After our unorthodox "dessert before lunch" we wanted to have lunch (still!)...
But first, some random photos of stuff I saw recently. Below, a lipgloss with a title that Prince himself would appreciate, "Sexy Motherpucker"!
And a product that I SO wish was sold in San Diego, but dammit all to hell, it isn't - the elusive Chocolate (Tsokolate) flavor of SkyFlakes crackers! TC brought the wrapper home from a friend who shared some recently. C from Canada had the Cheese flavor too!
I would love to try this cracker sandwich!
Anyhow, because we didn't want to drive all the way over to Pho Cow Calli (formerly known as Pho Hoa Calli several years ago, WTF is with that name change) we decided to try the new Vietnamese joint right next door to H Mart...
Even after all of those pastries, which I have to say were remarkably light and airy, we still had room for lunch. Po & Pho it was!
Their menu consisted of sandwiches, soup with noodles, bun, and rice dishes.
The workers there were really friendly and attentive.
Condiments...the usual.
Goi cuon for TC ($2.75).
I didn't have any but I could tell they were loosely wrapped. The sauce was very peanuty and had a bit of a kick to it. The rolls themselves weren't spectacular, just average. Bert said his roll held together more than TC's.
Bert and I both had iced coffees ($2.95) which we asked to be more bitter than sweet. I prefer the coffee to be stronger and not watered down by too much condensed milk.
Bert's Shrimp Po Bo sandwich ($7.99) - it was pretty long and was cut in half. The shrimp had a nice thick batter to it with a bit of spice, and was accompanied by shredded lettuce and a creamy sauce. He felt the size of the shrimp compared to the narrowness of the bread size worked quite well. Like two bites of shrimp with two bites of bread. It was proportioned well, he said.
The bread was also crisp on top, but not so hard that it cuts the roof of your mouth. He likes the bread from K Sandwiches better. That was a pretty filling lunch. If it were me, I could probably finish only half. This place also had a half Po Boy and half soup special which I would like since you get two things in one.
I had the Mi Quang noodles ($6.25/one size only). I wanted to try their version to see how it compared to Ha & VL and Mien Trung's. TC and I shared this fragrant turmeric soup with the thick rice noodles. The soup included chopped peanuts, fresh herbs, chicken, shrimp and slices of pork. No pork meatballs or shrimp in the shell.
There was also a generous plate of bean sprouts, chopped lettuce and cabbage, and fresh herbs and a lime wedge. While I liked the flavor of the soup, it wasn't as good as the one in Portland. The cracker was also broken up ahead of time, placed in the soup, and was already getting soggy. At Mien Trung, the sesame cracker was served whole and on a separate plate, which I really really liked. I could put the pieces in whenever I wished.
The inclusion of chicken in this type of soup was 'new' to me; it included pieced of breast which I found unpleasant and dry. There was also no pork loaf which was a bummer. The shrimp was also peeled and tough. Maybe they made their proteins more "safe" and "palatable" for their non-Vietnamese clientele? Who knows. I just really enjoyed the slipperiness of the thick noodles and the flavor of the soup.
We did a few Christmas returns at the newly redesigned UTC mall in La Jolla. By the time we left, the freeways were clear of the previous traffic jams that morning. The 43rd Street bridge jumper was already talked down by negotiators (thank goodness).
You would never know that a man was perched on that high slender bridge earlier that day. I feel so bad that folks would feel so despondent that they have to resort to suicide.
Here are the headlines from today's paper about yesterday's events...
We actually saw the news van and photographer on the H Street overpass (that is where that front page photo was taken) as we doubled back on H Street yesterday.
And for a comparison on the Mi Quang, here's the bowls from our first visit to Ha & VL in Portland, OR. The shrimp cracker was on the side. You can see the pork loaf in there.
The shrimp was quite plump and large!
And here is the one I had more recently at Mien Trung in San Diego (near K Sandwiches)...
As mentioned earlier, the rice cracker was served whole and on the side. Shrimps were shell on, which I liked because it added more flavor.
The broth for these two versions was so fragrant and flavorful. I liked Ha & VL's the best. If the proteins were better at Po & Pho, I would like it more, but the soup was quite good. They should really ditch the chicken in there. I'm no Vietnamese food aficionado by any means, but I do like this kind of soup and I was happy to see it on the menu.
Who else went to Po & Pho?
Cathy from Mmm-Yoso went last month with the Mister...
Po & Pho
9430 Mira Mesa Blvd., Suite C
San Diego, CA 92126
(619) 271-8988
www.poandpho.com
Turns out that this place is quite new, having only been open since this summer. Service was good here. with friendly and super nice workers. I hope this place does well.
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