You know what tastes really sweet? Victory. For the second year in a row, The Astronomer and my fantasy football team, Team Người Đẹp, trounced everyone in the league to capture the championship title. The competition was fierce, but with Drew Brees and Randy Moss leading our lineup, the others didn’t have a chance. Team Người Đẹp was a force to be reckoned with.
I went head-to-head against my cousin Phil twice this year, once in the regular season and then again in the playoffs. To make our virtual battles more interesting, a few harmless bets were placed. The first wager required the losing party to take the winning one out for a meal at Phở King. The Astronomer and I cashed in on our winnings during a recent visit to San Diego. Free meals are phở-king awesome!
Phở King is located in the same City Heights neighborhood as some of my favorite Vietnamese eateries—Pho Hoa, A Chau, and Minh Ky. In contrast to Pho Hoa, my dark and dingy phở standby in town, the interior at Phở King was bright, well-appointed, and spotless. The crowd was a mix of old and young, Vietnamese and not.
The bubbling fish tank, numbered tables, and flat screen televisions added classic and comfortable touches to the dining room.
The Astronomer ordered a large bowl of the Phở King, which included a hefty heap of noodles with rare beef, brisket, flank, and meatballs. Overall, The Astronomer was very happy with his bowl of phở, but his number one spot is still held by the District 4 phở cart in Saigon.
I went for a small bowl of the phở đặc biệt, which included rare beef, brisket, flank, and my personal favorite bit, tripe. While the noodles and meats were standard, I found the clear and beefy broth noteworthy. Usually after I finish the noodles in a bowl of phở, I leave the broth uneaten due to its dark and oily state. However, this broth merited hearty slurps long after the noodles were gone. In spite of the outrageousness of its name, which I believe none of the proprietors are aware of, Phở King makes some solid phở.
—
Phở King
4658 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115
Phone: 619-285-1111
Heh, love the name for the obvious reasons. When I’m in SD I’ll have to remember. That tripe looks like it wants me to eat it!
Love Pho! This makes me want some now. You sound like an afficionado!
OMG, you guys are fantasy football fanatics?? Def would love to play against Team Nguoi Dep next year…came in 1st and 3rd in two leagues this year so watch out!
We have a Pho King here, but I don’t think it is part of a chain… congratulations on your second year in a row!
Hey G – This place is on our regular rotation…. I like the Hu Tieu Mi Kho, and the Missus usually gets one of the Banh Trang dishes.
When Pho King is involved, we are all winners!
Oh I’ve never been here before. I need to check it out. I’ve been having problems finding satisfying pho in SD lately.
I like the presentation of the food at Pho King. I had a “Bun” here before and found that is lacked flavor.
I also tried Pho Hoa and they only serve pho, not even any appetizers. I was disappointed at that place despite so many “good word of mouth”. Love the cheap prices tho.
If you are ever in LA, you have to try Golden Deli. Best pho I have ever had.
In Las Vegas, I patron Pho Kim Long.
Sad that I am not a fan of any pho places in San Diego — the search continues.
Awww Phok! I sort of wish my first Pho-sperience could be there!
I love the pho-tos. getit? pho-tos? haha. okay, fish tanks say I’m authentic, I keeps it real. I like . I also like slurping all the soup from a bowl of pho. It’s the best.