Last time we tried coming here, they were closed for the Thanksgiving weekend...
This time, the place was open...
We parking around the corner and walked down the alley to get to City Heights Coffee House.
The newspaper headlines this morning. :(
City Heights Coffee House's menu makes sure to include coffee drinks enjoyed by various cultures, many of whom are refugees and live in this diverse neighborhood (Ethiopian, Mexican, Turkish and Vietnamese to name a few).
Bert's macchiato, which was larger than what it should have been.
This was my cortado; the amount seemed right.
While not as attractive in paper cups, it's more practical I suppose since this coffee place is just a kiosk out in the open. There's no faucets or sinks or anything to wash with, so it's understood. Unlike some brick and mortar places that do have the facilities but choose to serve paper cups out for convenience. That seems a bit lazy to me.
The beans used are from Bird Rock. Our drinks were "okay". My cortado wasn't as smooth as I'm used to from other places. It also got lukewarm pretty quickly. Bert's drink was too milky since the proportions were off. It's supposed to be 1:1 and this seemed like 1:2.
Before having a late breakfast (or early lunch?) at Saigon, we walked a few blocks nearby to take photos of wire art located above various selected traffic lights (that post is forthcoming: we still haven't mapped all of them; there are eight and we've only seen six).
We haven't been back here in about a decade! This was the year I started blogging but didn't take photos for the first few months. TC was only five when we visited during a rainy weekend. Sadly, she was not with us this morning due to a sports event (the season should be winding up by the end of February). I miss her during these weekend outings. I can't wait until her weekends are free again.
Bright and early! Empty!
We were seated along the windows facing the parking lot.
I asked our server if I could take photos of the tree. He was quite happy for me to do so and wished us a Happy New Year. The yellow flowering apricot tree (this was an artificial one) is a symbol of life and good fortune in southern Vietnam,
I remember seeing one at Lucky Seafood in Mira Mesa last December and thought it was so beautiful. The tree is hung with red envelopes (which is supposed to contain lucky money). At the foot of the tree are various citrus fruits and a tray filled with candied coconut strips and vegetables, roasted seeds, and pickles.
The workers here were so nice and friendly. They greeted all of their customers Happy New Year which was really cool to see since today is the Lunar New Year. Even though we don't celebrate Lunar New Year, it is actually my year, along with Bert's. Year of the Rooster. Do the math. We're old, ha ha.
Bert's iced coffee which was pretty strong, the way he likes it.
We shared our two entrees, a banh xeo with pork and shrimp and the beef bun. I was excited to see that they roll their beef around a green onion stalk like they used to at Pho Cow Calli.
The beef was so fragrant, well marinated, tender, and delicious. They did not skimp on the shredded vegetables in the bun (hiding at the bottom). I've been disappointed lately by the Pho Convoy near us in Chula Vista because their bun hardly has any vegetables at all. It's ridiculous. I wonder if that was a cost cutting measure. This was not an issue here at Saigon.
We always like to try banh xeo are different Vietnamese restaurants. Saigon's rendition was heavy on the bean sprouts. There were about three or four shrimp in there and a few slices of pork. The vegetable herb platter didn't have purple perilla (tia to) like at other places. The crepe itself was a bit on the browner side. It didn't have quite the same crispness as the version we've had at Brodard and Pho Hiep Chateau. Well, we gave it a try and thought it was decent but not amazing.
Watch out for those green chilies. My mouth was on fire after nibble a tiny piece.
Look at that rolled beef...you can see the spice paste on the beef. This was so flavorful. I want this again.
Earlier, after we were seated at our table, a Caucasian couple walked in. I didn't think anything of where they were seated until later during our meal. I happened to notice they were on the opposite side of the restaurant. Everyone else was seated on our side. No one in the middle at all. I counted the number of tables...they were at TABLE FOUR. Our side of the restaurant had tables numbered in the twenties.
I sent the above photo to Cathy of mmm-yoso and she said she and her mister have been seated at table four at practically every Vietnamese or Chinese place they've been to. Seriously. The only time they haven't been seated at table four is when it is already occupied by another Caucasian couple. If you look at her posts from various VN places, they always have the same table POV. From Table Four.
Four is considered an unlucky number for some Asian cultures; the American equivalent would be "13" (which actually for me, I like since I was born on the 13th). The number four, as a Filipino, has no bad meaning for me. Anyways, Cathy confirmed that it is very rare that she will be seated at any other table other than four when dining out with her husband.
(cool googie architecture at the cleaners across the street)
I want to sit at table four next time!
Before I end this post, here are some shots of the painted utility box on the curb next to Saigon:
Love the colors.
Who else has been to Saigon?
Cathy and Kirk have been here numerous times. In fact, here is one of Cathy's posts which links her previous posts as well as one of Kirk's from 2006.
Previous visit to City Heights Coffee House:
November 2016 with TC
Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
4455 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
(619) 284-4215
There is no website but here are the reviews from that four lettered site, tripadvisor and foursquare
We'll have to come back here with TC for a replay of that beef bun and try a few other menu items...
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