Archive for the 'Pho' Category

Phở Hòa Pasteur: Phenomenally Phamous Phở

Published by Gastronomer on November 30, 2011 in Pho, Restaurant Review, Saigon and Vietnamese. 8 Comments

Have you ever noticed that almost every Vietnamese restaurant in America is named either Phở Hòa or Phở Pasteur? Growing up, my family’s two favorite spots in San Diego for Vietnamese food were Phở Hòa in City Heights and Phở Pasteur in Clairmont. It turns out that these restaurants, and hundreds just like them, were channeling Phở Hòa Pasteur, the most famous noodle shop in Vietnam.

From what I gathered talking to Mom and sleuthing around the Internet, Phở Hòa Pasteur has been around for forty-some-odd years. It began as a popular street stall catering to the evening crowd and eventually grew into a revered establishment frequented by locals and tourists alike. It currently occupies a two-story space across the street from The Pasteur Institute, which the street is named after.

In addition to the usual lotus blossom and waterfall paintings adorning the walls, the restaurant has installed a flat screen television to keep tabs on customers seated on the second floor. Now, that’s a first.

The menu here is concise, with diners only choosing whether they want a regular or large sized bowl. Low carb (no noodles) and high carb (no meat) options are also available. Phở Hòa Pasteur charges nearly twice as much as neighboring shops due to its famed status.

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District 4, Saigon: Our Home Away From Home

Published by Gastronomer on October 13, 2011 in Bo La Lot, Che, Goi, Mon An Chay, Pho, Saigon, Street Food, Vietnamese and Xoi. 7 Comments

The Astronomer and I began our third day in Saigon across the river in District 4, a densely packed island we called home for the better part of a year. In the three years since we’ve been gone, the old neighborhood has undergone quite a makeover. While the river is still as murky as ever, dirt roads have been transformed into sturdy bridges and run-down shacks have given way to shiny highrises. The lay of the land was so unfamiliar that The Astronomer had trouble navigating the streets at several turns. Rapid development can be mighty disorienting.

Fortunately, the vibrant street food scene hasn’t changed one bit. After stopping to pick up some xoi gac from my my favorite sticky rice vendor on Ton That Thuyet Street (pictured above), we searched the district for more good eats.

The smell of grilled seasoned beef wrapped in betel leaves brought our motorbike to a rapid halt. Even though we had just eaten bo la lot a few meals ago, it was too tempting to pass up.

The Astronomer’s bowl of bun bo la lot was piled high with herbs and sprouts tucked underneath a tangle of cool vermicelli noodles, peanuts, pickled carrots and daikon, and a swipe of crushed fresh chilies. Everything was evenly dressed with fish sauce. The best bites included a pinky-sized bo la lot nugget.

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Saigon Noodle House – Birmingham

Published by Gastronomer on January 13, 2011 in Banh Mi, Birmingham, Goi Cuon, Los Angeles, Nem Nuong, Pho, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 4 Comments

Tucked between a mattress store and a Jenny Craig weight loss outlet is Saigon Noodle House, arguably the best Vietnamese restaurant in the Birmingham metropolitan area. At one point there were three Vietnamese restaurants in town, but Phở Hoàng threw in the towel sometime last year, so these days it’s just Saigon Noodle House and Phở Quê Hương meeting the needs of Birmingham’s Vietnamese food seekers.

I’ve always been a little curious about how Vietnamese food is translated down south, but with so many mouthwatering barbecue shacks to explore, not to mention Frank Stitt’s various haute little eateries, seeking out a cuisine readily available in California was low on my list of priorities.

During our most recent trip to Birmingham, The Astronomer made a lunch date with his high school friends at Saigon Noodle House. I tried to persuade my dear husband to reconsider, but everyone was in the noodling mood, so off to the Noodle House we went.

To start, our group ordered a variety of fresh and fried rolls. The fresh ones were served with hoisin sauce topped with crushed peanuts, while the fried ones were served with a goopy nước chấm.

I liked how both the nem nướng and gỏi cuốn tasted freshly made and contained fried shards of Chinese egg roll wrappers through the center, a la Brodard. My only wish was that the rolls had less iceberg filler and more fresh herbs.

According to The Astronomer, the fried chả giò (not pictured) were “a typical unspectacular American specimen.” Truth be told though, we’ve only had one really outstanding chả giò stateside, and that was at a Cambodian restaurant in Boston.

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Phở King – San Diego

Published by Gastronomer on January 12, 2010 in Pho, Restaurant Review, San Diego and Vietnamese. 10 Comments

You know what tastes really sweet? Victory. For the second year in a row, The Astronomer and my fantasy football team, Team Người Đẹp, trounced everyone in the league to capture the championship title. The competition was fierce, but with Drew Brees and Randy Moss leading our lineup, the others didn’t have a chance. Team Người Đẹp was a force to be reckoned with.

I went head-to-head against my cousin Phil twice this year, once in the regular season and then again in the playoffs. To make our virtual battles more interesting, a few harmless bets were placed. The first wager required the losing party to take the winning one out for a meal at Phở King. The Astronomer and I cashed in on our winnings during a recent visit to San Diego. Free meals are phở-king awesome!

Phở King is located in the same City Heights neighborhood as some of my favorite Vietnamese eateries—Pho Hoa, A Chau, and Minh Ky. In contrast to Pho Hoa, my dark and dingy phở standby in town, the interior at Phở King was bright, well-appointed, and spotless. The crowd was a mix of old and young, Vietnamese and not.

The bubbling fish tank, numbered tables, and flat screen televisions added classic and comfortable touches to the dining room.

The Astronomer ordered a large bowl of the Phở King, which included a hefty heap of noodles with rare beef, brisket, flank, and meatballs. Overall, The Astronomer was very happy with his bowl of phở, but his number one spot is still held by the District 4 phở cart in Saigon.

I went for a small bowl of the phở đặc biệt, which included rare beef, brisket, flank, and my personal favorite bit, tripe. While the noodles and meats were standard, I found the clear and beefy broth noteworthy. Usually after I finish the noodles in a bowl of phở, I leave the broth uneaten due to its dark and oily state. However, this broth merited hearty slurps long after the noodles were gone. In spite of the outrageousness of its name, which I believe none of the proprietors are aware of, Phở King makes some solid phở.

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Phở King
4658 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92115
Phone: 619-285-1111

Phở 79 – Alhambra

Published by Gastronomer on November 10, 2008 in Alhambra, Chain / Multiple Locations, Los Angeles, Pho, Restaurant Review and Vietnamese. 8 Comments

Pho is the first Vietnamese food to go mainstream. Name recognition isn’t anywhere near that of chow mein or pad Thai, but it’s become increasingly common for the average bear to have heard of this broth and noodle combo, which is definitely progress.

Unlike Pinkberry, the popularity of pho across the land is totally justified. Every noodle shop that I’ve eaten at since my return to the States has been packed to capacity and filled with faces of all different races—it’s a beautiful thing to see. It used to be that non-Asians were always accompanied by an Asian friend or significant other when dining at an Asian eatery, especially one located within an Asian enclave. However, these days I see non-Asians dining without a “guide” more often than not. Although this bodes well for businesses, a diverse clientele makes it impossible to pick restaurants based purely on who dines there—gone are the days of “If all the Chinese are eating here than it must be good!” logic. Well, at least that’s the case in So Cal.

During orientation at Caltech, The Astronomer met a fellow grad student from Korea named Kunwoo. Upon hearing that The Astronomer spent the previous year living in Vietnam, Kunwoo proclaimed that he loved pho, and would love to go out for a bowl sometime. A few days later, a group of four Cal Tech boys and I hopped in Kunwoo’s ride and drove to nearby Alhambra for pho. Kunwoo has eaten at Pho 79 numerous times and spoke highly of the place.

I ordered my favorite combination of pho tai (rare beef) nam (cooked beef brisket) sach (tripe) ($4.95), while The Astronomer, Khoa and Kunwoo ordered pho xe lua ($5.95)—a “train-sized” bowl with all the trimmings. Both bowls of pho more or less looked the same, although the train-sized bowl is substantially larger than a regular one, so I didn’t bother taking happy snaps of their loot. It’s a good thing that the folks at Pho 79 aren’t skimpy with their herbs because our table was packed with seasoned ganishers. Pass the lime wedges, please.

Here’s a close-up of my favorite trimming—tripe! I was very satisfied with my bowl of pho; the portion wasn’t overwhelming and neither was the price. The meat, noodles and broth were flavorful and clearly made with love. With pho in the equation, dining with a group of scientists has never been more delicious.

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Pho 79
29 S. Garfield Avenue
Alhambra, CA 91801
Phone: 626-289-0239