Pho Van

There are few things in life that I love more than a big steaming bowl of good pho. Luckily for me, there is almost no cuisine more rampant in California than Asian food! Besides Mexican food, the most readily available international dishes come from the Far East, and there's no shortage of hole-in-the-wall markets and restaurants filled with the chattery talk of the AZN Persuasion.

There are delicate differences in each bowl of pho, and they aren't always completely obvious to the pho newbie. You should expect to get a small side dish of optional additives such as lime, bean sprouts, and perhaps jalapenos or some other leafy herb. Most of the time they come with meat, noodles, broth, and some leaves or small spring onions, but there's a world of difference in each bowl. I love a good seafood pho, but few things beat the thinly sliced beef pho standby. Pho Van on El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights had an extensive and surprisingly cheap menu filled with pho and noodle dishes. It was obvious that pho was the main focus and as we were the only palefaces in the place, that was a good sign from the start. I got the somewhat off-putting meatball pho, in which the meat was not actually identified, but delicious nonetheless. Ashton got the mother of seafood phos, and with squid, shrimp, and god knows what else swimming around in there it was a delight to the palate. The large unidentifiable white chunks were a complete, albeit delicious, mystery.



Do I think Pho Van had the best pho around? Probably not. Was it a damn good place with fast and cheap service? Hell yes! Mr. Vo's still holds the title for (thus far in my San Diego pho travels) best pho, but Pho Van's innovation and menu put it right up there.

Vo's Cafe

(image from myspace)

I've been curious for a while about the strange little walk up sidewalk hut advertising Vietnamese food about 4 blocks from our apartment on University Avenue. Ashton tried Vo's Cafe a week or so ago, and sang its praises to me, causing me to flop myself on the floor and have a tantrum until we went over and satiated my craving for All Things Noodle. I settled for the Mock Duck Lo Mein, which sounded delicious and at less than $6 seemed like a steal. We made our way to the back patio area, and were greeted with an adorable little nook that made me feel like I was really in Vietnam. Bamboo walls, small tables, hanging plants, and Vietnamese music playing softly set the atmosphere as we took our seats at a window bar and awaited our feast.



This is my Plate of Glory. Believe me, this was worth every penny of that $6. Not only was it delicious and cheap, Vo (I'm assuming this was the do it all owner) is a totally awesome, really nice guy, and based on what I've read about Vo's online, he is something of a neighborhood legend. Everyone seems to know and like this guy. He took our order, and since I didn't see/hear anyone else, I assume he cooked our food, and also brought it to us, and then came back out to box it up! What service! What charisma! How could anyone do anything but sing Vo's praises?!? My ONLY qualm is that I asked for it spicy, and it came pretty mild, but I will note that he brought out that delicious chili flake paste which I used obscene amounts of. My only other qualm is that Ashton ate my leftovers which led to a sad discovery the next day. Only the ties of true love kept me from cutting out his betraying tongue. But believe me, Vo's is going to become a major staple in my diet.