Foodie View: Vietnamese food in Chula Vista

I know people on the East Coast probably don't believe me, but winter does hit Southern California. No, we're not neck-deep in snow, but for us, the need for a sweater means it's freezing! You know when it's cold outside, and you're feeling chilly on the inside, and all you want is some good food to warm you up? That's where I was about a week or so ago, so we went to Pho Hiep and Grill, a Vietnamese restaurant.

Pho Hiep and Grill
543 Telegraph Canyon Road
Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 482-8883
www.PhoHiepGrill.com

If you've never tried Vietnamese food, you're missing out on some great eats. Pho Hiep and Grill is a decent place for your first taste of Vietnamese cuisine. It's located in a shopping center on Telegraph Canyon Road, just off the 805 Freeway, and there's ample parking. Unlike many other pho restaurants which appear a little run down, this establishment is very clean and nicely decorated. Another plus, you have to request chopsticks as they are not kept out on the table. Much more sanitary! I don't mind asking for my chopsticks. I'm just happy a few hundred other people haven't touched, licked, and sneezed on them before I got there.

The food was fresh and tasty. Although we originally went to try the pho, we decided to order less soupy entrees so that we could easily share with our baby. We ordered Goi Cuon (spring rolls), Bun Thit Nuon Cha Gio (grilled pork and egg rolls over vermicelli rice noodles), and the Com Tam Hiep (Hiep's house special combo with rice, with a pork chop, chicken, shrimp, shredded pork, and Vietnamese-style steamed meatloaf). The spring rolls are large, you get two pieces cut in halves, served with peanut sauce. Ours were quite fresh, filled shrimp, pork, noodles, bean sprouts, and mint. A vegetarian option is also available. The bun (vermicelli noodle dish) and the com (rice dish) were enormous entrees, very flavorful and satisfying. Our 17 month old baby really enjoyed the steamed meatloaf and chicken with rice, although I found the very tender shredded pork to be the best part of the dish. The bun was such a large serving of noodles, meat, and vegetables, that we couldn't finish it. However, the grilled pork was excellent. It's marinated in a honey sauce and grilled over an open flame, and it comes out tender and savory. A perfect flavor complement to the noodles and sauce. For dessert, we ordered Che Hiep (Hiep's house special dessert), a sweet red bean mixture with shaved ice, coconut milk and tapioca, topped with crushed peanuts. Much like a red bean version of halo halo. It was delicious with a sweet/salty flavor, and the coconut milk adds the perfect creamy, tropical taste.

While the food is very good, and the location is easily accessible, I have to gripe a little about the service. The staff are very polite, but they seem disorganized, and one or two seemed to have some difficulty communicating in English. When we came in, we were seated promptly, and they brought us menus and a high chair for Mr. Baby. We had just started looking at the menus when two servers started placing food on our table. It took about four minutes for us to explain that we hadn't ordered anything yet, and this was not our food. Then we had to wait nearly 10 minutes for someone to show up to take our order. We also ordered iced Vietnamese coffee to go, but had to ask for it three times (no exaggeration). It seems our order was lost or forgotten the first two times, but it may have been simply due to confusion between the three different waiters who came to our table over the course of the evening. We also had to ask for our check more than once, and by the time we got it, we were more than ready to leave.

All things considered, it was still a good restaurant. They haven't been open long (since December '07 or January '08), which may account for the disorganization. However, it seems to have built a nice reputation fairly quickly. We arrived early in the evening, around 6pm, and tables were available. When we left, there was a lineup of customers out the door. The food is good and the portions are big. The menu is a good size with six appetizers, and 44 items for bun (vermicelli noodle), pho (noodle soup), and com (rice) entrees. The prices are reasonable; our dinner of 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, and 3 iced coffees totaled around $40.

We had a good foodie experience, and it's a place we can go with our baby. I would definitely go back, and I while it's not the best Vietnamese food I've ever had, I would still recommend it as good eats. But you know me! I'm always on the hunt for Great Food. Any tips on really, truly Great Vietnamese Food hot spots?