A thousand apologies for my lax posting lately...things will probably continue to be fairly unpredictable for the next few weeks, because I am leaving for my big Europe trip on Wednesday! This week has been all about running errands and doing research in preparation for my departure, which has not left much time for blogging or eating anything interesting about which to blog. My most recent meal of note was unfortunately noteworthy for the wrong reasons.I have been in pho withdrawal for the past few months, ever since I moved out of my apartment in Cambridge and away from my beloved Le's. At our high point, my friend Ting and I were going to Le's on a weekly basis, and I would almost always order a small #27 (vegetable pho). There is a good Vietnamese restaurant here in my home town, which I had the occasion to try when my sister had her rehearsal dinner there last year. The food was abundant and served family style, and most of the dishes I sampled were delicious. When I decided to give their pho a try yesterday, therefore, my hopes were high.
I was excited that they had pho with tofu and vegetables on the menu, because I have had one too many bad experiences with fatty meat in my pho. Though the tofu was tasty and the veggies were crisp, the rest of the soup was disappointing. The noodles were the wide, flat variety, which are common but not my favorite (I prefer the thin vermicelli noodles that Le's uses). The broth was not very flavorful, due in part to the lack of hoisin sauce on the table (I was able, however, to procure a bottle of sriracha). Next time I go back, I will probably opt for one of their vermicelli bowls. In the meantime, the quest to satisfy my pho craving continues...
Note: The photo above was taken at Ngon Restaurant in Saigon, Vietnam. This was probably the most authentic pho I have ever had, served with all of the traditional accompaniments--bean sprouts, basil, mint, a wedge of lime, hoisin sauce, sriracha, hot pepper slices, and dough sticks. Though, truth be told, I still prefer Le's :)
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Ok, now you've made me hungry. What's the best Vietnamese restaurant in Nashville, o small food sage? And what should a Vietnamese neophyte order?
ReplyDeletemy lovely mind says, sorry for the gross Pho.
ReplyDeleteThe Pho you just described sounds much better than the one I had here last year. They literally served us the package of ramen noodles (pho style) and charged me almost $6 bucks!!!!!!
Love,
fellow Oompa Loompa ^_^
Hmmm...the only one I've been to is Kien Giang, which is consistently voted one of the best in Nashville. If you haven't had much Vietnamese food before, it's best to order several things and share around. That way you avoid the risk of ordering the one mediocre thing on the menu and souring yourself on the entire restaurant. Egg pancakes are usually a good bet, as are vermicelli bowls, and anything grilled or barbecued.
ReplyDeleteNarith, I assume by "here" you mean Minnesota...I guess I wouldn't expect there to be great pho there. That is very unfortunate! One day we will have to get our whole Cambodia crew back together for a reunion in Phnom Penh, and we will eat like kings. I especially miss Boat Noodle.
ReplyDeleteIf you're talking about the Vietnamese resto on 5th (and I can't imagine which other one you might be talking about), then you should get their cellophane noodles (dry style). Delish!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation, Chabes...I will try it next time!
ReplyDelete