630482 Mon Jun 22 20:31:53 -0700 2009 3 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 4796754 The spot I think was Pho Tudo on 11th and Clement is now home to the second Cali Pho Nia (which replaced Zone 88 in the Portola). I stopped in for dinner and had a bowl of Hu Tieu Nam Vang, which has been previously discussed here. Overall impression: this was a tasty bowl, with fresh shrimp and squid pieces in it and the green bitterness of chinese celery. Also some good pieces of pork and what I'm guessing was pork liver (using the other thread as a guide). I couldn't make up my mind about the broth. It was rich, but couldn't tell whether the extra flavor boost I was tasting came from garlic or bouillon cubes, which strikes me as cheating. Oh, and they advertised it as chicken broth, when reports make it sound like HTNV is supposed to be pork. Overall I'd make another trip and try more of the menu. Mon Jun 22 20:31:53 -0700 2009 77441 bigwheel042 1 4838220 Have you tried the other location? How did it compare? Tue Jul 07 19:54:12 -0700 2009 4796754 10264 rworange 2 4838407 Haven't tried the Portola one. Sadly, I don't think I'll make it down there anytime soon as the main draw for that neighborhood was the Zone 88 that it replaced. Kind of hard to get there via public transit. Tue Jul 07 21:22:08 -0700 2009 4838220 77441 bigwheel042 1 4981382 Thanks for posting about hu tieu nam vang in SF. This is the first example in SF (or the East Bay) that I've heard of with Chinese celery. It did inspire me to take up the hunt again. You see, i'd gone back to a couple of the ones I'd really liked in San Jose and the quality had dropped quite a bit. Blame it on the recession. And, I felt like my earlier experiences were unlikely to represent what's out there today. In any case, last month I was walking down Polk St and took a look at the menu at Pho Vietnam. It's away from Little Saigon and close to Shalimar and Darbar on that stretch. I was surprised to see HTNV, and even more so that it was decent. An honest broth with some pork taste though mostly chicken (no pork bones though), and pretty good toppings (including Chinese celery and fried shallots). Better than any others I've had in SF, but just decent by San Jose standards. Here's the photo, http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3724824194/ The Vietnamese coffee was also better than most in the City. I was given an insulated mug of hot water to add to the grounds. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3724824184 I'm looking forwad to giving Cali Pho Nia a try some time. Wed Aug 26 20:06:20 -0700 2009 4796754 10039 Melanie Wong