A Top Chef Vietnam Finalist Opened a Phở Shop in Tierrasanta and Named It After His Mother

Overview

The founder of Mom's Phở & Grill placed in the top five on Top Chef Vietnam in 2014 — the same year he opened this restaurant in Tierrasanta.

And he named it after his mother's cooking. His own explanation is the best line on the site:

"The reason why I chose the name MOM'S PHỞ & GRILL is that I want to redescribe my mom's kitchen."

He describes leaving home and relatives behind to move to America, and wanting to bring "authentic Vietnamese traditional food" with him. The broth he's after is his mother's — "stewed from bones for many hours."

Here's what that produces on the menu, and it's a wider operation than "phở shop" suggests.

There are sixteen phở options, from the full Deluxe down to a bowl of noodles and broth. But there's also a Korean-style BBQ beef rib, shaking beef, salt-and-pepper wings, a whole stir-fry section and three Vietnamese sandwiches. The restaurant's own top-rated items are the BBQ beef rib, a sautéed shrimp-or-beef egg noodle dish, and the salt and pepper shrimp.

Practical note: it's open 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. — a long, single, uninterrupted day, with no afternoon closure, which is unusual for a Vietnamese restaurant and makes it a reliable mid-afternoon option.

What to Order

A note on prices: the figures below come from the restaurant's own menu page, which was last updated some time ago. Treat them as a guide and confirm when you order.

Phở — most bowls around $12.50–$13.99, with the two big ones higher:

• P1 Deluxe Mom's Phở (large) — $16.99. The full house bowl
• P2 Beef Rib Phở (large) — $14.99
• P3 Filet Mignon and P4 Special Mom's — around $12.99–$14.25
• P14 Chicken — $11.99–$12.99 · P15 Tofu & Vegetables — $11.50–$12.50
• P16 Noodles and soup only — $9.99–$10.99

Extras to add to a bowl: meatballs (4) $3.50, a small plate of rare steak or brisket $5.99, filet mignon $6.99, beef rib (2) $10.50

From the grill, over broken rice:

• R1 BBQ Cut Beef Rib, Korean style — $14.99. Their top-rated dish
• Shaking Beef — $14.50
• Grilled sliced beef $13.50 · grilled pork shoulder butt $13.50 · grilled shrimp $13.50
• Grilled chicken or sliced pork — $12.99

Stir-fry and noodles — $12.99–$14.99, including Shaken Beef with garlic noodle $14.50 and sautéed seafood egg noodles, soft or crispy, $14.50

Vermicelli bowls $13.50–$13.99

Starters: salt & pepper chicken wings (8) $11.99 · salt & pepper shrimp $12.50 · crispy pork egg rolls $5.99–$11.50 · spring rolls (2) $5.50–$6.50 · grilled salads $11.50–$12.50

Sandwiches — $6.50 each, grilled beef, pork or chicken. The cheapest proper meal on the menu by a distance.

Fried rice $13.75–$14.50

Drinks: boba and specialty teas, Vietnamese coffee and coconut juice all around $4.99; soft drinks $2.25; hot tea $1.55

How to Visit

• Address: 10645 Tierrasanta Blvd, San Diego, CA 92124
• Phone: +1-858-268-0979 · Email: info@momspho-n-grill.com
• Hours: 9:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
• Pickup through their online ordering, delivery through their delivery partner
• Founded 2014 by Chef Tam Thanh Cao

Good to Know

• The $6.50 sandwiches are the best-value item here and easy to miss on a menu this size.
• No afternoon break — a 3 p.m. bowl of phở is entirely possible, which isn't true of most Vietnamese kitchens.
• The beef rib is their own top seller, and it's the dish that marks this out from a standard phở shop.
• Order the broth plain if you want to judge it — P16, noodles and soup only, is about ten dollars and tells you everything.
• Confirm prices when you order. Their published menu hasn't been refreshed recently.

The Takeaway

Order the Deluxe phở, add a beef rib, and ask what the chef recommends.

What makes Mom's worth knowing isn't that Tierrasanta has a phở restaurant — it's that a Top Chef Vietnam finalist opened it the same year he was on television, and built the whole thing around recreating his mother's kitchen. That's an unusual amount of intent behind a neighbourhood noodle shop.

For more spots worth knowing, browse our Local Picks — and Edamami is a few minutes away in the same neighbourhood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mom's Phở & Grill? At 10645 Tierrasanta Blvd, San Diego, CA 92124.

What are the hours? 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., with no afternoon closure.

Who is the chef? Tam Thanh Cao, listed as CEO and founder, who placed in the top five on Top Chef Vietnam in 2014. He founded the restaurant that same year.

Why is it called Mom's? In the chef's words: "I want to redescribe my mom's kitchen."

What should I order? The restaurant's own top-rated items are the Korean-style BBQ beef rib over broken rice, the sautéed shrimp or beef egg noodles, and the salt and pepper shrimp.

Is there anything cheap on the menu? The Vietnamese sandwiches are around $6.50.

Do they deliver? Yes, with pickup through their own online ordering and delivery through a partner service.