Pho, I don't get it....

Ok, I have been hearing all this talk about Pho and I have been dying to try it. I am a soup lover and I read the recipes and the lengthy cooking process and it sounds right up my alley. However, I have tried it twice and now I am a little gunshy.

First off the places I tried it would not be considered likely places to have good Pho. However, because I did try it twice and not once, perhaps it is just not for me??

First, I tried it in Las Vegas. Treasure Island has a little coffee shop that is called Pho. They serve various Vietnamese items including the self-titled Pho. It was ok but it didnt taste much different from regular beef broth with some fixings to add in. The meat was kind of dry and gray in the soup. It was just ok.

Then I tried it last week at Bangkok Garden in Green Bay. The broth was super super Star Anise tasting and that was not to my liking. Again the meat was kind of gray looking. It just didnt taste like anything special.

Should I give it another try or is it maybe not for me???

On another note, the Mirage has a Carnegie Deli and I tried the Chicken Matzo Ball soup they had. I now know what heavenly chickeny chicken broth is supposed to taste like. Highly recommended although very pricey.

I get it...but I have to ask, how are we supposed to know if you should try it again or if it isn't for you?

Is there a good reason not to try it again?

Check out MJN's review of local pho joints in the most recent TimeOut Chicago:

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles ... /71180/pho

Interestingly, many of the places do not seem to serve pho that is fully pleasurable.

David Hammond wrote:Check out MJN's review of local pho joints in the most recent TimeOut Chicago:

Good idea, also check out posts on LTHForum GNR winner Tank Noodle and highly regarded Pho Xua. Not to mention the abundance of non Green Bay, Wis pho places available in Chicago.

My suggestion, go to either Tank or Pho Xua order Pho with sliced beef (Pho Tai), add, from the platter that will accompany the pho, a few bean sprouts, basil leaves and squirt of lime. Sip soup, slurp noodles, dunk tender beef slices in a mix of hosin/Sriracha and enjoy.

Regards,
Gary

Tank Noodle
4953 N. Broadway St
Chicago, IL
773-878-2253

Pho Xua
1020 W Argyle
Chicago, IL
773-271-9828

Maybe it's just not for you . . . kind of like cilantro, rosemary, etc. for some people . . . who knows. But before you make that decision, try it at a place that is known for it. And I will also add that the flavor of the star anise should subtly complement the broth, and not overpower it . . . a big difference.

Maybe it's just pho from a Las Vegas hotel or Green Bay that's not for you

Pho's one of those things where the beauty isn't apparent unless it's done really well, and it's easy to turn into dishwater (which, frankly, is what most places serve). Make sure you're getting it from a place that's known for it before deciding it's not for you. I can't speak to Green Bay's Vietnamese scene, but a Vegas casino is one of the last places I'd expect to find good pho.

The two mentioned above are both good bets. I think Pho Xua is probably the safer of the two, and if you do Tank I'd do it as a lunch... I love the place, but the quality of some dishes (pho included) has been known to drop sharply as you get into the evening hours.

I live in Wisconsin and the last place I would order Pho is Green Bay!
You have to go to Argyle Street in Chicago which is a liitle more than an hour from Racine, to get good Pho. Good luck!-Dick

Maybe you're just pho-bic.

I tried pho a couple of times, and while I saw the appeal of dumping a bunch of fresh aromatics into soup, I didn't get it either - until the recent lunch at Ben Tre Cafe, where the broth itself was interesting - beefy with a lightly sweet edge, slight hint of anise. (My other attempts at Pho were not at the abovementioned restaurants) The meat is poached in the broth, so it isn't going to have any kind of a char - but I particularly enjoyed the offal-y bits and meatballs we had in our Pho that day, I thought they worked especially well in soup.