Mention “spring rolls” and most locals will immediately think of the familiar shrimp and pork varieties served as appetizers at pho restaurants all over town. But gỏi cuốn—“spring rolls” in Vietnamese—isn’t so much a single dish as they are a whole class of dishes. And Goi … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Spicy delights at Bane Phonkeo’s
It’s in one of the least tony, more crime-ridden neighborhoods in San Diego. And that neighborhood, while it has its charms, is not the place one would expect to find an excellent example of a slightly obscure Asian cuisine. It’s Bane Phonkeo’s (110 47th St.) in Lincoln Park and … [Read more...]
SAN DIEGO CITYBEAT: Best Of – Off the Strip
San Diego CityBeat's annual "BEST OF" issue, this year, is dedicated to the HOT and the COOL. Here's the first of my two contributions to the issue. The original is at: http://sdcitybeat.com/special-issues/best-of-san-diego/off-the-strip/ Din Tai Fung HOT Throw a stone … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Banh Mi Hoi An makes my “Best Sandwich on the Planet” better
It’s a formula employed by ambitious chefs and street food vendors alike: Start with the best ingredients available and don’t screw them up. Four years ago, I bestowed on “the bánh mì [sandwich], my first nomination for the coveted title of ‘CityBeat World Fare Best Sandwich on … [Read more...]
WORLD FARE: Go beyond the gateway drug at Phuong Nga 2
Let us consider the possibility that phở is just the “gateway drug” to Vietnamese cuisine. While that gateway theory (“go to bed with marijuana or beer and risk waking up with cocaine or heroin”) was discredited long ago, it appears to be on something of a reunion tour these … [Read more...]
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