"One Rare Steak Pho, please, and a Thai Iced Tea, thank you!" My typical order at any pho restaurant.
Pho, pronounced "pha", is a Vietnamese noodle soup composed of mainly three things: noodles, broth & choice of meat (such as rare steak, brisket, tendons, and so on). Pretty simple, right? WRONG!! Ask any pho-enthusiast and they will point you to their favorite pho-eatery without hesitation.
Love it or hate it, this dish has gained much popularity for Angelenos as pho restaurants have been popping up on every corner, if they haven't already, in the last few months.
What makes this dish so appetizing that some places are even open 24 hrs a day/7 days a week?
It's not an easy dish to make. I know, I've made it - the broth alone could take you all day to cook. But, it's relatively inexpensive (running about $7-$10 depending on which side of town you're on) and practically available in almost every city.
Now I must warn you, not every restaurant has the same tasting or even the same quality of pho as the other. Currently, the best-tasting pho I have come across is at the Glendale Pho Co. on the corner of Glendale Ave & Broadway. They have a rating of 4/5 on Yelp and graded "A" by the Health Dept.
Pros: It was a dinner order of their Rare Steak Pho (Pho Tai), extra thinly-sliced onions and a Thai Iced Tea to go. As I arrive home and prepare my meal (yes, the noodles, meat and broth are kept separate for the freshness & flavor-value), I poured the broth over the mountain of noodles and meat, the aromas of cloves, cinnamon, onions and spices filled the air. My taste buds awoke and started salivating at the thought of this delicious meal I'm about to have. The rare steak was thinly cut, almost transparent (plus!), and it was actually rare (double plus!). Other places I've ordered to-go served the meat cooked - this is something to watch out for because it says one of two things: either 1) it has previously cooked meat because of health hazards once off the premisses (but that doesn't say much for sushi which is also rare, more often than not) or 2) it's previously cooked meat from a previous dish, i.e. leftovers (I have been a victim of the latter and it is not fun figuring out what mystery meat has been laid out in front of you for consumption).
Cons: As with many pho restaurants that I have been to, if the restaurant is packed and the staff is busy, you had better make sure you check over your order before leaving. With our luck, they forgot the extra onions but hooked us up with a Thai Iced Tea. A win-win for us all.
Flavor rating: 5/5
Overall rating: 4.5/5
So if dinner isn't ready, it's been a late night studying, or you just don't know what to make, I say ditch the hot pockets and go for something a little more filling, if not a little more dignified.
Love it? Hate it? Know of a great spot? Let me know of your pho experience in the comments below.
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