All Pho All Stars. They have the classics but no surprises. Quality is decent but nothing really 'pops'. Pho itself was the highlight. Spring rolls were mediocre but acceptable. There appears to be a cluster of Asian eateries in this strip mall, so could be a good way to do a noodle hit-and-run. Visit the Dollar Tree or TJ Maxx afterwards for novelty value. There was a ...
USA
Vivace – Carlsbad, USA
Carlsbad is a culinary wasteland. The Death Valley of fine cuisine...with Vivace as its oasis. Good food and a quality wine list (at decent prices). Ate with a large party but no one had anything remiss to say - and no plate envy either! My only qualm is with the decor. It's orangey-brown everywhere. It's dark (I went at night). If Batman grew mushrooms this might be his ...
Tomoyama – Carlsbad, USA
All-you-can-eat Sushi is a travesty that should sound warning bells... But I had my reasons. Mediocre with a capital M. I feel sorry for the fish that sacrificed their lives to end up such a plateful of abomination. Nevertheless, I have tasted worse in Carlsbad (check out Sansui at the Premium Outlet for an education in horrible, particularly their Tempura which has been fried ...
El Caribe Tacos & Juice – Carlsbad, USA
Your experience will depend upon your order. I had 5 dishes. One was good (but not ecstatic), 2 were edible but unremarkable, and 2 begged to be hurled in the dumpster (before... or after eating). The kids sitting at a nearby table kept having to go to the potty, which really wasn't a good sign. Kids do that a lot, it's true. But so do adults when they're travelling through ...
