Pho Hoacali Express

[Update - Is now renamed as "Pho Cow Calli"]

Last Friday I was off (yay, 4 day weekends rule!) so I met Bert for lunch up in his neck of the woods. We went to Pho Hoacali Express on Black Mountain Road in Mira Mesa. It's quick, it's cheap and it's filling.
Located in the Black Mountain Village strip mall.

I've always liked their green chopsticks, so much that I bought a pack actually from World Market last year (near Pho Ca Dao on University). When we walked in, Bert held up two fingers to the waiter and we were quickly ushered to table 19 all the way in the back. I had a nice view of the bathroom! : )

Here's my view of the restaurant. It was only 11:15 am (yes, early) so it wasn't packet yet. By the time we left, it was filled with customers.

Their happy cow menu:

Murals of Vietnam near our table:

We ordered the fresh spring rolls for our appetizer. Looks like they were stingy with the shrimp. Most places put 3; we only had 2!

I liked their sauce and the crunchy peanuts!

Bert's pho condiments. You can't see too much of it, but there is the saw leaf herb underneath the basil.

Our meal is almost a repeat of what we had a Phuong Trang earlier that week. Bert had pho with flank while I had bun (not pictured just yet)

We both ordered Vietnamese iced coffee (espresso actually) with condensed milk. In a rare faux pas at Pho Hoacalli, the waiter brought out only 1 of the coffees (the one on the right). You could see that the coffee had already dripped down. I had to ask for the other one and boy, did they put a load of condensed milk in that one! What the hell man.

Espresso grounds...You can buy these metal contraptions at Vien Dong for about $1.50 (well, that's how much I remember paying for it back in '95):

The coffee mixed into the glass of ice and mixed up:

The waiter not only forgot to bring out both iced coffees at the same time, but he also mixed up my order. He brought Bert's pho and a steaming bowl of curried something, which I didn't order. That caused some confusion and he had to get another waiter to spoke English to speak to me and I had to clarify my order. I ordered bun with the char grilled shrimp and fried eggrolls.

I ended up getting my order several minutes later. Hopefully, not with a big juicy logey mixed into it. I watched 'Waiting'; I know that pissed off chefs do...As Eddie Murphy said in "Comedian": "I make special won ton soup for YOU!"

Here's that great fried and crunchy pork fat I love!

I enjoyed having a day off, although sans TC because her school only had a 3-day weekend. Well, school (and work for me) will be done in 3 weeks! I'm counting the days!