Cali Restaurant

Cali Restaurant is a small storefront in a row of independent cheapish restaurants that mostly cater to the lunch needs of the office buildings around the area. In fact, I don’t even think Cali is open for dinner.
From the outside, Cali’s sign looks like a temporary banner, proclaiming «Now Open» but that sign has been up for at least six months now. Based on that, I was very skeptical the first time I stepped into the restaurant, but I actually find the food very tasty and decent quality so I’ve been back many times since.
The item I order the most from Cali is the vietnamese sub, or bahn mi, for $ 3. It’s slightly different style from the typical cold cut sub, at Cali they actually cook up the meat and I find it really tasty and a good deal for $ 3.
The phở is a bit on the expensive side ($ 7.49, one size only, for about the size of a medium at other places), but I like the broth and actually compared to Phở Orchid a few doors down I think it’s priced comparably. They don’t skimp on the meat and the flank is nice and not filled with tendons. The basil and sprouts on the side are always fresh.
They serve a curry beef stew and curry chicken stew with a bahn mi bread on the side for $ 5. The stew is really tasty but I found the portion a bit too small to be filling.
Asides from the food, what I really like about Cali is that it’s obviously a family run restaurant and it’s always the same two people there, the son who takes orders and buses the tables, and the mom who cooks in the kitchen. To get your food, you order at the cash and then pick up some utensils, some water or tea, find a table, and the son will bring you the food when it’s ready. While the décor inside (and outside) is cheap, the place is always clean.
I will definitely be back, not just to support the local businesses but also because I enjoy the food.