over the last year have been pretty consistent. I'm getting my Bun Bo Hue while things are still nice and cool.

And some Hen Xuc Banh Trang too.

Peppery and spicy!

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be back with (hopefully) a more interesting post tomorrow.

Hoai Hue Vietnamese Restaurant Revisited

I'd been passing Hoai Hue on most of my drives up to City Heights. This past weekend; a bit jet lagged, I decided to check them out again, since it had nearly three years since I last visited.

I ordered the usual; the "house special" version of Bun Bo Hue (they already have a Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet on the menu), the Bun Tam Hoai Hue.

I noticed that they now have different protein combinations for the BBH....even a "beginners" version. Heck, in the past the broth here had been quite mild, which I figured would have made a decent "beginners BBH".

As the bowl arrived I was somewhat surprised at the fragrance......the broth had a fairly good amount of fermented shrimp paste in it! A good change for a place that I considered to make a pretty weak BBH.

The broth still lacked a noticeable lemongrass flavor, but was decently spicy, and decently hot. It was also not as "sweet" as what I'd had on previous visits.

Another interesting change; the pork hock meat had been taken off the bone....it was very tough though. The meatballs were weirdly muddy tasting; though the thick slices of cha lua and shrimp balls were quite good. The tendon was too hard to enjoy.

The noodles were nicely prepped; firm and slippery.

And, in case you're concerned about me not eating enough vegetables.

Though the Bun Bo Hue is still not in the same league as Mien Trung, I was pleasantly surprised. The BBH here is now closer to my taste preference and definitely better than "Pho shop Bun Bo Hue". Service was efficient and the guy actuallu came by to see how I enjoyed my noodle soup. I'll try to drop by again soon.

Remember when this place was a couple of blocks down the street next to AA and a Tattoo Parlor? Man, time sure does fly, huh?

Hoai Hue Vietnamese Restaurant
4660 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Revisits - Mien Trung and Cafe Dore

A couple of early weekend meals since returning from vacation.

Mien Trung:

MT was actually my first meal after returning from our trip. Our flight arrived quite late; the Missus had to work the next morning, the weather had cooled and I was craving some Bun Bo Hue from Mien Trung.

The fellow....we've been coming here so long, I remembered when I used to refer to him as the "young man", made me feel quite guilt when he said: "it's nice to see you....you only come by once a year these days...."

Anyway, I got the #1; the regular sized bowl.

Scalding, spicy broth, bright lemongrass flavors, a slight funkiness from the shrimp paste; slippery noodles with a nice "pull" to them. I do wish they'd start adding banana blossom back to the veggies; though it was fresh and plentiful. The thinker sliced meat was flavorful and toothsome; I did wish the pork hock had a bit more meat and connective tissue and perhaps the tendon was a bit more tender. But this did hit the spot.

As usual, I wore dark clothing to hide the red dots on my clothes from slurping those noodles. And without fail; I always think about our good friend; Ed from Yuma, who would without fail always wear some light colored shirt when we ate here. He's always leave, smiling, happy, and with a nice little scattering of random red dots from the broth on his shirt. We miss you Ed!

This was a nice bowl on a chilly, damp day.

Mien Trung Restaurant
7530 Mesa College Dr
San Diego, CA 92111

Café Dore:

Ah yes, one place that's still "old school"; Cafe Dore. Man, remember those days when they had the "video game" machines in the back? Except there were older Vietnamese Gentleman "playing" on those "video machines".....hmmm.... Well, those days are long gone. I recall when the older men used to smoke in the place. On one visit, somebody came to "inspect" and pointed at the "No Smoking" signs posted.....and the guys all looked confused and acted like they didn't understand....and since the signs were posted in English....well, maybe that hasn't changed as two guys were smoking in the place when I arrived. Though I did notice when folks start coming in; the smokers will head outside.

And neither has the about 12:1 ratio of men to women customers in the place. Most women just come in to do take-out orders.....though perhaps this is because I usually visit rather early in the morning? Perhaps most of the old-timers finish up and leave by lunch?

One thing that hasn't changed is the 7am opening and with the Missus having to work early on a weekend morning and waking me up.....well, I was hungry and wanted some noodle soup. Also, my Dry Cleaning Lady, had mentioned that Café Dore had started serving Mi Quang, so I wanted to check it out.

I arrived, sat at a table and was given a menu....right on the top was "Mi Quang Dore".....I guess their version of Mi Quang.

The broth wasn't bad; it had a nice tongue feel, though it was on the "sweeter" side. I made good use of the nuoc mam to bump up the flavor.

I really enjoyed the veggies....finally, some banana blossom! It was fresh through and through. Though the cracker was on the stale side.

Unfortunately, the noodles were on the overcooked side and there were quite a few smaller pieces of noodle floating around.

The selection of "proteins" was interesting; there was a good amount of chewy pork intestine, which was kind of bland....quail eggs; obviously canned. I didn't have high hopes for the two large shrimp; but it was cooked perfectly, very moist, and slightly sweet.

I quickly noticed that no one else was eating in the place and all eyes were focused on something.

That something was the Lottery Drawing on the screen.

As soon as that was over; half the guys in the place either left or went outside to have a smoke.

I finished up my tea, went to the register and paid for my Mi Quang.

While it wasn't bad; I don't think I'll be having this again. I'll probably go back to my old ways.

For me; Café Dore is an interesting slice of life, something totally different from hipster-rich San Diego. It just seems real and totally reminds me of Vietnam, be it ever so humble. Though without those little plastic "kiddie chairs"!

Cafe Dore
4135 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92105

Pho La Jolla Revisited

My 3 hours of meetings ran a bit late, I was starving, and wanted something to eat before heading back to the office. It was then that I recalled that Pho La Jolla was close by....and I hadn't been there in nearly a decade. Some pho sounded good, so I decided to grab some lunch.

The place was empty when I arrived; though folks quickly came thru to pick-up take-out orders. The Hispanic guy working the front of house was really nice to the "regulars".....but quite, ahem, perfunctory to me. I was somewhat relieved to know it wasn't personal as he was the same to anyone who came in to eat that he didn't "know".

What I wanted to order was quite simple; well-done steak, flank, tendon, and tripe....except there was a problem; they don't serve tendon and tripe anymore. It's been replaced by meatballs. Ok, how about the bo kho….nope, that's off the menu now as well.

So, I finally settled for the Bun Bo Hue....that would be the "Vietnamese Spicy Beef Soup" on the menu; not the rather strange sounding (in a Vietnamese Restaurant) "Szechuan Style Beef Noodle Soup" (well, maybe not since there weren't any Vietnamese working on this day as my order was called back in Spanish to the kitchen).

The sprouts and company was pretty much what I expected; sparse, but fresh. The BBH arrived in a rather large bowl; I took a sip and holy ms-heebie-geebies Batman! Man, it was super salty; I ended up using the two slices of lime trying to temper the saltiness. I had expected doctored up pho (obviously no pork tones) broth, but this was kinda funny....basically slightly metallic tasting pho broth with chili paste and voila, Bun Bo Hue! No deep savory flavors from shrimp paste; no lemongrass tones....lots of onions though. I guess they tried to balance the scales by using a ton of cilantro and scallions.

The beef and there was plenty of brisket and well done steak in this was decent; quite beefy, no off flavors. The cha lua of the "ga" (chicken) variety was passable, except for being cold. Of course there was no pork hock. But man, that bun was over-cooked and really mushy.

I've had some mediocre bowls of Bun Bo Hue over the years; but this might have been the worse. And with a $11.75 price tag and unfriendly service. Add no tripe, tendon, bo kho, and who knows what else? I don't think I have any reason to return.

Pho La Jolla
3211 Holiday Court #102
La Jolla, CA 92037