Pho Ca Dao

Location: 8373 Mira Mesa Blvd (between New Salem St & Reagan Rd)
Phone: (858) 564-0917
Hours: Mon-Thu 8 AM to 9 PM, Fri-Sat 8 AM- 9:30 PM, Sunday 8AM- 9 PM
Website: http://www.phocadao.net/ Apparently, this is just a placeholder website until they get a real one up, so it's not very helpful. You could go to their Yelp page, but Yelp ratings are generally bullshit. Yeah, I said it. I am especially convinced of this now because of the generally positive reviews of Pho Superbowl.

Beth:

Katie, Hao, and I are no strangers to Pho Ca Dao (I think this was Matus's maiden voyage there, though). In the past, Ca Dao was a favorite for some time. We thought the pho was really good. I was a little turned off by the service, myself. They remembered me and kind of poked fun at me whenever I came in. I get that it was friendly and all that, but sometimes it was just frustrating. For example, they don't give you a sauce dish here unless you ask for one. Katie and I had always used extra spoons for our sauces. Several times I had a waiter pop up from behind me (literally, we were in a booth and he popped up from the seat behind me) and point at the spoon and laugh at me before going to get me a sauce dish.

This got a little awkward after a while, and when a friend introduced me to Pho Cow Cali, I was elated that I had found a new place. Not only did I think the pho was better there, there were sauce dishes at the table and I seemed to receive less harassment.

However, in our quest to review every pho place in San Diego, Katie and I decided it was time to go back and give Pho Ca Dao another try. As we recalled, the pho was solid overall: we thought the broth was better than Cow Cali, the meat was not as good as Cow Cali, and there were often too many noodles (a gentle collective of criticisms considering the source).

We went there with the usual suspects (Hao and Matus) and found that the place had gone through some changes in the intervening time. They have totally re-done their logo, gotten a new fleet of waiters (which was a relief to yours truly), gotten a big TV, and totally re-done their menu. Their menu, as part of what seems like an increasingly popular trend, now has a section where you can choose all the components and "create-your-own-pho." Although we were skeptical about how this might turn out given our experience with this at Viet Cali, we decided it was worth a shot. I ordered the rare steak and well-done flank, my usual these days (despite a foray into tendon at Lucky Pho 2 weeks ago that I was very happy about).

We also ordered some eggrolls, which came out quickly and were crispy and delicious.



Our pho came out almost as fast as the eggrolls.

The pho was... shall we say... both better and worse than we remembered. Some things were better, and some were worse. Has Ca Dao changed over the last year? Did we come by on an off-day? Or are we so jaded and snooty about our pho now that it takes some seriously good soup to impress us? I'm guessing it's some combination of all of those things.



Katie and I generally agree that:

- the meat is better now that it was before- tender and not as fatty. But the flavor of it was just OK
- the broth was kind of bland. There wasn't enough spice flavor or beef flavor. I mean, there is something to be said for subtlety, but ...meh
-the sate sauce was good
-there were, in Katie's succinct words, "too many fucking noodles"

The vegetables that came out with the soup were good and fresh, and they don't skimp on quantity. Also, they serve culantro, and that made me happy.

We did, however, miss the elevator music that used to be played there. Elevator Beatles, elevator Simon and Garfunkel, elevator Christmas music, and I seem to recall some Kenny G...

Service was also very fast, and the place was clean and such, if you worry about that kind of thing. They have a nifty little garden that you can see in the window inside.

So... bottom line: A solid choice, but not the best. With other really excellent choices so nearby (Cow Cali, Lucky) why bother? Go a little further down Mira Mesa boulevard (or... don't go as far, depending on which direction you're coming from).

Six (and an imaginary half) spoons out of 10.

Viet Cali: ...Seriously? Just drive the extra 3.1 miles to Cow Cali

Pho Viet Cali
Location: 6755 Mira Mesa Blvd #113(near the Bev Mo...)

Hours: 10:30am to who cares

Photos: Courtesy of Hao and his fancy camera

Beth:

Sometimes we weary in our great quest to review every pho place in "America's Finest City"- like this last month, in which all our attempts to try new and exciting pho establishments have turned out pretty lame. Not quite Hall of Laaame-worthy, but somehow, that makes it even sadder.

Well, it was about half an hour after they were supposed to open. The door was open, but no one seemed to be in there. And certainly there were no other diners. But we're used to that by now... If you don't go to one of the really good, popular places where a lot of Vietnamese people go to eat (like Pho Cow Cali, Pho Hoa, and Pho Ca Dao- which we will be reviewing soon), then you might not see other people in there for breakfast. Frankly, this should just be a hint to us that we may not be in for much of a treat.

So we walked in... The door was just open... And someone from the kitchen came out and graciously sat us, acknowledging that they were, in fact, open.

The menu had one of those great pages where you can choose you own combination of meats. We all ordered and received our pho quickly.

Katie:

Well, I decided take advantage of this make your own pho option, particularly because their combo included meatballs, not so much my favorite. I also took this opportunity to intentionally order the "crunchy" flank as opposed to "fatty flank" and "some other flank." Well, the waitress assured me that what I ordered was the same as the combo...I figured she would just punch that into her fancy computer with a few replacements, etc.

Now...when the pho came out, it was obvious my pho had meatballs in it. Not a big deal, last time I tried them was 8 years ago so I figured it was time. Not as off-putting as my first experience but certainly wouldn't order them again.

Beth:

Yes, even though we had "created our own" combinations, the guy just brought the bowls out and said numbers, like the numbered combinations on the menu. So we had no idea whose pho was whose. Awk-waaaard....

Katie:

I did manage to order my steak on the side and the sate sauce was good, but thats about it. Oh that and, we got 20% or 25% off cause it was happy hour all day saturday. But considering Beth and I only ate 50% of our pho, not a great deal.

Most common comment was "Interesting." Meatballs were "interesting," said Hao. Broth is "interesting" says Katie.

Anyways, Beth says it best:

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR--

MORE MEDIOCRE PHO! WAH HA HA HA!!

the pho crew: "Nooooooooo!!! Haven't we suffered enough??"

Viet Cali: "NO, NOW YOU MUST EAT MORE PHO THAT IS NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD!!!"

the pho crew: "May god have mercy on our souls!!"

Back to Katie:

Verdict: 5 spoons and an imaginary half. At any rate, not good enough for Beth and I to eat more than half a bowl of pho, espechially with the knowledge that some amazing buy-2-get-1-free banh mi from Lucky awaited us (See pic below)

Bolsa: Pho Purgatory

Location: 9225 Mira Mesa Blvd
Phone: (858) 693-3663
Hours: : Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun 8am-8:30 pm
Website: their Yelp page

Beth:

Katie, Hao, and I were excited about Bolsa because of their early opening time (yay!) and their location right in the middle of prime pho country in Mira Mesa (right across from Pho Cow Cali and kitty-corner from Lucky Supermarket and pho). However, it seemed mediocrity was the order of the day.

There really isn't much to say about the place, frankly. Nothing about the experience was particularly bad... or good. It was so-so... More or less.

The restaurant was not remarkable in its decor or anything else. The service was OK, the decor was standard. It was clean. Meh.

We opted out of spring rolls because we were thinking about getting their banh mi, so we went straight for the pho.


Katie:

First sip of the broth and it hits you a bit weird. Something a bit different, not really in the good way. I was thinking, hmm chicken taste? But then, Hao and Beth hit it on the nail: a peculiar fast food hamburger kind of taste. It was still edible but didn't have that fresh pho feelin'. The meat was average, the noodles were average, the veggie plate was average (missing culantro). If they were close by, I may consider going again but if you're in Mira Mesa anyways, there are at least 3 better pho places within a few blocks of Bolsa: Lucky Pho, Pho Hoa Cali, Pho Ca Dao, each of which have their own charm.


Beth:

Yeah, bring back that fresh pho feelin', whoa-oh that fresh pho feelin', you've lost that fresh pho feelin' now it's gone, gone, gone...



Sorry about that. Anyway, I basically echo Katie's sentiments about the food. Not very memorable. My flank was nice and tender but it seems like it might be hard to screw up crunchy flank. The saute sauce was also unremarkable.

Anyway, I think the most telling thing about this experience is that we left half our pho on the table, so we would have more room for banh mi. And rather than order banh mi from this bastion of mediocrity, we opted to go to Cali Baguette, which just opened a new location in the same mini-mall as Bolsa.

The banh mi from Cali Baguette ($3.25) were good, I thought- Katie said she found them OK but not great (although she acknowledges that her banh mi standards may be impossibly high). But the real standout there was the service- the girl manning the counter was very friendly and answered any questions we had about the foods they offered. She even gave us a delicious baguette covered in butter and sesame seeds for free with our order!

So I guess the bottom line with Bolsa is... meh. 5 spoons out of 10.


(photos courtesy of Hao Ye- except the spoons.)

San Diego Pho Blog Hall of Laaame

Here is a short list of places we've been to once in the past two years and were so turned off by their pho that we don't plan on going there to review them again any time soon. That's not to say that some of them don't have other non-pho related redeeming qualities (see Pho Sao Bien, below).

Hi Thai on UCSD La Jolla campus: Some of their food is mediocre. Lots of it is bad. The pho is nearly inedible. We give this place 1 spoon out of 10 and that's being generous.

Lucky Pho: (9326 Mira Mesa Blvd) Went here with my friend, Hao, after reading rave reviews from Kirk's blog, Mmm-yoso!, which is normally spot on about all things regarding Asian food. However, this is the one time we were disappointed by one of his recommendations. The broth had no beef flavor whatsoever (was described by Hao as water with pepper in it). The vegetables were limp, and if I remember correctly, the pho came with lemons rather than limes. We were shocked at how disapointing and non-pho-like the whole experience was. However, we may give this place one more try because it receives such good reviews from a reputable source. Maybe that was just a bad day. We give this place a probationary 2 spoons out of 10.

Pho Sao Bien: (1958 Garnet in PB- conveniently located next door to the Pretty Kitty- nothing like a bikini wax and a spring roll)

The Pho here is probably good if you're a beginner but if you've every had authentic pho, you're bound to find Pho Sao Bien rather disheartening. However, their Bun (vermicelli noodles) are pretty decent, their Banh Mi tasty, very big and only $3.50, and their Spring Rolls are the best we've found yet in San Diego. However, this is a Pho Blog, not a Spring Roll Blog, so we give them 3 spoons out of 10.

Sadly, there are probably more of these to come. Stay tuned so you can steer clear.

Pho Cow Cali Express (formerly Pho Hoa Cali Express)

Location: 9170 Mira Mesa Blvd.
Hours: According to their website, "7 DAYS A WEEKS" Sunday- Thursday 8am-9pm, Friday and Saturday 8am-10 pm
Website: http://www.phocowcaliexpress.com/

Beth: Katie and I decided to start with our favorite place, Pho Cow Cali in Mira Mesa. So far in our pho journey (we've tried perhaps 10 places in SD so far between the 2 of us) this is our favorite. It has been the most consistently good.

Let's start with the logo, the disturbingly happy cow in a tux with Liza Minelli mascara. Their old logo looked remarkably like the Laughing Cow, of Laughing Cow brand cheese:

Perhaps that is why they changed it. Their current spokescow distinctly reminds me of the animals in the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, who happily serve their own tender flesh to you at the table.

This cow will no doubt amuse you as much as it has amused us. It comes on the multicolored balloons the restaurant offers for children (or any of you who are bold enough to ask, I would hope)- one of its many charms.

The restaurant is pretty clean and open, with paintings on the walls. There are also several large flat-screen TV's that generally seem to show CNN Headline News or sports events. No elevator music here, a disappointment as Katie and I used to so enjoy the elevator Beatles music at Pho Ca Dao (a place we shall review in the near future).

The hours are agreeable, as Katie and I are fans of pho places that open relatively early. We like to eat pho for breakfast- it's great if you're hungover, even better if you're not, and then you just go home and pass out for a couple hours and don't have to eat again for at least 8 hours.

The service is average- very fast, and polite, but not super friendly. The English of most of the restaurant employees is good.

Katie:

This is a great solid pho place. They have all the pho basics, and then they even have chicken pho and shrimp pho for crazy friends that are opposed to red meats (Apparently, the shrimp pho here is surprisingly good according to Beth who tried it with guest reviewer Adam).

Anyways, on to the important stuff.

Broth. Definitely passes and has plenty of green onions and cilantro (sorry cilantro haters). Always good, sometimes very good. Makes you want to drink to the bottom of the bowl. However, it can be variable from day to day, sometimes is a bit too light for my tastes. I have tried better, though its hard to find. The broth isn't what keeps bringing us back here. We come back for the happy cow beefy goodness. Cow Cali not only is very generous with the beef portions, but the cuts are low on fat, even the steak is soft, the brisket & flank are delicious and the tendon is well tendon that doesn't really vary much as far as I can tell. My only complaint about the meat is that sometimes their tripe is cut a bit thick and a bit too chewy.

I also highly recommend the Satay sauce here. It has a smokey, spicey deliciousness to it. I've tried to buy a similar one in nearby Vietnamese groceries but I haven't found one I like as much yet.

We like the meat because its abundant just like we like the noodles cause they aren't so abundant. I've known some places to include so many noodles that there isn't much room for broth and thats my favorite part of pho. Noodles are also not too hard, not too soft.

The vegetable garnish plate has everything you would expect: bean sprouts, peppers, limes, basil & culantro. All fresh.

On to the non-pho items: Egg rolls here are good and come with mint, lettuce, and the standard fish sauce with carrots in it for dipping. Spring rolls are big and good, but recently they have been a bit stingy on shrimp (only one at each end). The rolls include mint (a big plus), but not enough as it seems concentrated in the center. Their peanut sauce is good as well but a bit on the sweet side for our taste.

I also occasionally get the Che Ba Mau (3 color drink) here. Its good but doesn't particularly stand out.

So as of yet, Pho Cow Cali Express is our favorite place in San Diego but who knows what else we'll find in the future. One more thing about Cow Cali Express, after dinner take your receipt next door for 25c/oz frozen yogurt.

Overall, we at San Diego Pho Blog give Pho Cow Cali a hearty 8 spoons out of 10.