Updated 11-08-10. The first thing I do when served with a bowl of Vietnamese pho is to enjoy its fragrance steaming up out of the hot broth. The second thing I do is to take a sip of that broth to taste its goodness in its most unspoiled state. There are pho broths out there good enough for me not to have to enhance them with any sauces. Regardless of how good the broth is, though, I must have my squeeze of lime in my pho. To me the fresh tangy lemony flavor is an absolute must-have flavor in a bowl of pho bo, no exception. But this is where I have a problem with how lime and pho come together.

Take a look of the following pho photos gathered from around the Internet. You will find similar photos in many cookbooks and printed publications as well. What is common among these photos? Can you see a common no-no in all of them?

• Pho photo #1
• Pho photo #2
• Pho photo #3
• Pho photo #4
• Pho photo #5
• Pho photo #6
• Pho photo #7
• Pho photo #8
• Pho photo #9
• Pho photo #10
• Pho photo #11
• Pho photo #12
• Pho photo #13
• Pho photo #14
• Pho photo #15

Yes, it’s the piece of lime in the bowl, peel, sometime seeds and all!

OK it’s very simple:

1. You don’t want to cook the lime peel and seeds in the hot broth. Yuck!
2. Do I use my fingers to snatch out the piece of lime and squeeze it to get the lime juice? Double yuck!

This post is not about judging the validity of recipes, ideas, ingredients or viewpoints of pho writers and bloggers on the sites above. And I’m not poking fun at photographers taking liberty and creative license with their culinary works. I respect all of that. But this is all about accuracy of the presentation, and conveying the subject matter in the proper manner. If we want to share, educate and inform one another about Vietnamese Pho, then let’s do it right. Providing good, accurate presentation of what pho is, is a very big part of this sharing, educating and informing. Pho veterans will like it, and pho newbies will appreciate it. We as publishers have at least some responsibilities here, right?

The bottom line: creative photography or not, let’s serve the lime where it belongs: right on the side of the pho bowl.

Oh one more thing. Some of these photos show way too little amount of pho broth in the bowl. To properly serve a bowl of pho, you need to use plenty of broth to cook all ingredients within the bowl, and that means most everything must be submerged except for the garnishing for the finishing touch.

By the way, many pho zealots agree with me when it comes to the taste of lime in pho. Check this out, as of this writing, this LovingPho.com running poll indicates that lime is the top item to enhance your pho experience. If you haven’t done so, take the poll and share with us your preference.

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Want the Lime Taste in Your Pho? Don’t Serve It Like This is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Updated 11-01-09. Luong Son Quan (Bo Tung Xeo) is a great place to hang out with friends for dinner and lots of drinking. Sort of a beer garden, Vietnamese style. But it’s much more than that. On the menu are exotic dishes for “nhậu,” the Vietnamese term for eating and drinking, with emphasis on the drinking part. When men, (and some women) get together to “nhậu,” of course the liquids flow, but a very important part of the practice are the side dishes (snacks, but not entirely, if you will) to go together with the drinks. The foods are not meant to be meals to fill you up. Rather they serve to enhance the drinking and socializing experience.

Check out some of the items on the menu (last photo below, click to view hi res photo.) Sauteed eel with fresh milk. Stewed snake with lemon grass. Minced snake. Curried wild pork. Sauteed field rat with coconut. Sauteed pork stomach with green pepper. Grilled frog legs. Sauteed eel with banana. Sauteed helix with banana. Curried goat. On another menu board I also saw roasted rabbit – yummy bunny!

On top of everything (no pun intended,) there’s the movable ceiling/roof made of woven baskets! How cool is that? During our dinner, it started to trickle so in goes the roof. Afterward, when it stops raining, opening the roof provided great air circulation for a hot and humid Saigon night. Enjoy the photos.

Luong Son Quan (Bo Tung Xeo)
31 Ly Tu Trong St., District 1, Saigon
Telephone: (08) 8251330
(From Hai Ba Trung – Ly Tu trong crossroads, turn to one-way Ly Tu Trong st. This restaurant is on the right)

Table grilling at Luong Son Quan Bo Tung Xeo, Saigon

Moveable ceiling/roof at Luong Son Quan Bo Tung Xeo, Saigon

Opening ceiling/roof at Luong Son Quan Bo Tung Xeo, Saigon

Dining room and menu at Luong Son Quan Bo Tung Xeo, Saigon

Saigon’s Luong Son Quan – Bo Tung Xeo: Beer Garden Vietnamese Style is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Pho Ga With Side Chicken and Unlaid Eggs is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

A good bowl of Vietnamese Pho can always stand on its own merit. Pho itself is so good that for many, both the restaurant and home cooked varieties, there is no need for all the elaborate condiments and garnishes you’d get at a pho restaurant. However, Vietnamese dishes are meals typically served with lots of greens, herbs, vegetables and various other accompaniments such as dipping sauces, hot and spicy pastes, and flavor enhancements such as a squeeze of lime or lemon. Well Pho is no exception.

Garnishes for Pho is so important to the total pho experience that our rating system treats garnishes freshness and quantity as separate point earners. Here’s LovingPho.com’s rating system based on points on scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being best:

• Pho noodle: scale 1-5.
• Soup stock: scale 1-5.
• Meats: scale 1-5.
• Garnishes*: freshness, scale 1-5.
• Garnishes: extra points for fresh ngo gai (scale 1-5). The fresher and more in quantity, the higher the points!
• Price: scale -5 to +5 based on baseline of $5-$6 per bowl (California price) being 0 point. Lower than baseline price gets extra points, while higher prices can earn negative points!
• Extra points: scale 1-5 for general ambience of the location, including clean dining area, airy and light ambience, good reliable service, totally authentic Vietnamese ambience, etc.

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

So as you can see garnish can really take the total points up a notch or down a level. Garnishes have a strong impact on the total experience of enjoying a bowl of pho, and we’re serious about it. Here’s what I mean:

1. Expected garnishes. We consider bean sprouts, basil, lime or lemon, and freshly sliced chiles to be must have items, and only rate them on levels of freshness from 1 to 5. Of note is the chiles or peppers. Most U.S. pho places serve sliced Mexican jalapeño in place of the smaller hot pepper varieties in Vietnam, usually served whole (unsliced). This in our view is an acceptable arrangement, and places with authentic offerings will get more points.
2. We consider ngo gai (culantro) important enough to the total pho eating experience that it has its own rating. Many restaurants skipped ngo gai altogether and will get low or no points. In our view there is no excuse for not having it, and those offering lots of ngo gai will get points galore.

Now after all of this, there is an exception. When it comes to Phở Bắc, the northern style (Bắc means north) that came south with Northern refugees in the 1940′s, purity is heaven. If you’re having Pho Bac, then you’re not supposed to need any garnish. It’s good as is. As Andrea Nguyen wrote in her Viet World Kitchen article: “Even today, what many Americans identify as the requisite pho garnish plate is hard to find in Hanoi. For purists like my northern-born mom, only “pho bac” (northern pho) will do.” For Pho Bac, our rating system will have to be adjusted and applied properly.

If you’re going to garnish your pho, only culantro, basil, sprouts, with a touch of lemon/lime will do. I’m sure the combination of taste was not developed overnight, but I’m glad someone did it, and the rest of us went for it. In the end, from the texture of the noodle and meat pieces, to the taste and heat of the soup broth, to the fresh green garnishes, with a touch of lime and heat of chile pepper, and finally the sweet and spicy touch of hoisin sauce and red hot sauce, everything just comes together nicely.

So what do you prefer when it comes to garnishing your pho? Chances are unless the restaurant you’re in identifies itself as having Pho Bac or offering Pho Bac on the menu specifically, each and every pho place you eat at will be the regular southern variety with garnishes. Share your pho garnish experience with us.

The Importance of Garnishes for Pho is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

All-you-can-eat Pho? Well not quite, not here in the states anyway. I have not found a place for all-you-can-eat pho that will stay in business for more than a few weeks. There have been several attempts in Little Saigon area (Orange County, CA), but those places definitely didn’t do it right. These restaurants tried a few things, but in the end they suffered from low quality, less-than-appealing presentation and clientele, and bad food selection. Wow, talk about how not to operate a restaurant.

I continue to wish for an all-you-can-eat pho place.

I did have a great experience with all-you-can-eat pho in Vietnam, at Nha Hang Tan Son Nhat (Tan Son Nhat Restaurant), near the airport Tan Son Nhat in Saigon. The restaurant had a huge offerings of authentic regional Vietnamese delicacies, arranged into different food types at their own serving stations. Here are a couple of shots showing the pho station. Wow that was pho heaven! Just come up to the pho station, let the server know what you’d like (I think rare beef, well-done brisket and beef balls were available), and he prepares a steaming hot bowl of pho for you right on the spot. Then you take what you need from the abundant tray of  basil, culantro ngo gai, sprouts, etc. Yum! There were so many other great authentic Vietnamese dishes as well, and I did have some of those as well. But thank you very much, I’ll have another bowl of pho please.

My first pho bo of several.

Gotta have my ratings right? So here goes.

Jan 8, 2008

Pho tai, chin (beef: rare, well-done brisket).

• Pho noodle: (4/5)
• Soup stock: (4/5)
• Meats: (4/5)
• Garnishes*: freshness (5/5)
• Garnishes: extra points for fresh ngo gai (5/5) – ngo gai galore!
• Price: (5/5) all-you-can-eat, plus tons of other food dishes and free meal coupon!
• Extra points: (5/5) for clean dining area, airy and light ambience, good reliable service, totally authentic Vietnamese ambience.
• Total points: 32

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

So restaurateurs: want to open a great all-you-can-eat pho or, for that matter, Vietnamese restaurant that will last more than a few weeks or months? I’d fully support it. But you’ve got to learn from the Americans and Chinese on how to do all-you-can-eat the right way. Or visit Tan Son Nhat Restaurant in Saigon. For now, all-you-can-eat Pho in the states? I can continue to dream.

How about you, would you support all-you-can-eat pho? Do you have enough stomach (literally) for all-you-can-eat pho? Share your views with us and leave a comment below.

Sign in front of Restaurant Tan Son Nhat, Saigon. The 55,000 dong for adults works out to be roughly USD3.70 (early 2008 exchange rates). For kids, 44,000 dong or USD2.70. And we had a coupon for free meals, so this was the best pho deal ever.

Restaurant Tan Son Nhat All-You-Can-Eat Pho Station.

All You Can Eat Pho is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

I had lunch with Mason at Pho HoaCali Express in Mira Mesa the other day (1-28-09). Wednesdays at 1pm seem like good choice for our schedule. We had our usual fix: pho tai (rare beef) for Mason and pho tai chin sach (rare beef, well-done brisket, tripe) for me.

Express is a reliable pho place in North County San Diego for many years. Clean, airy, well lighted, and good service. There’s always a line during lunch times and on the weekends, so just write your name on the list and after a short wait, you’re in. On this day, even after 1pm, we waited 5 minutes. No big deal.

I think Pho HoaCali Express was one of the first pho restaurants that ventured north of the Kearny Mesa/Convoy area in the late 80′s. According to Pho HoaCali Express website, “In 1989, Pho HoaCali Express opened the first restaurant at University Avenue in San Diego CA. With the customers feedback that parking was a big hassle, we moved to the Mira Mesa blvd in San Diego’s location.” I think with all the Vietnamese professionals making better money and moving north of Kearny Mesa, Pho HoaCali Express made the correct decision to go north. Now they’re attracting a large clientele from the Filipino community as well.

It’s always good to catch up with Mason. We shared our experience on website design, web marketing, some photography, etc. It was great just to relax over a couple of bowls of pho. And since he’s getting ready to move to San Francisco, we were chatting about jobs and other opportunities in the Bay area as well.

Okay, here’s what I had and my ratings:

Jan 28, 2009

Pho tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe).

• Pho noodle: (4/5)
• Soup stock: (4/5)
• Meats: (4/5)
• Garnishes*: freshness (4/5)
• Garnishes: extra points for fresh ngo gai (2/5), a little more ngo gai would be nice.
• Price: Baseline ($5-6), no extra points or deductions.
• Extra points: 3 for clean dining area, airy and light ambience, good reliable service.
• Total points: 21

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

Pho HoaCali Express-Mira Mesa
9170 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Tel: (858) 271-8341
www.phohoacaliexpress.com

Mason with his pho tai. Don’t worry he looks confused but knows what he’s doing.

Me with my pho tai chin sach

People enjoying pho at Pho HoaCali Express

Pho HoaCali Express cash register: uncluttered, clean, simple and ready for serious pho business

Pho HoaCali Express in Mira Mesa: Lunch with My Buddy Mason is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Updated 2/3/09. Pho Hoa Pasteur holds a special place in my early teen heart and memory. Not just because of its hearty bowls of pho. No. Not the Pho Hoa Pasteur you’re thinking about. I’m talking about the original place in Saigon.

I don’t remember frequenting Pho Pasteur in Saigon all that much before leaving the country in 1975 - Pho Pasteur as I recall it, not Pho Hoa Pasteur. More importantly this place (and this street Pasteur) is special to me because I bicycled along this street everyday going to school in the early 70′s.

Located at 260C Pasteur, Pho Hoa Pasteur has changed quite a bit I’m sure, but I don’t remember exactly what it was like. When you’re in an environment for thousands of times, you tend to ignore it. But then I was always concentrating on getting to school on time. We take things for granted I guess. Any way when coming back in January 2008, I had to stop by and have a bowl of pho here. Afterward we went outside and I took this picture of the Pasteur Institute across the street. Pho Hoa Pasteur is the original place.

I’m postulating this is why many restaurants in the US (and I’m sure elsewhere outside of Vietnam as well) are named some variations of Pho Hoa Pasteur. The place was that well-known and popular.

For the hard-core (or the curious) fans who want to read more about Pho Hoa Pasteur, the Pasteur Institute across the street from it, and the history behind it, click over to read about “Street of Saigon: Pasteur“, courtesy of SaigonToday.net.

Here’s what I had and my ratings:

Jan 16, 2008

Pho tai, chin (beef: rare, well-done brisket), large size.

• Pho noodle: (4/5)
• Soup stock: (4/5)
• Meats: (4/5)
• Garnishes*: freshness (5/5)
• Garnishes: extra points for fresh ngo gai (5/5) – Ngo gai galore!
• Extra points: 3 for clean dining area, comfortable ambience, authentically friendly service.
• Total points: 26

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

Pho Hoa Pasteur, Saigon is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Dropped by Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa (San Diego suburb, CA)  the other evening for a bowl of pho tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe). What else would I order right? Anyway this was my third or fourth time… I’m not sure, but I enjoy coming back to eat.

Their slogan is “Real Pho, Real Fast, Real Service”. I like it because it’s true.

Let’s talk about Ca Dao. “Ca dao” are really Vietnamese folk songs or poems that are popular reminders of who the Vietnamese people are and where we came from. To borrow from honque.com, here is an explanation/description of ca dao:

The term ca dao (derived from a line in the Wei Wind section of the classic Chinese folk poetry anthology, Shih-Ching, or Books of Odes) can be loosely translated as “unaccompanied songs.” Ca: to sing; dao: to sing without music. The ca dao poems, transmitted orally, sustained and nourished the Vietnamese language through its centuries of domination and influence by China. Up until the beginning of the 19th century, the literate class–a distinct minority, preferred to compose their poems, with few exceptions, in Classical Chinese, which was inaccessible to the masses. A native script, Chu Nom, was first developed in the 13th century but never reached full flowering until the beginning of the 19th century, when Nguyen Du composed his masterpiece, the incomparable 3,254 lines poem, “Kim Van Kieu.” The story of a prostitute, it pilfered its plot line from an obscure 17th century Chinese novel of the same name.

Source: http://www.honque.com/HQ001/ld001a.htm

Additional discussion about ca dao can be found on Wikipedia. Needless to say, the 2 words Pho and ca dao have no real relationship. But Pho Ca Dao together as a name gives a very nice, homey feeling of a pleasant, safe, comfortable and cozy place to eat authentic Vietnamese pho. It would really be neat if ca dao are actually played in the restaurant. Maybe not constantly, but occasionally would be good.

But let’s get back to pho. It was early evening it was fairly empty when I came in, but did start to get crowded when I left. The pho was reliable, much above average, and always enjoyable. See my ratings below. After several visits I guess I can make a general call on clientele mix of Pho Ca Dao: about even 1/3 Vietnamese, 1/3 Filipinos, and 1/3 Caucasians. The Filipino connection is not a surprise as there are many Filipino families living in the Mira Mesa area.

Here’s what I had and my ratings:

Jan 22, 2009
Pho tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe) and Thai tea without boba.

• Pho noodle: (4/5)
• Soup stock: (4/5)
• Meats: (5/5)
• Garnishes*: freshness (4/5)
• Garnishes: extra points for fresh ngo gai (3/5)
• Extra points: 3 for clean dining area, comfortable ambience, authentically friendly service.
• Total points: 23

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

Some of my friends are not impressed with Pho Ca Dao, but I would recommend it.

Pho Ca Dao
8373 Mira Mesa Blvd
(between New Salem St & Reagan Rd)
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 564-0917
www.phocadao.net

Pho Ca Dao in Mira Mesa – Real Pho, Real Fast, Real Service is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

I drove by this place several times and I must admit Pho Vie II always looked crowded and popular. Situated on Westminster Avenue near the corner of Brookhurst (southeast side), it has plenty of competition within walking distance but still manages a decent crowd of followers. On this trip to Little Saigon I decided to go in for a large bowl of pho bo of tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe).

“Vie” means “Life” in French, and I believe the people at Pho Vie II truly believe in a fully enjoyable and immersive life of pho, because their pho is very good and the service is friendly. You can read a few Pho Vie II reviews on Yelp.com. They run 50% off on pho ga (chicken) but personally I don’t think that’s the reason for the crowd. I think it’s because the pho in general is very good – tasty soup stock, fresh ingredients, perfect al dente-like noodle, and fresh Thai basil, ngo gai (culantro) and sprouts.

Here’s what I had and my rating:

Jan 11, 2009
Pho tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe) with vinegared-onion on the side.

• Pho noodle: (5/5)
• Soup stock: (4/5)
• Meats: (4/5)
• Garnishes*: freshness (4/5)
• Garnishes: extra point for fresh ngo gai (4/5)
• Extra points: 2 for interesting restaurant look/dining room area.
• Total points: 23

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

If you’re in the area give Pho Vie II a go. If you’re lucky there won’t be a long line.

Pho Vie II
10120 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 539-5224

View Larger Map

Pho Vie II in Garden Grove: Great Tasting Pho is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Well Toronto Canada beats everybody else on the quantity front. The biggest bowl of pho bo I ever had was in Toronto while visiting my sister-in-law in September 2006. It was a small, cozy and clean place in a local strip mall a few blocks from her home.

I’ve had “train-size” and even “aircraft carrier size” pho before but this was the king. I’m still wondering where they found the bowl that size! I always order pho bo tai, chin, sach option and this occasion was no exception. Anyway the quality was acceptable, just average, but the quantity was top notch. I’ll apply our rating system when available. Enjoy the photo.

Kiem Bo Vietnamese Restaurant‎
3685 Keele Street
North York, ON M3J 3H6, Canada
(416) 635-9317

Biggest Bowl of Pho I Ever Had: North York, Toronto is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles