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Dao Son
Eric, owner and head chef of Dao Son, has a fascinating story behind his venture into the restaurant business. At the age of five, Eric and his family were forced out of Vietnam into a communist refugee camp in Cambodia. Food was limited
and they were nearly starving for six years. Eric became interested in cooking simply because he wanted to eat. He hung around the cafeteria watching the chefs and eventually began working with them. He also learned to kill animals like
snakes and birds and cook them in a bonfire, then ate the food in secret in the evening when everyone was suppose to be inside. People in the camp were not allowed to own anything so Eric had to make his own pots from clay he gathered
from the river. From the time he was 6 to 11 years old, Eric cultivated his cooking skills in a dramatic fashion and out of necessity he became the master of his food.
In 1980, at the age of 11 Eric returned to Vietnam. There he had the opportunity to work with his grandfather, Doa Son, who owned a traditional Vietnamese restaurant. His Grandpa made two signature dishes, hainam chicken (rice and
chicken served in a hot pot) and tasty red chicken. Today, these dishes are two of the most preferred items on the menu at Eric's restaurant. Along with Dao Son's traditional Vietnamese dishes, Eric believes that the secret to his
success includes fresh food, hefty portions at affordable prices and the selection of Asian beers such as Sapporo and Asahi. It also can not be denied that Eric's brother T is one of the most comical waiters around.
Eric takes special interest in his vegetarian dishes. He explains how most restaurants simply deep fry their tofu, Eric takes the extra step of coating it with a delicious peanut batter prior to cooking it so the tofu remains crispy on
the outside and soft on the inside. He is currently working on adding a vegetarian-only menu. In addition to expanding his menu, he has also expanded his business by opening a Chinese restaurant called TAO Vietnamese Japanese Cuisine on
Adams Avenue in February of 2009.
Considering the challenging circumstances Eric faced in his upbringing, he feels very fortunate for the life he has in America. When his family first arrived, he got a job working at a noodle house on Convoy Street. The first Dao Son
location opened in Escondido, but his sister, who owned the restaurant, left to raise a family. Eric decided to move Dao Son down to San Diego, first on Park Boulevard, then to El Cajon Boulevard in 1997. He is very pleased that with the
neighborhood improvement he has witnesses over the past 12 years. With neighboring businesses such as Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant, the Lafayette Hotel, Eclipse Chocolat, Live Wire and the newly-opened Luigi pizzeria, El Cajon
Boulevard is certainly building on its reputation as dining destination.
Dao Son- 2322 El Cajon Boulevard
Yelp About The Boulevard
 The Torta Factory
4595 El Cajon Boulevard
Yelper:
This is place is sooo good! Their food is Poblano style (meaning typical of the state of Puebla in Mexico) and they have tortas, tacos, quesadillas and huaraches. Everything is made fresh to order so it takes a couple more minutes than at
a taco shop. They use fresh ingredients and have a salsa bar. I had the carne asada huarache, which is a long tortilla type of thing made with thicker dough and it stuffed with a very thin layer of beans, its topped with delicious carne
asada, nopales, queso cotixa, onions and salsa verde... mouth watering goodness. The owner is super nice and he let us know they will be adding more items to their menu.
Click
here for more yelp reviews.
NORTH PARK MUSIC THING: Rockin' the streets
The Night Marchers, headed by ex-Rocket From The Crypt leader John Reis (at left) are among the nine acts confirmed thus far to perform Aug. 9 at the outdoor concert that will conclude this year's edition of North Park Music Thing
(formerly known as North By North Park).
Other artists on the bill for the seven-hour Street Fest include such San Diego-based luminaries as Blackheart Procession, Steve Poltz & The Rugburns, Uncle Joe's Big Ol Driver, Scott Russo & The Big Big Bang and Shark Attack. They'll be
joined by South Bay native El Vez (who was most recently in town for a reunion gig with pioneering San Diego punk-rockers The Zeros) and two token non-San Diego acts, The Presidents of the United States of America and Avi Buffalo.
All of the above artists are in addition to the 150 bands and solo performers who will be appearing Aug. 8 and 9 on 20 stages in 19 venues in (and a bit beyond) North Park. They include such diverse area attractions as Scarlet Symphony,
Gregory Page, The Modlins, Danielle LoPresti, Apes of Wrath, Lisa Sanders and MC Flow.
Two-day badges, which also admit you to all of the Aug. 8 and 9 music panels and workshops, plus the music trade show, are priced at $25 until July 31, after which the price goes up to $30. Tickets for the Aug. 9 Street Fest on El Cajon
Boulevard, which will be held on three outdoor stages adjacent to the festival headquarters at the Lafayette Hotel, cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
Featured Art along the Boulevard
This box is a collage of familiar Vietnamese scenes; a girl overlooking the Mekong River on a wooden bridge, a young boy resting on a water buffalo, and the green rice fields of Vietnam. The original concept was conceived by artist,
Tammy Nguyen, and the box was painted by members of the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance of San Diego.
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