Pho Fusion Restaurant in San Diego

I flew back to San Diego a few weeks ago to see a friend's new baby girl. I co-hosted the baby shower back in February.

We all met up for lunch at Pho Fusion. The restaurant was very busy so my friend ended up going back to the kitchen to help cook. (It's her family's restaurant so she ends up helping out a lot.) I love the food at Pho Fusion. The restaurant started off as a hip boba cafe. (If I recall correctly, Fusion opened its doors around 2002. Prior to opening Fusion, the yummy food was served at the original Linda Vista Food To Go.) The menu was recently expanded to include pho. I didn't order the pho. My favorite items are the barbecued chicken and the barbecued chicken sandwiches (banh mi).

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Vietnamese Avocado Shake (Sinh To Bo)

This shake sounds very strange to those who have never had it. Most people who see this on a Vietnamese menu will usually order the strawberry version. I can’t even remember the first time I tried this. I believe it was at Phuoc Loc Tho (or Asian Garden Mall) in Westminster, California.

I get excited every time I see Sinh To Bo on the menu. However, I am disappointed most of the time when I order it. Most restaurants skimp on the avocado and all you get is milky crushed ice.

Here’s a list of some of the varieties:
Sinh To means fruit shake in Vietnamese.
Sinh To Bo = avocado shake.
Sinh To Dam = aloe vera shake.
Sinh To Chuoi = banana shake.
Sinh To Cam = orange shake.
Sinh To Dau = strawberry shake.

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Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake (Banh Bo Nuong)

I had a craving for a pandan dessert so I decided to make Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake. My two aunts have both mastered this cake and I think they secretly have honeycomb cake competitions.

This cake is very good but different. It is not as sweet as many western desserts and the texture is a bit chewy. The coconut and the pandan is just heaven. I think the two flavors were made for each other. The cake is also gluten-free. I have a coworker who is on a gluten-free diet. I gave her a piece because she is always searching for baked goods made without gluten. (Unfortunately, I made the cake during Passover and it is leavened. She decided to make a one time exception.)

I prefer eating the cake when fresh out of the oven, when the browned parts are still crispy, but it is still pretty good the next day. Nuke it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.

Vietnamese Pandan Honeycomb Cake

Ingredients:
7 ounces coconut cream (I used Savoy brand. I tend to use Savoy for desserts and Chaokoh or Mae Ploy for curries)
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
pandan extract (The amount varies depending on the brand you use and the viscosity and potency of the extract.)
8 ounces tapioca starch
5 large eggs
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons or 11 grams) single-acting baking powder (I used Alsa brand and it comes prepackaged)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix coconut cream, sugar and salt in a microwave safe container. (I really like my glass measuring cups for this.) Microwave about 30 seconds to a minute. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add the pandan extract and mix well.
3. With a wooden spoon, slowly and gently stir together tapioca, eggs and baking powder. (I read that over mixing interferes with the development of the desired honeycomb tunneling.)
4. Put a 9x9 square baking pan in the oven.
5. Add the coconut-sugar mixture to the egg-tapioca mixture and gently fold everything togther.
6. Take the baking pan out of the oven and spray with cooking spray. Spread the mixture in the pan and bake in oven about 30 minutes. (Do not open the oven door.)

Ingredient Note: The recipe calls for single-acting baking powder. Most baking powders sold in the grocery stores are double-acting. What's the difference? Single-acting works once. It starts producing carbon dioxide when it gets wet. Double-acting works twice. It starts producing carbon dioxide once when it gets wet and second when it is heated. You want single-acting for this recipe. Alsa is a French brand (now made by the Unilever Group) and is sometimes called "levure alsacienne." I haven't tried it with double-acting because I'm too afraid to waste ingredients so I do not know if you can sub double-acting for the single-acting. My aunt uses Alsa brand single-acting baking powder so I'm sticking with it. I think there are recipes out there for making your own sinlge-acting baking powder. It is basically baking soda and cream of tartar (sometimes cornstarch is used to help keep the powder dry). I don't think it is worth it to make your own since cream of tartar on its own is pretty pricey. I use it to stabilize my egg whites.

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Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Spring Rolls) with Peanut Hoisin Sauce

My friend made Goi Cuon (or Vietnamese Spring Rolls) for the baby shower the other weekend. I was amazed by the way she rolled them. She is a master goi cuon roller. They looked so professional. It is not surprising because her family owned/owns several restaurants and they make some of the best goi cuons in San Diego.

I watched her roll them the morning of the shower. She used 1½ skins for each roll. She had a stack of very large round skins and a stack skins that were cut in half. I asked her why she had the half circles. She told me that it is trick used to help the rolls stay fresh for several hours. The trick worked.

There is quite a bit of prep work that goes into making these rolls. It is an exercise in mise en place. Once everything is prepped, you can either roll them all or wait for your friends to come and everyone can roll their own. Rolling spring rolls is another exercise of self-control and moderation. One must possess enough self control to not over-stuff the rolls. It is tempting to want to jam-pack all the yummy ingredients in the roll but one must remember that we are making spring rolls and not burritos.

Ingredients for 20 large rolls:
30 extra large shrimp
1 pork loin, poached, and cut into thin slices (I don’t like pork in mine.)
1 head Green leaf lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint, leaves only
2-3 cups bean sprouts
1/2 package vermicelli rice noodles
green onions or chives (I think this is optional. It makes the rolls pretty but I always pull it out before eating.
30 large rice paper wrappers

Mise en Place:

1. Shrimp – Put shrimp (with shells on) in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add about 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoons vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Boil until pink. Drain and allow to cool. Once shrimp is cool, carefully remove the shells. (Also devein them. I buy already deveined shrimp.)
2. Poach pork loin, cool and then slice.
3. Mix lettuce, cilantro, mint and bean sprout. Wash and drain.
4. Boil vermicelli noodles.

Vermicelli Rice Noodles:

After cutting the shrimp, I arrange them to make it easier to use the same side shrimp for each roll.

I watched my friend roll them but I couldn’t remember so I emailed her. She responded using her phone. Her response is below.

"I cut the wrapper in half dry with scissors

place half sheet in middle of whole sheet, hold together and then wet

I always use the larger wrappers with the three girls on it (my fav wrapper it's hole proof lol)

I like all my veggie and meat on the edge close to me like 1/4 the ways up then line shrimp in front of veggie pile

roll bottom wrapper over pile just enough to enclose stuffing then sides one by one and finish rolling up

if it's unclear call me"

I'll do the assembly instructions using photos. (This is my interpretation of my friend's method. It is not her method.)

1. Count 10 wrappers and cut them in half. (You will need a total of 30 wrappers to make 20 rolls.)

2. Hold the half skin in front of the whole skin and dunk in warm water.

3. Place on large plate.


4. Arrange veggies and noodles centered on lower edge of skin. (This is also the time to add the sliced pork loin, if using.)

5. Roll up and arrange the shrimp pieces.

6. Fold the edges.

7. Tightly roll.

Peanut Hoisin Dipping Sauce

This is not my friend's recipe for peanut hoisin sauce. I got this recipe from an old coworker named Daisy. It is so yummy. I think some of my friends use the spring rolls as a peanut hoisin sauce delivery device.

I like to make the sauce (and prep the shrimp and vegetables) the night before.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
MSG
1/2 cup water
Huy Fong Foods Chili Garlic Sauce (aka cock brand chili garlic sauce) - to taste

Method:
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Cook until garlic is golden. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to slowly melt together.

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Vietnamese Chicken Curry (Ga Ca Ri)

I made this before leaving for California. I typed up a recipe but can't find it on my computer. I was a little distracted. I received bad news around 1:00 PM on Thursday afternoon and then spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to get everything ready so that I could leave for California. When I got home, I was a little numb. I had boneless chicken thighs defrosted in the refrigerator for the Vietnamese Chicken Curry.

As I was cooking, I was making plans on when and how to get to California. I told the bf what to expect. I said I was leaving for California as soon as I can get everything ironed out. I even planed out his meals for the next week.

As I was going through my pictures folder, I realize I did not post this before leaving last week. I had to rewrite the recipe since I can't locate it. I probably saved it under an ambiguous name in my music folder.

I remember an ex-friend's mom used to make this curry. It was very soupy and she served it with fresh baked french baguettes from the Vietnamese grocery store. One Thanksgiving she made it with turkey. She also used pearl onions. The pearl onions made the curry really pretty but I don't think it makes a huge difference in taste.

Below is my version of this curry.

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds boneless skinless thighs
1 tablespoons curry powder (many people recommend D&D Gold Product brand with three bells on the label. I used the Sing Kung brand Ca Ri Ni An Do Madras Curry powder)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 onion, diced (or pearl onions)
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
I can coconut milk
Water to cover
salt
black pepper
MSG
1 teaspoon sugar
½ stalk lemongrass , cut into 2 inch pieces
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch slices

1. Heat a large dutch oven, add oil. When oil is hot, add chicken and cook until browned. Add curry powder and allow to toast for a minute. Add garlic and onions. Cook until onions are soft. Add potatoes and cook another minute.
2. Deglaze pot with coconut milk. Add water to cover. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the carrots. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.
3. When potatoes are cooked, add carrots and cook until carrots are slightly tender.

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Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Bowl (Bun Dac Biet)

I'm finally back in town. Actually I've been back since Saturday night but I am still in an emotional rut. If I don't think about it too much, I'm okay but once I start to think about it...well I get really sad. Life is just not fair sometimes.

Everyone at work thought I took a week long vacation. It wasn't exactly what I would call a vacation. I flew back to San Diego to attend my dear cousin's funeral. She was way too young but I guess I am comforted by the fact that she is no longer suffering. It was a tough week for everyone.

Tonight I decided to make Vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowl aka bun (pronounced boon). I marinated some boneless skinless thighs and shrimp last night. Today I grilled the chicken and shrimp, reheated the frozen egg rolls, made the sauce, cut up the veggies and boiled the rice vermicelli.

- Grilled Lemongrass Chicken (Use same recipe for the chicken found in this post for com ga nuong sa recipe here)
- Grilled Shrimp (marinate shrimp with the chicken and then grill)
- Egg rolls (I had frozen fried egg rolls. They are really handy. I just reheat them in the oven and they crisp up nicely.)
- Vermicelli noodles, boiled

Garnish:
Lettuce
Bean sprouts
Green onions, sliced (I also like to grill them when I use a grill pan or George Foreman)
Cilantro, sliced
Carrots, julienned
Mint leaves
Peanuts, chopped
Fried shallots, onions or garlic

Nuoc Cham (recipe here)

Assemble everything in a large pho bowl. (The bowls are from my mom. I brought back two dozen pho bowls when I drove to California.)

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken with Rice (Com Ga Nuong Sa)

I usually order either the noodle (bun) or the rice (com) at Vietnamese restaurants. I prefer chicken over other types of meats but sometimes I will be a little adventurous and order the combination version.

This week I had a craving for the rice version. I went to a local Vietnamese restaurant and ordered a bowl and thought...this shouldn't be too difficult to make. I decided to take a stab at this dish.

1 pound chicken tenders (or bonesless thighs)
1/2 stalk lemon grass, finely minced
1 thai chili pepper, finely minced (my mom just brought me a large bag of thai chilis from San Diego)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon MSG
salt
pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Allow to marinate a few hours and grill. (I grilled some sliced green onions to top the chicken.)
Serve with steamed rice, sliced lettuce, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, bean sprouts and nuoc mam sauce.


Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
juice of one lime
shredded carrots

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Coco Rico Nuoc Cham

Okay this is a bastardized version of the Vietnamese dipping sauce nuoc cham. I use a coconut soda called Coco Rico. Coco Rico is a Puerto Rican soda. I sometimes make and even more bastardized version using Coca Cola as the base. I cannot take the credit for this sauce. My aunt said her Vietnamese friends told her their little secret.

Sometimes I will mash fresh Thai chilies and garlic with a mortar and pestle but I have jars of chili garlic sauces in the fridge and they are so convenient. I used a tablespoon from each jar. One jar is the Huy Fong brand. The bottle is plastic and has a green lid. The characteristic rooster is the trademark of the company. Huy Fong also makes the original Siracha sauce. The other jar I use comes in a glass bottle. It is a Thai company called Jack Hua. The sauce has large chili chunks instead of a paste. Both sauces are vinegar based.

Nuoc Cham is great for egg rolls, bun (vermicelli noodle) bowls, Vietnamese broken rice dishes, Vietnamese crepes (banh xeo), banh cuon and other Vietnamese dishes. I love pouring an entire bowl of it on top of my vermicelli noodle bowls.

Bastardize Dipping Sauce:
½ can Coco Rico coconut soda or Coca Cola soda
¼ cup fish sauce (Three Crabs brand)
1 lime, juice
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch MSG
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (Huy Fong or Jack Hua brand)
or
1 clove garlic, minced
2 thai chili peppers, smashed

optional:
shredded carrots

Mix everything together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let sauce sit a few hours or overnight before use.

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Malisa's Vietnamese Egg Rolls (Cha Gio)

Let me preface this by saying that this is my take on Vietnamese egg rolls. I’m not Vietnamese and I didn’t use a recipe from a Vietnamese cookbook. This recipe is from years and years of experimenting. I try different ingredients and in the end this is what works for me.

Some people might find the use of sweet potatoes and potatoes strange ingredients but I find them integral in the texture of my egg rolls. The sweet potatoes are a substitute for carrots. I am not too fond of cooked carrots and whenever I can find a sub, I will opt for the sub. You can use carrots instead of the sweet potatoes.

I also like to use potatoes to help lighten the filling. The potatoes help prevent having hard fried meat rods. I also use potatoes in my empanadas. Many people will use shredded cabbage as an egg roll filler but as much as I like cabbage, I prefer not to use it in my egg rolls. They contribute too much moisture and then start to ooze out of the wrappers. My friend told me that in order to prevent this, you can shred the cabbage the night before, put it in a strainer and weigh it down to remove much of the liquid. She said that restaurants put their shredded cabbage in one of those mop buckets to squeeze out the liquid. I’m not sure if this is true.

Egg Rolls

Filling:
1 pound Ground Chicken, Pork or Turkey (I used ground chicken because I just got a great deal on organic ground chicken breast.)
½ pound Shrimp, chopped
2 Eggs
Fish sauce
Salt
Pepper
MSG
sugar
1 bundle Cellophane Noodles, soaked in hot water until soft
¼ cup Sliced Dried Wood-Ear Mushroom, soaked in hot water until soft
2 Potatoes, shredded (Russets are fine but I used Yukons because that is what I usually buy)
½ pound Sweet Potatoes or Carrots, shredded
1 Yellow Onion, shredded
3 cloves Garlic, minced

50 Banh Trang Spring Roll Wrappers (Rice paper wrappers)
Oil, canola or peanut

1. Start by soaking your cellophane noodles and wood-ear mushrooms. I use the pre-sliced mushrooms.
2. Mix all filling ingredients together. Take a spoonful of the filing and microwave it about a minute. Taste the filling for proper seasoning. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Refrigerate if not planning on using immediately.
3. To wrap: Heat a large skillet of water. Don’t let it boil. The water should be hot enough to rehydrate the dried wrappers but you should be able to dip your fingers in the water. Soak the wrappers in the water until slightly soft. Don’t soak them too long or they will start to fall apart. The wrappers should be malleable.
4. Place filling on each wrapper and wrap as shown below.

Place filling in the center but about a third of the way from the bottom edge.

Fold in the sides towards the center.
Starting from the bottom edge, roll up toward the top edge.

Your Vietnamese Egg Roll: Slightly stout and pudgy.

Vietnamese Egg Rolls are on the left and Chinese Egg Rolls are on the right.

5. Heat oil in a wok, chicken fryer or electric deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry egg rolls in batches until slightly golden; about 10 minutes. Vietnamese egg rolls will not completely brown and are a little more difficult than regular egg rolls to work with. The egg rolls will stick together. Let them stick. Once they are almost done they can easily be separated. Tip: Let the egg rolls dry out a bit and they will be easier to work with.

Vietnamese egg rolls are delicious wrapped in green leaf lettuce and dipped in Nuoc Cham sauce or cut up and served on top of vermicelli rice noodles, chiffonade lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and other assorted crunchy veggies and drizzled with Nuoc Cham sauce.

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Shortcut Pho Ga

I bought thai basil and bean sprouts this weekend when I was at the asian grocery store. I had no plans for the bean sprouts but since the store is so far away from my house, I decided to get them anyway. They are cheap.

broth:
2 slices of ginger
half a yellow onion
1 pound boneless chicken thighs (This is why it I call it shortcut pho ga.)
black pepper
salt
msg
2 disks of palm sugar
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
1 black cardamon pod (aka chinese cardamon)
dash of saigon cinnamon (I ran out of cinnamon sticks)
water
fish sauce

to serve:
rick noodles (I like the fresh kind but dried will also work.)
chicken, sliced
thai basil
bean sprouts
green onions, sliced
cilantro, chopped
hoisin sauce
sriracha sauce
sugar
limes


1. Char the ginger and onions and add to a pot. Dump the rest of the soup ingredients into a pot. Simmer until chicken is cooked.
2. Remove chicken from pot and slice.

To serve: Soak rice noodles in hot water. Drain, add broth and garnish with the other optional ingredients. The list above is what I usually like in my pho. Other optional ingredients include, sliced onions, sliced jalapeno peppers, peanuts, fried garlic, fish or meatballs, quail eggs, mint, other herbs...

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Lee's Sandwiches

When I go home to San Diego I make the hour and a half drive up to Irvine. Right across the street from UC Irvine is a sandwhich shop called Lee's. For about $2.00 you can get a delicious 10 inch sandwhich filled with meat (I always get the grilled chicken), carrots, daikon. onions, cilantro, jalapeno slices, cucumber, and mayo. It is absolutely heaven. These Vietnamese sandwiches are called banh mi. The store bakes the french baguettes every day for the sandwiches.

The last time I was in California my friend Scott picked me up from LAX and we stopped by Lee's before going down to San Diego. When he came to visit me in Denver he brought a little box of my favorite little custard filled cakes called deli manjoo. There are several locations throughout California, Arizona, and Texas. I wish they would open one in Denver. There are NO good banh mi shops in Denver. I tried a little place on Federal Blvd. that my vietnamese nail tech recommended to me. I was disappointed. I've come to terms with the fact that I cannot find many things that I am able to find back home.

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