Pho Kitchen Not Far Away
Plus: Another Kearny High Valedictorian, Big Al's Cookies at Farmers Market, Upcoming Community Events, and USD Torero Baseball Showdown
Well, readers, good news! College finals are over and the carnivore sidekick is back. You can now stop eating just the vegetarian food we have reviewed, and get ready to enjoy a meal with meat as reviewed by our sidekick.
Since the carnivore was hungry from studying so hard this past week, we decided to head down the hill from the USD campus to Pho Kitchen at 5375 Napa Street, #104 in the Shops at Arrive-Mission Valley shopping center adjacent to the Linda Vista/Morena trolley stop. According to its website, Pho Kitchen is the official San Diego authority on home cooked/mom cooked Pho with a broth as flavorful, light clean and homey as it gets. It is a Vietnamese restaurant and creates authentic Vietnamese dishes.
The restaurant is very clean, bright, and airy. We were quickly seated at a table and our server Chan, was immediately very helpful in providing menus and offering assistance with the menu items. Pho is something I really love and I have not always been able to get vegetarian Pho, so I was glad when Chan pointed out the vegetarian items on the back of the menu.
The menu is very extensive. There are many kinds of Pho with beef, chicken, shrimp and meatless. There are Egg noodle dishes with shrimp, beef and chicken. Appetizers include egg rolls, spring rolls, and pork rind rolls. There are 9 types of Com/Bun, rice and vermicelli rice noodles. Among these are chicken curry BBQ shrimp and more. There are vegetarian spring rolls and egg rolls and various kids’ meals. There are many drinks including ice cold beer, coffee, ice tea, and boba. See the complete menu here.
I opted for three vegetarian egg rolls and a small vegetarian Pho. Oh my goodness, the Pho was so good! The soup came with lots of veggies including squash, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and tofu, with bean sprouts and mint to add. The egg rolls came with a delicious fish sauce and lettuce to wrap them. I’m sorry to say that the carnivore became an omnivore and ate two of my vegetable rolls, but we both thought they were delicious. Next time I will order six; you can get 6 for $7.00 and 3 for $4.50.
Steve went with the BBQ Shrimp with vermicelli. The shrimp were very large and the portion was a good size. The vermicelli were done just right although he could have had rice or egg noodles with the shrimp. The dish was chock full of veggies including corn, carrots, and more This was served with fish sauce, which Steve really liked.
Our carnivore sidekick did not let us down and ordered Chicken Curry. The curry smelled wonderful. He ordered rice to go with it, and it was all so aromatic that if they would have had shrimp curry I would have ordered it. The carnivore thought it was delicious. Or did he say “awesome”? His dish contained chicken pieces, including a leg and thigh as well as potatoes and other veggies. The rice portion was very large. This was our first time to this restaurant and we will definitely go back. Service was friendly and efficient. It is nice that you have a choice of carbs, as I definitely prefer noodles over rice. So hopefully you will give Pho Kitchen a try. They have been there for 5 years and Chan explained to us that although there was a slow down during the pandemic, the business survived nicely with no one contracting COVID, and they were able to provide the same delicious food during that time.
You can order for take out or eat in. Their hours are 11 AM to 9 PM everyday. Phone 619-684-5009.
Meet Kearny High’s BST Valedictorian
This is the second in a series of interviews with Kearny High valedictorians. In last week’s issue, we interviewed Ella Perry, the valedictorian of Kearny’s School of College Connections. Today we feature Tram Nguyen, the valedictorian of Kearny’s School of Biomedical Science and Technology. Here is what this great student had to say:
—What is your GPA?
4.43
—What was your favorite subject at Kearny High?
History and Science (Chemistry).
—Which college/university will you be attending in the Fall?
I will be going to UCSD.
—What you plan to major in ?
Human Biology, but I’m also interested in Psychology.
—Which extra-curricular activities did you participate in while at Kearny High?
I was in the Arts and Craft (Flowers) Club (President), Baking Buddies, Key Club, the Environmental Protection Club, California Scholastic Federation, Red Cross, and HOSA-Future Health Professional Club.
—What will you miss most about Kearny High?
My teachers and the school clubs.
—Do you have a favorite teacher(s)?
Ms Nakamoto (Chemistry) and Ms Stratton (English).
—What do you want our readers to know about Kearny High that they might not already know?
—Kearny High has great school spirit, especially among the seniors. You see it at football and soccer games. I also want readers to know that since the time I’ve been here at Kearny, the school has added many clubs—joining a club is a great way to meet people.
—What inspired you to do so well in school?
My family. I’ve always had expectation to do well in school. My two older sisters, who also attended Kearny High, have gone on to study at UCSD.
—Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to be at medical school.
***
The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank Tram Nguyen for taking the time to answer our questions and we wish her good luck at UCSD.
BIG AL’S BAKING COMPANY at Farmers Market
It was another soft opening for the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market last Thursday. We reviewed Mostly Microgreens last week and were glad to see that they were back again. As we walked around, we were drawn to a table of the most delicious looking cookies I’ve seen in a long while. The sign said Big Al’s Baking Company and I wanted to meet Big Al and taste the cookies.
Big Al is indeed the baker of these cookies. I found out that Al moved from New York City in 2020 to be back with family in Chula Vista. Of course this is pandemic time, right? While some people hunkered down in the homes for a two year nap, Al decided to make use of his time and proceeded to develop recipes to create his own baking company. He applied and got approved for a cottage business license. Presently he is doing many markets and other events, but eventually would like to open his own brick and mortar bakery. If personality and taste is a precursor to success, Big Al has it made. He is an outgoing and friendly guy, and passionate about his cookies.
Al has a wide variety of cookies. They are large and individually wrapped in eco friendly plant based wrappers. What a great thing for the environment! The cookies include chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter, cookies and cream, whoopie pie, peanut butter and strawberry jelly, churro, chocolate chunks and walnuts. If that isn’t enough to give you a sugar rush, he has what he calls a magic bar which includes most of the things already mentioned – coconut, chocolate chips, pecans, butterscotch chips, graham cracker crust. Double Yum. These jumbo cookies and bars cost $4.00, but believe me, they are well worth it. I bought one of the magic bars, of course. We saved it until we got home, and after dinner I cut it into four pieces and Steve and I each ate one. It was so good. I thought I was clever by saving two pieces for later but then our sidekick showed up and ate the other two pieces. He really enjoyed it. You are probably saying to yourself that’s all fine and well, but what if I am trying to watch my sugar, or I don’t do gluten, or I am allergic to nuts? No problem. Big Al will take your order, like a sugar free or gluten free cookie, and see to it that he brings your special items to the next week’s market.
Big Al also does the San Diego Food Market on Harbor Drive, the La Mesa Farmers Market and the Chula Vista South Bay Market.
So please come out to the Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market and give these cookies a try. We are sure you will love them. I’m going to try one flavor each week until I’ve tried them all. Big Al is on social media including Facebook, so you can see what other products he has for special order. When you visit Big Al’s booth, tell him you read about his products in the LV Update.
Upcoming Community Events
—Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market: The Love, Linda Vista Farmers Market will hold its third market today (Thursday, May 19) from 1:00pm to 6:00pm at the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center. The official opening of this Farmer’s Market will be held June 2.
—College Baseball: On May 20 (Friday) and 21 (Saturday), the University of San Diego baseball team will play an important final regular season series of games against the conference leading/nationally ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. The games will be played at beautiful Fowler Park on the USD campus. See the below article for further details.
—Fire Safe Your Place Event: The Coastal Canyon Fire Safe Council will be sponsoring a Community Safety Event on Saturday May 21. Check the below poster for details.
—Tickets for Play Available: The Linda Vista Theatre Arts Program will present the musical “Aladdin” at the Linda Vista Recreation Center from June 15-18. Tickets are available at the LV Rec Center on a first come first serve basis. See the below poster for details. Come out to this fun musical and watch some talented LV young people perform.
USD Toreros vs Gonzaga Baseball Showdown
Linda Vista baseball fans are lucky enough this weekend to witness some top-flight college baseball competition. On May 20 (Friday 6:00pm) and May 21 (Saturday first game at 1:00pm, and second game TBD), the University of San Diego (USD) Toreros baseball team takes on one of the top teams in the country—the Gonzaga Bulldogs—in a contest for the West Coast Conference (WCC) regular season championship. This showdown should prove to be an exciting series of games, and they will all be played at Fowler Stadium on the USD campus.
Though Gonzaga University is usually associated with producing nationally ranked basketball teams, this year’s baseball team is currently ranked 12th amongst all NCAA division I teams with a 32-14 overall record. They also possess a conference leading 18-6 win-loss record. The USD Toreros are in second place with a 16-8 conference record, and possess an overall record of 31-16. The Toreros are led by Brock Ungricht, who is serving in his first year as head coach of the team.
As explained by Ungricht, the Toreros, who are 9 - 4 in the last month, have been “playing Torero baseball and staying within themselves.” Ungricht cited the following players with being top performers in the past few weeks: Caleb Ricketts (catcher), Chase Meidroth (infielder), Jack Costello (outfield/1st base), Ryan Kysar (pitcher), Ivran Romero (pitcher), Ian Churchill (pitcher), Brycen Mautz (pitcher), and Dustin Allen (outfield).
Mautz (8-1) and Kysar (3-0) are slated as the probable starting pitchers for the first two games against Gonzaga.
No matter the outcome of the series, the Toreros have qualified to play in the WCC championship tournament, which will be played next week in Stockton, CA (The top four WCC teams in the regular season qualify). A first or second place finish in the regular season, however, means a bye in the tournament’s first round. Should the Toreros win this WCC double-elimination tournament, they will get the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division Championship, which culminates in the College World Series held each year in Omaha, Nebraska.
With the SD Padres on a road trip until Monday, there is no better place in San Diego County to see great baseball being played this weekend.
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There is now a QR Code for the Aladdin tickets, FYI. They will be sold out for those trying to purchase tickets at the door. I can email you the flier with the QR code if you would like.