Vietnam(ese)


February 8, 2012

Great UM Noodletown: Pho Ga Special @ Ao Sen (OAK)

by Kayoko Akabori

Pho ga dac biet is a special chicken noodle soup at Ao Sen, my favorite pho joint in the East Bay. They serve boiled chicken on the side, bone-in and skin-on, with a florescent orange ginger sauce. It is comforting when you are sick, and warming on dreary rain-filled days. The new Ao Sen location in […]

June 21, 2011

Bun Thit Nuong at Pho Ao Sen (OAK)

by Kayoko Akabori

People often ask me, “Why did you leave NYC?” It’s true, I just sorta packed my bags and ditched my glamorous job, my wonderful friends, my comfortable routine, and the GREATEST! CITY! IN! THE! WORLD! (at least the greatest metro system in the world). All for what? I’ll tell you what. The Three Major Food […]

March 12, 2010

Rang Dong (OAK)

by Yoko Kumano

One of my obsessions since moving to Berkeley is to find good Vietnamese food in the East Bay. I made my rounds in Downtown Berkeley with no luck whatsoever. Establishments including Pho Hoa, Saigon Express and Le Regal shamelessly use powdered broth as their soup base (at least it tastes like it) leaving my mouth […]

February 3, 2010

FRIED PHO!

by Kayoko Akabori

Let’s talk today on the subject of one of my favorite foods in the world: pho. But this is not just any kind of pho. I’m talkin’ FRIED PHO. No joke, I crave this every single day and have been dying to share this discovery with you. It’s my ideal debut post for this sparkling […]

October 5, 2009

Bun Mi Should BAN ME (Minneapolis)

by Kayoko Akabori

Okay, I am suddenly obsessed with the goodness that is banh mi. I always read about it, seen the standard food porn, and it seemed like a good concept until I actually tried it and IT BLEW MY MIND. I have become an utter addict, similar to the Chipotle obsession my sister had when she […]

September 24, 2009

Pho Lovin’: Turtle Tower (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

This is dedicated to You Cannot Be Serious, aka Jenny C. Finally, ehem, FINALLY, made it out to the famed Turtle Tower last week for a quick city pho stop. I had an interview to get to down in San Jose, so I was in a hurry, and there’s nothing quicker and deliciouser than a […]

March 14, 2009

PELLET EATS SAN JOSE: Ox Penis at Bun Bo Hue An Nam

by UM Guest

Preface:PELLET EATS SAN JOSE: Taqueria Eduardo #4PELLET EATS SAN JOSE: Banh Mis at DakaoPELLET EATS SAN JOSE: Fried Chicken at Hydration Written by PelletPhotography and Captions by Kayoko I don’t even remember the name of the bowl of soup they serve, but it’s great. Fat noodles, animal blood, ox penis, really distinct broth – everything […]

March 12, 2009

PELLET EATS SAN JOSE: Banh Mis at Dakao

by UM Guest

Preface: PELLET EATS SAN JOSE: Taqueria Eduardo #4 Written by PelletPhotography by Kayoko Dakao is about a block away from one corner of San Jose State University. It’s on Third and San Salvador and they have great Vietnamese sandwiches. I like to get the regular chicken sandwich, or the ham, headcheese sandwich. Get a few […]

January 22, 2009

Crabbin’ in the Richmond (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

Nhu took PPQ newbies Jacobo, Alice and me out for crab the other night in the Outer Richmond district of San Francisco- YAH!!! PPQ Dungeness Island (isn’t that the best name ever? Stands for Pho Phu Quoc), serves whole crab prepared in a variety of ways, Vietnamese style. No joke, this place is the real […]

January 7, 2009

7 Course BEEFest for Under $20! (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

My very first post about Bay Area food since I’ve moved here! Woo-hoo! Vanessa took me to Anh Hong in the Tenderloin, a popular Vietnamese restaurant boasting “7 COURSES OF BEEF” for only $18.95! Love it!!! From their website, it looks like there are restaurants located all over the Bay Area, and in LA and […]