PHO BY ANY OTHER NAME
PHO BY ANY OTHER NAME
Plus, LV Town Hall, A Place to Read in LV, and Two Book Reviews
When you think about the national dish of Vietnam, what comes to mind? If you said Pho, you would be correct. For many Vietnamese, Pho is the comfort food they crave no matter where they are.
You might think that Pho is a food from ancient times in China, but this is not the case. It is a recent phenomenon from the end of the 19th, early 20th century during the French colonization of Vietnam. It actually comes from North Vietnam which is very close to China, and was probably originally a street food. The French slaughtered a lot of cattle when they colonized Vietnam and the Vietnamese were not used to eating beef, but all of a sudden had lots of beef bones and tough cuts of beef that loaned itself to long, slow cooking. This became Pho. This dish was introduced to the United States when Vietnamese started coming to the U.S. in the 1970s. Pho shops started popping up, and have since become very popular with non-Vietnamese over the years. A few of my sources told us that Pho is a breakfast menu item. Having traveled to Vietnam a couple of times, we can attest that we saw many people sitting on chairs on sidewalks in the morning eating soup which we didn't know at the time was Pho.
Making real Pho is a time consuming process, but well worth the time if you have it. However, since it is not really easy to make at home, when you find a restaurant that makes an excellent beef broth and great tasting Pho, you tend to stick with it. Such a place is Pho Hiep and Grille in the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center (across from the laundromat). We recently paid them a visit.
Pho Hiep and Grill has been in Linda Vista since 1991. It has doubled in size since it was established and has even expanded to other parts of the county. The restaurant website states that chef and founder Hiem Phan is the mastermind behind their Pho; he has been making Pho for over 30 years. It goes on to say that balancing out all the ingredients is an art that takes much expertise. People come from near and far to have their authentic Vietnamese dishes. Their menu lists 24 different kinds of Pho. You can visit their web site (click here) to check out the entire menu of rice and noodle entrees.
We had a nice conversation with Lee, who pointed out to us their most asked for types of Pho are No. 1 Special Combo with rare slices of beef, lean brisket, fatty brisket, flank, tendon and tripe; No. 18 Rare slices of beef; and No. 21 Chicken soup with pieces of chicken. Our carnivore sidekick opted for No. 18 on the menu, Tai (rare slices of beef). He ordered it to go. Although he is a big ramen fan, this was his first try at Pho. Here’s what he had to say. “The order came in several containers. The hot broth was in one container, the noodles and other condiments were in others. The beef was rare and I was told to pour the very hot broth over the beef and that is what cooks it. I did this and with the added noodles, bean sprouts, and other things, it became quite a large bowl of Pho. Easily enough for two meals, but I tried to do it in one. There was a dark sauce with it which was very good. I think it was hoisin sauce. Although I never had bean sprouts before, they added a nice texture to the noodles and I was glad I tried them. As I was told I had to slurp the Pho, I fully committed and did so. I ended up with broth in my eyes, so perhaps I didn't do it right or the noodles were faulty. Although I tried, I could not eat all of the Pho, and so I have enough for another meal. All in all, I enjoyed it very much and it was a good bargain for the money.”
Since we don’t eat meat, we tried one of their many rice entrees, No. 42, Grilled Shrimp. It included shrimp marinated in a house sauce and grilled over an open flame. The entree was accompanied by a large amount of rice, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon with a side of vinaigrette fish sauce. One order served the two of us for lunch and was more than enough. The shrimp was grilled to perfection, and the salad vegetables were fresh and crisp.
Please review the menu for the wide variety of items they carry. There is a full line of beverages including Vietnamese expresso coffee (hot or iced), Boba ice coffee or tea and many other drinks. They also have appetizers such as Vietnamese egg rolls, spring rolls and shredded pork rolls.
The staff mentioned they have lost a great deal of business during the pandemic, but are now able to have people sit at outside tables, or you can order to go. Masks are worn and social distancing is observed.
Please try this neighborhood eatery if you have not yet done so. I am sure you will be happy you did. The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, and the servings very generous and delicious. And you will get the county’s best Pho! What more could a Linda Vistan ask for?
Pho Hiep and Grill
6947 Linda Vista Road, Suite H
San Diego, CA 92111
858-268-8406
https://www.phohiepgrill.com/linda-vista-menu
Open 7 days a week - 7:30am to 8:30pm
Happy Lunar New Year!
Linda Vista Virtual Town Hall
Councilmember Raul Campillo (District 7) will host a Linda Vista Virtual Town Hall on February 18 at 5:30 pm. You can register for the Town Hall here.
If you have any issues with registration, you can contact Raul Campillo’s district representative Anthony Hackett at HackettA@sandiego.gov.
Campillo will hold virtual town halls for other communities in District 7 on these dates:
Grantville/Allied Gardens - 3/23
See you there!
Linda Vista Library Patio Area Now Open
Though the Linda Vista Public Library continues to make books available for check out (see our previous post here), many library patrons have missed the opportunity to hang out and read in a quiet place amongst the library’s numerous stacks of books. Unfortunately, the library’s interior remains closed due to the pandemic, but avid readers can still take advantage of a compromise situation. The library’s outside patio area is now available on a daily basis as a reading area. The patio offers readers a serene, meditative, Zen-like refuge — free from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. While there, patrons can also take advantage of free wi-fi, check out computer lap tops, and print up to ten pages.
The patio area is open Monday-Saturday from 9:30am to 1:00pm and from 2:00 to 5:30pm.
If you are looking for a quiet place to read your book, or if you are a student looking for a place to conduct online research, you may want to pay a visit to the Linda Vista Library’s patio.
Book Recommendations for Linda Vista Update Readers
We asked two of our most enthusiastic Linda Vista Update readers to reprise their roles as book reviewers and give us a couple of reading recommendations. Martha B. provided a book review of The Push, a novel by Ashley Audrain, while Marla M. submitted a review of Neighbors by Danielle Steele.
The Push is a new bestselling mystery and suspense novel by Ashley Audrain. The protagonist, Blyth Conner, has had a horrible childhood preceded by generations of bad mothering. When her daughter is born, Blyth believes that the problems she has connecting with her daughter are her fault. But there are indications that her daughter may be truly aberrant as she grows older. The push and pull between interpretations of the problems in their mother - daughter relationship lead to a divorce and a dismantling of Blyth’s life. The question of whether there is something terribly wrong with Blyth, or with her daughter, is finally mostly answered at the end of the book. The trip the book takes in getting to the ending is fascinating and the description of some of the difficulties of parenthood resonate in an unsettling and realistic way.
Meredith White was a mega movie star. A personal tragedy brought her career to a screeching halt. For the last fifteen she years, has lived a reclusive life with her two housekeepers/caretakers in a gated San Francisco mansion. Her neighbors didn’t know she lived there. An earthquake changes all of that. Meredith’s home is the only one not damaged. Much to her housekeepers’ chagrin, Meredith invites the neighbors to move in with her until their homes are safe for them to return. Each neighbor has a back story. From the popular and respected surgeon who abuses his wife and two children behind closed doors, to a young woman living with a wealthy cad of a boyfriend, to a struggling writer caring for a famous blind concert pianist. Even her caretakers are harboring a dark secret. Meredith’s house guests open a whole new world for her as she becomes entwined in each of their personal lives. Neighbors’ secrets are revealed, relationships break apart, and strangers are brought together to forge new friendships. Neighbors is an easy read with endless twists and turns.
The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank Martha B. and Marla M. for their reviews.
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