On a rainy night last week, Husband and I indulged in our favorite dark and stormy weather pastime - having a steamy bowl of pho. We decided to head to Pho Van, located in The Strip District, because of the look of the storefront {I know, we're superficial!}, the number of people inside {always a good indicator}, and the proximity to Lawrenceville. It WAS raining, after all!
While we usually start a meal with appetizers, this time we went straight for the main event. We shared two dishes: Pho Tai and vermicelli noodles with peanut chicken {Bun ga nuong} and a fresh summer/spring roll {instead of a fried one}.
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| Just what we wanted to foil the steamy goodness of beef pho. |
The noodle dish was super fresh and light. The dipping sauce/dressing was sweet and not at all spicy like I was expecting. The roll mimicked the dish itself, having noodles, lettuce and herbs inside. The chicken was a decent portion for the price, and was grilled well.
The pho 'side plate' came with the usual suspects, all fresh and crunchy.
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| Beef {Eye-of-Round} Pho |
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| As you swirl the meat in the piping hot broth, it finishes cooking. |
Despite the shiny surface, this bowl of pho was not too greasy at all. Husband said the pho was one of the best he's ever had. He appreciated the fact that it had plenty of beef, as so many phos can be packed with only noodles and broth.
Pho Van was priced well, with no surprises on our bill. {Total was less than $22.} It has definitely found a spot in our usual lineups, according to weather conditions.
Do you have a favorite rainy weather restaurant?
Have you been to Vietnam's Pho yet? We think they're the best, and they serve tendon which as scary as it sounds is really wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, daveg! No, I haven't been there yet, but it'll be added to the list! Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteI have had tendon at a pho house in San Francisco, and it was not my cup of tea. That means more for you, however! ;)