Pho Ha

Located in the city of Philly, Pho Ha is a classic area that my family and I go to when we are within the area. The area itself is flocked with Vietnamese restaurants, mainly Pho places, but this one takes the cake. Coming into the restaurant, individuals are blasted with aromas of the pho, Vietnamese sandwiches, coffee, and other delicacies. The shop is small and every time my family and I have been there, it was filled with hungry diners. With a generous portion size on the extra large, I never want the bowl to end. The bowl comes out piping hot with crisp uncooked beef which is where I have the most fun putting the beef into the broth to cook. Taking a slurp of the broth, I realize that I’m eating perfection and have to resist from drinking the broth before eating the contents within the bowl. The broth is rich with beefy flavor and thick, it’ll keep the diner sipping until they have to order another bowl. The broth compliments the thin, but thick noodles that make great slurping companions with the broth. The beef is paper thin, allowing it to cook in the broth quickly and giving the broth its flavor. Trying not to finish this bowl quickly, one cannot restrict continuously eating out of the bowl until it is finished. Even afterwards, there is contemplation for seconds, which is doable since the prices are more than acceptable for an extra-large bowl.

The Rolling Spring Roll

Located in Farmingdale, New York, this restaurant was a last minute decision by my friends and I after we went go-karting in Huntington about twenty minutes prior. I never knew of the existence of this place because there are barely any Vietnamese restaurants on Long Island. The shop was very authentic as it had a flavorful aroma, the classic condiments on the tables which consists of Sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, chopsticks, soup spoons, and napkins. The waiters and owner was Vietnamese so that was promising. As our bowls came out, the aroma was strong and the broth looked smothered in a dark brown substance, which is always a good thing. It wasn’t powdered, it was a thick solution of broth that smelled very delicate and complimented the beef balls, thinly sliced beef, noodles, vinegar onions, and greens on top. I was able to down the whole thing very fast, as the bowl was quite medium for an extra-large. It was very authentic and it almost tasted homemade like my mothers, which is very hard to do. The chefs were a couple who grew up in Vietnam and transferred their recipes over to America to share. Fortunately, I stumbled upon this restaurant and now I try to make the drive out whenever I can. Distance is the only thing stopping me, and anyone who can relate to Long Island traffic going out east at around 5 p.m. will know why. I would definitely recommend this place to any hungry eaters passing by Farmingdale as it is quite lodged into the town, in a hidden plaza.

Pho 2000

Located in the provinces of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this pho place had high expectations coming in. Having parents that grew up in Vietnam was an advantage when it came to this because they knew who and what shop to go to. Unfortunately, modern culture has taken away the authenticity that had once been key in the development of pho. With a broad broth, lazily sliced beef, and thick rough noodles, this was actually a very disappointing bowl of pho. The sizes in Vietnam were very small and most of the vegetables were thrown in as a whole into the bowl. The street venders of Vietnam could produce amazing quality pho with one pot and limited supplies. It boggled my mind to the fact that such a high quality place produced such low quality produce. It then came to my mind that the venders put more heart into their cooking than those who were privileged with a stove and multiple pots. The broth of Pho 2000 was practically water while the broth of the street venders was full of mucky beef flavor and spices and aromas. Pho 2000 lazily chucked in ingredients while street venders spent the time to thinly slice and delicately sprinkle the ingredients in. The quality was definitely prioritized over quantity when it came to the street food in Vietnam. Although size for both shops were small, quality was drastically different. For Pho 2000, the vegetables ended up getting in the way of everything and ruined the experience as I was already having a troubling time gnawing on the noodles and finding the absent amounts of meat. It was a mess and for anyone planning on visiting Vietnam, I highly suggest the street venders as they know what they are doing. Although some may look sketchy, just grab the food they are selling and nothing else.

Pho Ho Guom

Located in French-speaking Montreal, Canada, this pho restaurant is definitely not an authentic Vietnamese ran shop. Paired with a sushi bar, this restaurant contains other asian specialties and does not throw in enough concentration of their pho. As one walks in, it does not smell of a pho shop and looks more like a Chinese restaurant than a Vietnamese one. Although the restaurant is clean, my family and I still come here often as it is one of the only places that is better known for selling pho. Fortunately, the tables and their condiments make it seem as if it was a pho restaurant. The extra-large bowl looks promising but is disappointing as the bowl does not give off any aroma. The bowl has a very generous amount of noodles which holds up to be very tasty and silky. However, the meatballs, thinly sliced beef and tripe is lazily added and is overcooked in the bowl when served. Usually in pho, the beef is left raw and the boiling broth is used to cook the meat as it is being served. Here, the beef is cooked before and then cooked in the broth making it very hard to chew and over cooked. Fortunately, the broth is somewhat flavorful. Although the broth’s beefy bone flavor can be detected, the water can be detected as well. Considering that this restaurant does not specialize in pho specifically, the broth is probably not the main concern making it not as tasty. Therefore the aroma doesn’t transfer as well into the restaurant or into the nose of the consumer when presented in front of them. Although this place was not that pleasant, the only other place is Pho Lien which is a distant 20 minutes further in Montreal, Quebec.

Bamboo House

 

The go to spot for my family in Springfield, Massachusetts, this place is the closest one to my aunt’s house and is the definition of a classic Vietnamese styled pho house. Being right on the corner, the small shop is oriented towards the best customer service. With limited seating, the restaurant it always full and the staff service is undivided and quick. The restaurant is small and the aroma of pho is actually faint as the restaurant has a more bamboo aroma to it, giving it it’s name. The main reason my family and I keep coming back here is for the size of the pho. Here, the large bowl is literally called “the train” as it translates into Vietnamese. As the waiter or waitress brings it out, all I can do is watch in amazement as she puts it in front of me with all the aroma and juicy morsels of meat are atop the bowl. As I restrict myself from digging in, I have to stain the clear, but thick in flavor broth using the usual sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, lime, and cut mint-leaves. Going through a handful of napkins, the finish to this bowl is clean as I leave no evidence of murdering the bowl. No broth is left within the bowl and all noodles, beef tripe, meatballs, thin-slices, and tendon are consumed. The bowl of pho here is definitely nothing to be disappointed of as the bowl is large and the beef melts into your mouth as it is absorbed with the heavily flavored broth. I would definitely recommend this bowl to anyone stopping by Springfield. Although this place is small and welcoming, the surrounding area may not house the same comfort since it is only down the street from Pho Saigon which is in a worse area. Still worth the stop however.

Pho Saigon

After a long hour and a half session of church, having a bowl of pho from Pho Saigon is something my family and I crave deeply. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this restaurant is the second restaurant we usually go to when we are present there. Although the main hub we go to now is Bamboo House down the road, Pho Saigon was the previous hub and is worth the mention. Located in a sketchy area, but definitely worth the stop. The parking lot lingers of the pho aroma and can lure pedestrians walking by to stop for a bowl. Walking in, the place has the classic strong aroma of ginger, cinnamon, beef broth cooking in the back. The classic glass tables with the white cloth and brown table legs underneath are sorted with sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce, chopstick container, soup spoon container, and napkins. The service was very quick and the steaming extra-large bowl came out with a disappointing size, but made up with the strong aroma. The broth was a thick, but clean and as I slurped a spoonful, I was thrown into a trance of a strong flavorful beef. The pho was a basic one as it contained the beef meatball and thinly sliced beef. The beef was also given generously as I ate through the bowl, the noodle portion and beef portion were consistent as I finished the broth. However, as I finished the first bowl, I was left unsatisfied until I had a second one. The bowls were too small to be considered an extra-large. I decided to order a large bowl since I didn’t want to overstuff my stomach, but I soon discovered it was no different than the extra-large that I had previously. I quickly downed the second bowl and was able to feel fulfilled. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anybody stopping by Springfield, but be prepared to drop money on two large bowls.

Pho Bang

Located in the deep streets of Chinatown in Flushing, New York, Pho Bang tends to look a bit deceiving walking into the establishment. Every time my family and I walk into the restaurant, we are always welcomed with a familiar smell and sights as my parents are very close with the owner. The restaurant is small, but it is always full and everyone always has a bowl of pho at his or her table. We end up waiting only about five to seven minutes due to the privilege of knowing the owner.  Although the looks are deceiving, the restaurant has no failure in the quality of its food. I always order a different bowl of pho every time I go, and I always get the biggest bowl. A personal favorite of mine is the Pho Dac Biet, also known as “the special”. It contains a wide variety of meat including the thin sliced round eye steak, tendon, brisket, tripe, and the special beef meatballs. This bowl is the “meat lovers” of pizza, and is all finished with a well flavored beef broth to coat the noodles, fresh vinegar onions, parsley, spring onions, and last but not least, all the meat. Pho Bang definitely brings the wow factor as they bring a massive bowl and plop it on the table. As I try to restrict myself from gobbling up the bowl of pho quickly, I tend to fall into my temptations and finish the bowl before some other people at my table even get their food. Their service is a bit shady and slow as most waiters are Vietnamese elderly sticking to old techniques of trying to remember the orders instead of writing them down. Sometimes orders are mixed and different types of phos or different sizes are served. However, we get discounted prices and live about twenty-thirty minutes from here so I find myself going back here with family and friends very often.

Nha Trang One

A small restaurant in the middle of a large city. Nha Trang One never fails to deliver with its Vietnamese Cuisine oriented menu. One thing that people mainly think of in Vietnamese Cuisine is the ultimate seller, Pho. Coming into the restaurant, the whiff of aromatic spices, Hoisin sauce,Sirachi sauce, and the meaty broth lure people in. This usually speaks for itself as the restaurant is always full. As my family and I sit down, we already know what we want to order. As we get our bowls, I always admire the clean, yet fully flavored broth, sticky rice noodles, tender sliced beef pieces or chicken, and the fresh onions, scallions, and parsley on top. The broth is as life changing every time I take a sip of it, making me think it tastes better than last time, even though it probably has not changed much since I last went. Adding the essentials such as squeezing the lime, shredding up and inserting the basil, chili peppers and bean sprouts are very pleasing. Knowing that for every addition I put in, the broth is going to taste so much better, there is never too little or too much. It is always up to the person to put whatever he or she wants, but I always put everything in. Unfortunately, for me, I am allergic to bean sprouts, but for this type of meal, I will always sacrifice my throat, nose, and lip irritations for an orgasmic eight minutes. For me, I always order the largest bowl a Pho restaurant has to offer, and I always end up finishing it. Nha Trang One offers a very generous bowl and as I finish the last sip of the broth, I always feel accomplished and drained. Nha Trang One is a place I find myself going to consistently, even though it is an hour drive in heavy New York City traffic, it is worth every minute.

Pho 75

Pho 75 is one of my most favorite places for a very memorable bowl of pho. My first experience with Pho 75 was on our trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was going to be a long fifteen-hour drive, and my family decided we needed to spice the mood and go get pho. My mom said she knew the perfect place on the way down, and set the GPS for inner Washington D.C. As we arrived, I could already taste and smell the already familiar spices, meat, and rice noodles. Going into the restaurant, it gave me that sensation and it me want to sit down and kill a large bowl. I ordered a Pho Dac Biet, straying away from my usual Pho Bo Vien, beef meatballs, and Pho Tai, thinly sliced round-eyed steak. Pho Dac Biet is the special bowl that consists of both the thinly sliced round-eyed steak and beef meatballs and more such as tendon, tripe, brisket, and even octopus. The octopus was optional but my mother told me that Pho 75 knows what they are doing and that I should try it out. I have had some bad experiences with the octopus in Pho Dac Biet before since they tended to be tough, very chewy, and distasteful. The bowl arrived at a very reasonable time and as I looked at the bowl, the octopus was dressing the top of all the meats. Pho 75 torched me with their well-seasoned and cooked octopus since I ended up finishing it before the meats as I was devouring my bowl. The octopus gave a firm crunchy texture to the bowl as the other meats melted and sealed the deal for me. I was enjoying every bit of this bowl and I was embarrassed to be eating such a worthy dish. Paired with a great Tai Tea Bubble Tea beverage, Pho 75 definitely made me wanting to come back. The following years, we made it down to South Carolina about two more times, and each time, we found ourselves going to Pho 75 on the way there and back. I would highly recommend this place to a friend if they are in the area.