The belly rules the mind: Duck & Bamboo?

People say I should be half-Vietnamese because I loveLOVE Vietnamese food. I couldn't agree more.

I'll write about my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in San Diego another day, but my brother and I stumbled upon this one yesterday.

Pho Ca Dao & Grill (4/5 stars)

Rare Steak and Well-Done Flank

Bun Mang Vit- Duck & Bamboo in Duck Soup

Company: Chris
Time: Wednesday, August 9, 6:00 pm

Location: 11808 Rancho Bernardo Road, San Diego CA, 92128

Plenty of parking in the parking lot

Type of food: Asian- Vietnamese

Ambiance:

What a pretty little restaurant. This is probably the cleanest and nicest Vietnamese restaurant that I've been to. I would describe the decor as: spacious, neat, bamboo-looking, brown, and shiny.

Service:Spectacularly annoying (in a good way). After being seated for 5 minutes, we were asked if we were ready by three different waiters. I asked one waiter what is something authentic. and he suggested the Bun Mang Vit. He also asked if I wanted to sample the soup because it might be a little strong for some people. Wow, I didn't even know you can sample. So someone brought out the soup in a little bowl. While I tried it, 4 different waiters were looking at me to see my expression. It was interesting, so I decided to try it! The food came out in 15 minutes. While I was eating my noodles, the waiter who suggested my order noticed that they had forgotten my dipping sauce. So he went into the kitchen and got it for me. He told me I was suppose to dip my chicken in it and eat it. He then said he'll watch me eat it to see if I liked it. Awkward. But it was good. Thank you for your excellent service!

Besides that, the water was never less than half way empty. What attentive people.

Taste:

My brother ordered his regular- Pho with rare steak and well done flank. I wish the soup was hotter. But it was still tasty- not oily at all. I decided to be exciting and to try something authentic so I went with Bun Mang Vit. The menu described it as "Duck and Bamboo in Dub Soup"- sounds interesting. I still don't know how to describe it. It was different but good. The chicken was not of best quality- a little dry and not very juicy. The ginger and chili dip that they provided was tasty. I'm not sure if I'll get it again, but I'm glad I tried it.

Price: Fair. The price came out to be $13. Since they were friendly, I decided to give them a $4 tip.

Overall:

I think I would give them 3.5 stars for food. But their clean restaurant and excellent service bumped them up just a notch. I will be back.