Pho Xua

This a charming relatively new Chinese/Vietnamese spot near the east end of the Argyle strip that has been serving some really exceptional food. I've been there several times with groups of varying size and have been steadily building a list of favorite dishes, which seems to grow with each visit. Salads have been particularly good, with the recently added Kohlrabi salad a prime example of the kitchens delicate and inventive touch with these dishes.Chilled and finely julienned kohlrabi, bean sprouts, basil ,cilantro, slivered pork belly and precisely divided small shrimp shimmer in a light lime based dressing summing to one of the best salads I've had anywhere. Squid and beef salads (offered in two versions, with either tamarind or lime dressing) rank with the best around. Appetizers including house made beef sausage wrapped in betel leaf and then grilled, grilled pork meatballs, and the mundane sounding (but not tasting) beef skewers are good enough that it's hard to pass them up to try something new.

Soups have been uniformly outstanding as well. Particular favorites include "Vietnamese tamarind soup", with a sweet/sour broth studded with okra and two other celery like vegetables (?fennel may be one, the other I haven't encountered) is so good that it's easy to forgive the pieces of less than perfect tomatoes. Fried duck noodle soup, and their version of hot and sour soup (more like Tom Yum) are also very good. Pho is a specialty (as the name suggests) and it's a respectable version indeed, offering a broth somewhat lighter than Tank, but still complex enough to enjoy almost without hoisin at all. They also use a slightly broader and more toothsome (in the non sexual sense) noodle than usual, which I find quite appealing. Still, I like other soups there a bit more (but freely admit to not being a pho maven).

Among entrées, I can never pass up the crispy fried snapper with fish sauce. Now, this is a ubiquitous dish which I often do pass up having had many sub par versions over the years. Don't make that mistake here, because they really do a great job with this preparation. The fish has always been perfectly cooked, crunchy- crispy outside and moist inside. I haven't found this done better anyplace else on the street. Also good are braised pork and catfish and marinated pork loin. House versions of Chinese staples like salt and pepper squid, stir fried clams (with either black beans and garlic or ginger and onion) and shrimp with walnuts get a lighter than usual treatment and are excellent as well.

The interior is also nicer than most others in the area. Bright and cheery, with a pleasant tangerine color scheme and comfortable chairs, it's a very nice spot to go with a group for dinner.

Not all is perfect. They use fake crab in some (noodle ) dishes, and some stir fried dishes rely too much on green bell pepper for my taste but overall I find this spot my current favorite in the area. Like TAC Quick, Double Li and
others, this is a place where after dinner I find myself marveling at the almost artful quality of some dishes, and over how they can provide food like this for such modest prices.

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

Picture of Deep Fried Red Snapper on the left-hand side. Dinner for 4 includes from top going clockwise: black pepper beef, cai lan stir fried with oyster sauce, shrimp and pork in caramel sauce, chicken with onions and bell peppers. At the center is the Catfish tamarind soup.

Pho is just average. The strengths of Pho Xua are the family style dishes.

The co-owner of this place used to be the chef at nearby Hai Yen restaurant. He opens Pho Xua with his brother(s) and other family members.

I agree, the food here is very good. The Vietnamese omelettes are good and most of the salads. Though I do believe the Pho here is very weak and watery compared to the other options available at Tank, Hai Yen, etc...

That being said, I loved the Fried Duck Noodle, very strong ducky broth and a fat fried duck leg to boot.

I noted how delicious the ba la lot was in the "Best Thing You've Eaten" thread, but I figure I should add to the meager commentary on Pho Xua thus far. Actually, this is more of a plea for more than an addition: the restaurant's menu is gi-normous, and even 4-5 follow-up visits won't get you any closer to any sort of holistic understanding of the place--well, maybe. Can 'we'--someone else, mostly--do one of those "essentials" posts the way one was done for Ed's? If not here than Tank or Cafe Hoang or...well, maybe dishes culled and compiled from across Argyle?

I did realize Sunday why I appreciate and somewhat envy the Erik M type who is willing, in spite of the culinary riches available locally, to deconstruct and disseminate a single cuisine: I've always wanted to try everything on one menu, darnit. That's dedication.

Anyway, far too many restrictions for my first meal here, especially in context: my girlfriend is allergic to seafood and loathes eating Chinese food (she's Taiwanese and gets enough of it at home; I go to Sun Wah solo), meaning our menu choices were limited in a restaurant that clearly specializes in seafood preparations (there were two pages dedicated just to whole fish preparations) and has a slight Mandarin bent. Bo La Lot was excellent, and I'd recommend it to first-timers; Kuhdo named some other appetizers, though I thought it was the least appealing part of the menu. The kitchen had no fresh kohlrabi so I went with the lotus stem salad--typical of the Vietnamese salad oeuvre but not all that exceptional. We also split lemongrass beef, which came with the usual accoutrements--lettuce, those translucent moo-shu wrappers you douse in water, etc.--which was perfect for what it was.

I'd say the weakest thing was my gf's smoothie with tapoica pearls, but a surer hand could fix that. They had some interesting flavors; she chose pineapple.

Again, I'd love an Argyle cheat sheet if others would be willing to help me create one....

We had an excellent dinner at Pho Xua on Friday. Reasonably priced and full of surprises, I was one happy camper. I was the first to arrive and the waitstaff was very attentive without hovering over me. I broke down and ordered the sugar cane shrimp because I was too hungry. 5 minutes later my party arrived!


Sugar Cane Shrimp is one of my weaknesses. This rendition was perfect. Bouncing shrimp paste nicely grilled around a sweet sugar cane. Served with a salt and pepper mixture. This was so good, we ordered more for everyone.


Kohlrabi Salad was perfect! Tangy, crunchy, slightly sweet and sour, very refreshing. The shrimp and pork belly provided a good textural contrast with their "springyness"...


Beef wrapped in betel leaves were perfectly grilled. Ground beef, wrapped in the leaves and grilled, served with wrapping greens and fish sauce. Eaten on it's own, the rolls were slightly greasy. But wrapped in a lettuce leaf and dunked in the fish sauce, it was beyond good.


Grilled pork skewers was forgettable. Especially if you compared them with the moo ping at TAC. A little on the sweet side, it was average IMHO. Also served with wrapping greens and fish sauce.



Crispy fried snapper with fish sauce was... crispy. The fish sauce helped soften the fish a little without making it soggy.


Vietnamese Crepe was ok. I've had better renditions elsewhere. Crispy shell, bean sprouts in the middle... Meh...


Tamarind Soup with Shrimp was another highlight. Slightly sour, chock full of vegetables and shrimp. We had ordered a fish dish, so we opted for the shrimp in this soup. Chinese squash, okra chunks, tomatoes and pineapple added some texture to a great soup.

Overall a great dinner with some highlights (kohlrabi, soup, beef in betel leaves, sugar cane shrimp). The total damage was $120 (includes tip) for 5 people. I will definitely be back to explore more of the menu

kuhdo wrote:Salads have been particularly good, with the recently added Kohlrabi salad a prime example of the kitchens delicate and inventive touch with these dishes.Chilled and finely julienned kohlrabi, bean sprouts, basil ,cilantro, slivered pork belly and precisely divided small shrimp shimmer in a light lime based dressing summing to one of the best salads I've had anywhere.

Pho Xua



Been to Pho Xua a few time now, agree on Kohlrabi Salad, intricately designed, light, flavorful, right up there with my other favorite Vietnamese salad, Goi Ga (chicken salad) at Cafe Hoang, runner up Goi Ga, Hoanh Long.

Pho Xua Kohlrabi Salad



Soups, both Fried Duck Noodle Soup and Bun Bo Hue are good though there are better versions, at least to my taste, available, Bun Bo Hue at Dong Ky and Fried Duck Soup at Tank.

Pho Xua Fried Duck Noodle Soup



Pho Xua Bun Bo Hue



Spring rolls, Banh Xeo fall in the same category, well within range, but nothing I'd running back for. However a truly stellar offering, trumping even Kohlrabi Salad, is Bo La Lot. Seasoned ground beef wrapped in La Lot (Betel) leaf and given a turn on the grill. Fragrant, moist, hints of fish sauce and lemongrass, easily the best version I've encountered.

Pho Xua Bo La Lot





Pho Xua



Enjoy,
Gary

Cafe Hoang
1010 W. Argyle
Chicago, IL 60640
773-878-9943

Hoanh Long
6144 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 583-7770

Dong Ky
4877 N. Broadway
773-989-5579
Chicago, IL

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

This has been my current fave of Argyle ever since the new year when my inlaws hosted a new years brunch there. The food was fresh and interesting (they have a mango & beef dish that was delicious and a new fruit/meat combo for me) and the space was colorful and much more spacious than the storefront would have you believe.

I especially liked the group menus as they were generous and offered a nice variety of dishes... which they would gladly substitute if you ask.

Agree Bo la Lot are fantastic.Eight of us went through four orders this Sunday (and wanted more but too much other food was already on the way). These are my favorite first course on the street at present. Grilled pork meatballs are also excellent here, as is the tamarind soup.

Hi,

Pho Xua open on Thursday? I just called, but nobody answered.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Pho Xua open on Thursday? I just called, but nobody answered.

Regards,

The web site says they're closed on Thursday.
http://www.phoxuarestaurant.com/

Over the past few months, I've taken quite a liking to Pho Xua. The staff is friendly, the food is good, and it's never jammed full like some places along Argyle.

Last night I had a great meal, continuing to explore more of the menu.

(click for larger images at Flickr)

Bo La Lot

Based on the thread above, I tried these on my first visit and can't seem to shake the habit. Hot, moist, grilled beef wrapped up with lettuce, fresh herbs, and a little chili sauce, dipped in nuoc cham - good stuff.

Chạo tôm - Grilled shrimp on sugar cane

Unfortunately these weren't fully heated through, but my companion and I were so hungry that we scarfed them down anyway.

Bo Kho - beef stew

This was my first time with Bo Kho (which I think is traditionally a breakfast food). Vietnamese beef stew with five spice, ginger, garlic - rich, satisfying food.

Com Suon Bi Cha - Grilled pork chop

Great execution - the pork chop was charred nicely, but still tender. The broken rice was sticky and just right.

Not shown was Ca Kho To (catfish braised in caramel sauce) - quite good, though caramel-sauce based dishes are always a bit too sweet for me. This was good with a healthy dose of Pho Xua's really delicious table chili/garlic sauce.

-Dan

Inspired by Dan's post, RAB and I went to Pho Xua for dinner a few nights ago. What impressed me most about our visit is how fresh the ingredients are, particularly the plates of greens.

We started with the fried spring rolls, the only miss of the night. They were clearly fried twice, and thus too greasy for our tastes. Further, they were served with a sweet sauce rather than nuoc cham. I would've preferred the nuoc cham and it was a mistake not to request any.

Next, we had the bo la lat, a huge portion for $4. Just as Dan describes.

We followed that with the lotus root salad. RAB and I are suckers for lotus root salad. Pho Xua's version was solid. So many times the pork is an afterthought. I really enjoyed the pork in this salad and we both thought that the shrimp were fresh.

Our last dish was the roll-your-own grilled pork rolls (I think #340 on the menu). Tender, nicely charred pork, with a massive pile of fresh greens. For me, this dish is a ton of fun and one that we frequently order. Soak your rice paper disk, pile with rice noodles, pork, various greens, sambal, etc. Carefully fold, dip in nuoc cham, and enjoy. Good stuff.

RAB and I have only visited a handful of Vietnamese restaurants in Chicago, mostly because we haven't been pleased. Pho Xua was great, though, and will surely become the first sit down Vietnamese restaurant in Chicago that we'll eat at a second time.

Ronna

We were supposed to go to Pho Xua last night for dinner, just didnt make it happen, ate(drank) too much elsewhere. So we decided to make the 160 mile round trip trek into Chicago again today. Pho Xua won out over Tank, and Hai Yen as our choice for Vietnamese. We wanted to try somewhere new so Tank and Cafe Hoang were out, and Hai Yen with their $1 per bottle BYOB charge for beer as well as alot of average reviews made us choose Pho Xua.

Pho Xua is a rather large space with a roomy interior, alot less hectic than Tank. There was a large party going on in the back section, but it was enjoyable, quiet lunch. Great service, and reall good food. Some things really shined, but all dishes were good. We didnt do bad as far as sampling quite a few items for a party of 2 adults, and one toddler.

Started with the grilled shrimp with sugarcane. Really nice, and one of my favorites, served with a salt and pepper mixture and a lime. Simple and tasty. I reserved the salt and pepper mix for other dishes later on.




Next up was the spring rolls with shrimp and pork. A decent version, lots of shrimp, could use something more flavor wise, but a good version. I really liked the dipping sauce they served with this.



My wife is a big fan of chicken wings, and these crispy ones sounded good. Not bad, certainly crispy, but they could have used some more flavor. The reserved salt and pepper mix from the sugar cane shrimp came in handy for that.



Papaya shrimp, pork salad, one of my favorite dishes of the meal, crisp texture, fresh taste, lots of pork and chicken, topped with deep fried onion crumbles. I really liked this version.



My daughter(ok and me) really likes fried rice. This was a good version, a bit heavier oil wise than some recent ones @ other Chinese and Thai places. Lots of beef, nice flavor.



This was another favorite, marinated grilled pork, over rice vermicelli and an eggroll. Pork was well cooked, and I really enjoyed the flavor from the marinade. Served with a plate of crispy veggies as well. Lots of flavor, really good.





The last dish was a deep fried red snapper. Simple preperation, really let the taste of the perfectly cooked, moist fish flesh shine through. Glad we went this route vs another dungeness crab, or lobster which were tempting.



Overall, alot of food for 3 people for $50, some leftovers were taken home. I wont say Pho Xua is better than the other Vietnamese places I have been to, I want to go back and try more things, but I also feel the same way about Tank, and Cafe Hoang. I will say the papaya salad, the grilled shrimp on the sugar cane, and the marinated grilled pork were some really good versions, also the realxed friendly atmosphere and friendly service of Pho Xua makes me more likely to return there.

Hi,

I've had Pho Xua's spring rolls twice with the same conclusion they are flavorless. They are too big with too much noodle diluting the taste of the other ingredients.

I brought a party of 12-13 over after a Culinary Historians meeting recently. They were not too busy and parking was a breeze. You rarely can get rockstar parking at Tank. Argyle at Sheridan Road is not as congested.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:I've had their spring rolls twice with the same conclusion they are flavorless. They are too big with too much noodle diluting the taste of the other ingredients.

Go across the street to Pho Xe Lua for their spring rolls. It may take a little while longer, but they are the best spring rolls I have had in Chicago! Freshly made and sometimes the pork is still warm!




Pho Xe Lua
1021 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-275-7512

CrazyC,

I knew there was a place near there you loved. You were away when I was standing there on Argyle hoping to channel you for information. My psychic powers stink, thus I was waiting for you to return to advise.

Thanks!

Regards,

Last month I ate at Pho Xua with some family from out of town. We especially enjoyed the kohlrabi salad and bo la lot (pictured above). But my favorite was the Cha Ca Thang Lang (fish with turmeric and dill a classic dish from Hanoi) served on a sizzling cast iron plate with salad accompaniments and a sesame rice cracker sheet. The cracker didn't add much for me but I really enjoyed this dish.

LTH,

Attended a party at Pho Xua Saturday late afternoon, 20-people. What impressed me most was the service, subtle/stellar, and the amount of personal space we had. I have been to countless parties in both Chinatown and Argyle over the years from 8-people to over 100 at each and every event, regardless of physical size of the restaurant, we are crowded together like sardines in a tin.

We had a range of dishes designed to please both food centric and the "is that a mango!" type. Pho Xua may have the best bo la lot on the street and crunchy papaya salad with tender shrimp, fish sauce funk and bright with lime is a favorite . Fried rice is of the minimal soyu style, my preference, beef and slightly under ripe mango stir-fry is going into my order lineup. Fried spring rolls, slightly greasy but tasty if eaten Vietnamese style wrapped in lettuce leaves with herbs and a number of somewhat forgettable Chinese style dishes rounded out our menu.

Pho Xua set up side tables, one for gifts and one for booze, and their relaxed welcoming, in a very restrained fashion, seemed to indicate we were welcome to stay as long as we wished. Pho Xua should be a serious contender on peoples Argyle/Chinatown group event lineup.

Though it was not ordered for the party I'd venture Pho Xua is the current front runner in the Bun Bo Hue Argyle street race.

Pho Xua





Enjoy,
Gary

I thought the bo la lot(beef wrapped in betel leaf) was really good, the roll wrapped in lettuce with some daikon(i believe), carrot, cucumber, and sliced hot red peppers and then dipped in the nuoc mam cham was just popping with layers of flavor and textures. . A new dish for me, but now an item I will order every time.

I also enjoyed the papaya, pork and shrimp salad, the mango beef(was supposed to be pork but this dish worked), the stir fried pea sprouts with garlic, and the crispy marinated chicken wings.

salt and pepper shrimp were ok.

A big miss for me was the beef and chinese broccoli rice noodle.

Looking back I should have 86'd the beef and chinese broccoli rice noodle dishes, and the chinese broccoli & chicken dishes and gone with a whole red snapper I have enjoyed before, and a couple orders of black bean clams.

Overall a very nice meal, and the event went off without a hitch with the hard work of the staff of Pho XUa.

G Wiv wrote:LTH,
Though it was not ordered for the party I'd venture Pho Xua is the current front runner in the Bun Bo Hue Argyle street race.

Hard to imagine anyone making a better bowl of Bun Bo Hue than the venerable Cafe Hoang next door, but I'll have to give this place a shot.

mango beef mentioned upthread:




bo la lot:



Goi Du Du:



Gia Dau Hoa Lan Xao Toi:

Unfortunately, Pho Xua has closed. There's now a Chinese restaurant in the space, which I haven't yet checked out (decided to go elsewhere for Vietnamese food).

-Dan