i have a horrible phoking headache

and my gums are killing me. In other more relevant and important news, a new era has begun. I went to the polls around 6:50 AM today because that was the only time I could vote, and was surprised to see that people were already lined up. I thought that there would not be that many people at this time, since they have to work early. I was wrong, and ended up late to work. Luckily, my boss was cool with it. If anyone goes to Cal Poly or Mt. SAC and is reading this, you understand my pain of driving through this bs traffic due to the road construction on Grand/Temple....needless to say, it sucked. I wish my school closed for Election Day. Enough on the dithering, and on with the food.

During the spring or summer, I noticed that the Jolly Bagel, which had been around for quite some time on DB Blvd had closed down, and in its place was a little love shack called Pho Super Bowl. I hadn't had a chance to try it out until a few weeks ago, and let the pho adventure begin.

The restaurant is in a big space, but the actual number of tables and seating is small from what I remember. I went in for lunch around 11:30ish AM and there were a few other people eating as well. I opted for the Pho tai nam chin, rare beef and well done beef brisket, which I pretty much always get, regular size for $5.25, the large costs $5.95.

Service, like most other pho places, was prompt, as I got my standard sprouts, sliced jalapenos, basil, and a wedge of lime, shortly after I put in my order. I have yet to see a place around here give ngo gai (saw leaf herb)....I love that stuff. I also requested some sliced onions because I like extra onions in my soup, as well as mixing some with hoisin and siracha sauce, and eating it as a kind of "kimchi."


Here is the pho, after I put in the basil, which is why it may look greener than usual. There was a good amount of beef, and it was okay. I may be mixing this up with another place, but I remember the brisket being sub par because the pieces were very small. The broth on the other hand was good. Something was familiar about its taste that I just could not put my finger on, but I knew that I had also tasted this once or twice at a pho place in San Diego. I want to say it was a bit sweet, and while I'm not sure if that is the right word to describe it, it took away from the taste that I like. I'll have to ask the owner next time, if he/she is willing to share with me. Needless to say, I enjoyed this broth a lot more than Saigon Noodle House or Pho Hana in Diamond Bar, both of which I'd say aren't very good. In retrospect, since I do not enjoy Saigon nor Hana, it would not be completely correct to say that Pho Superbowl's broth is good. Rather the broth is better than Saigon or Hana. So far, I haven't found a place around the area whose broth I enjoy as much as Pho Pasteur in San Diego.

Lastly, there was a surprise. I got up to pay for my bill, which I'm used to doing at the other two pho places mentioned above, when the owner? or staff quickly ushered me back to my seat, telling me that he'd bring me the check. With the check, he set down this delicious treat.

(Yes this picture sucks. I took all these pictures with my cell phone. I think the other two came out well though. It's not the best quality, but it's clear enough for me.)
I was taken aback because 1) I thought he had misplaced his order, and 2) I've never received a free dessert at a vietnamese place (not to say that I've eaten at a lot), let alone a pho place. When i asked him what it was, he told me something in Vietnamese that I could not understand. I asked him to repeat it, and he simply said, "Coconut Milk." It certainly wasn't just coconut milk, but it was good, and he can call it whatever he wants, as long as I get it again next time. It was a warm and rich desert, which was kind of like a gelatinous pudding/porridge, with some kind of bean/rice in it. Sorry, that is a pretty crappy description. I asked a friend about it, and he told me that it was probably che dau xanh, which when I looked it up, translates to sweet mung bean soup.

I would definitely come here again. My only complaint is that they don't serve Vietnamese sandwiches, as I was looking forward to getting one to go. Yes, I know I can go to Lee's or other places, but I'm not really sure where the closest sandwich shop is around Diamond Bar, and I do not consider Irvine or Santa Ana close by any means. There is one more pho place that I haven't checked out yet, and that is Lucky Pho on the corner of Colima and Fairway...

Pho Super Bowl
329 S. Diamond Bar Blvd.
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Open Everyday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM