Le's Pho [Was - Pho Hoa]

Wednesday afternoon. I want pho. Tank is closed on Wednesdays. I can't bring myself to go back to 777 yet despite uphill alert (seeing as I was the one who posted about the bad meal there in the first place). Heading down Broadway, I scan for the most crowded restaurant on the strip, and end up at Pho Hoa.

But Pho Hoa's a chain*, you say. Thoroughly undistinguished, you say.

What followed was quite a surprise. I ordered #8, Phở Toi, Nạm, Gầu. The broth was as flavorful as anything I've had on Argyle to date, the meats were fresh and not overcooked (as is too often the problem with mediocre pho), and the accompaniments were fresh. I'll probably be back for pho, although for anything more complicated (Pho Hoa's menu is extremely limited) Tank is the best choice.

moderator edit
Le's Pho (was Pho Hoa)
4925 N Broadway St # G,
Chicago, IL
773-784-8723

*I think there's quite a lot of franchisee autonomy for Pho Hoa owners. Some locations serve a full menu, this one has pho only. Indeed, if it weren't for the pattern on the bowls and the snazzy menu graphics, the place looks like any other little Vietnamese place on Argyle.

Also: is the Wentworth location still open? ANY pho on the South Side would be a godsend...

I posted this earlier in the wrong category. Sorry!

Helen and I have been eating at 777 and Tank for beef noodle soup. Today we decided to try a different place. Prior to doing our grocery shopping at Tai Nam (on Broadway 1/2 block south of Argyle), we decided to stop next door at Pho Hoa: 4925 North Broadway.

This place has a very limited menu; mostly noodle soup. We ordered two large noodle soup with flank steak and tendon. At this place, large order means more beef and noodles. (At 777 and Tank, large seems to mean more soup). I also like the soup, which is not as sweet as 777 and Tank (less sugar). The only disappointment is that we did not find spring roll and egg roll on the menu.

Would like to hear feed back from anyone that has tried this place.

Pho Hoa is my go to place when I'm in the mood for a bowl. Some places are skimpy with the meats or table salad. This is never the case at Pho Hoa. Some places seem to be using pre/prepared noodles but these folks seem to get it right.

I'm not saying that it's the perfect bowl...but they're pretty consistent.

My usual is a large bowl with tripe, tendon, and fatty brisket.

Felix,

I've been to Pho Hoa a number of times, though not for a while so, after reading your post, and Evil's response, I met the Evil One, Steve Z and m'th'su at Pho Hoa for lunch. Pretty much as described, broth was good, though not complex, but, as Evil mentioned, noodles were excellent and the meat to bowl ratio was quite good.

Pho at Pho Hoa


m'th'su, being a take no prisoners kind of guy, has been experimenting with chocolate covered bacon, which he brought to lunch. We all immediately turned into Homer Simpson, hummmmmmm... Chocolate Covered Bacon.

m'th'su's chocolate covered bacon



As if our lunch wasn't rich enough, given the chocolate covered bacon, we asked for a bit of rendered fat with scallion (Nuoc Beo Hanh Tran) which Erik M recommended as an accompaniment to pho in a past Tank Noodle post. We were given, what seemed, a disproportionately large amount, a little goes a very long way.

Nuoc Beo Hanh Tran


Pho Hoa isn't going to replace my Argyle favorites of Bun Bo Hue at Dong Thanh or pho at Tank Noodle, but it's a very nice change of pace.

Enjoy,
Gary

Pho Hoa
4925 N Broadway St # G,
Chicago, IL 60640
773-784-8723

Dong Thanh
4925 N Broadway #B
Chicago, IL 60640
773-275-4928

Pho Xe Tank Restaurant
4953 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-878-2253

How does one incorporate the rendered fat and scallions into the pho meal? I'm very intrigued. Also did you ask for it in English or by its Vietnamese name?

viaChgo wrote:How does one incorporate the rendered fat and scallions into the pho meal? I'm very intrigued. Also did you ask for it in English or by its Vietnamese name?

ViaChgo,

Simply drizzle, to taste, directly in to pho. At Pho Hoa I asked for it in English, which our waiter spoke.

If I wanted to be certain of getting Nuoc Beo Hanh Tran with my meal I would write it down and bring with me to show the waiter. In my case simply pronouncing Nuoc Beo Hanh Tran would only serve to confuse. I am known for my embarrassingly horrid pronunciation in any language, aside from English, and even then.............

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks Gary! I can't wait to give this a try next time I have pho!

LTH,

Stephen Dunne of the Paramount Room was waxing poetic about pho, specifically pho with a raw egg option at Le's Pho. Tripe, creamy soft cartilage, fatty brisket, all the tasyt nasty bits run through creamy rich yolk, hard to resist, so I didn't.

A15 Special Pho w/egg in broth option



Runny yolk with pho is inspired, an option I will be exercising often, but Le's Pho was off that lunch, broth was thin with little of the fragrant aroma I associate with pho and the mixture of meats would have benefited from a few additional hours of simmering. Not bad pho, but not quite as exuberant as I was expecting.

Spring rolls suffered the same chewy fate, rice paper wrapper having the rubbery texture of made well in advance. Good overall flavor though.

Spring Rolls



Things perked up considerably with Bo Tai Chanh (rare beef salad), tender beef, fresh fragrant herbs bright balanced flavor.

Bo Tai Chanh (rare beef salad)



Mhays, I had the pleasure of Jazzfood and Mhays company, picked a winner, Banh Cuon Tay Ho (A15), delicate stuffed rice crepes buried under a mound of bean sprouts, herbs served with a mung bean shrimp cake and a couple of mystery Vietnamese sausages. The soft textured crepes particularly delicious.

A15 Banh Cuon Tay Ho (Stuff steamed rice crepes w/deep fried shrimp cake stuffed with mung beans. Topped shrimp and house sauce)



Service was terrific, Dunne's egg option a winner, even the veg plate accompanying the pho was top notch and included culantro, just the pho was a not quite up to speed that particular day.

Pho veg and herb plate



I should note Le's Pho is the former Pho Hoa, same owners they dropped the franchise and Le's Pho now has a full menu as opposed to simply pho.

Enjoy,
Gary

Le's Pho (was Pho Hoa)
4925 N Broadway St # G,
Chicago, IL
773-784-8723

They make a very good marinated duck leg soup here, which I actually prefer to the pho. Grilled shortribs are also a solid choice at Le's.

Thanks, G! Pho Hoa was where I'd had Pho for the first time, years ago - and it was about what I'd remembered (I wonder if it's better at dinnertime, after the broth's been going for a while.) While I love egg yolks as much as the next guy, IMO the dish needed some textural contrasts so the silkiness and relative blandness of the yolk could stand out. It was worth ordering just to see how it worked, though - you get a separate little bowl of broth with a raw egg yolk in it, when you dip noodles or meat through this, the fatty yolk clings and the broth drains away, and your mouthful is coated with silky egginess. I do like the generous serving of greens and herbs here - this was my first taste of culantro, I'm definitely going to add it to the garden this year if I can find seeds. If you've never had it, think cilantro-flavored romaine.

I also loved the rare (raw? was it cooked at all?) beef salad, tender and chewy with nice crunchy bits of peanut and pork candy for contrast. The shrimp cake makes me hopeful that I can translate a Banh Xeo batter into something that I can actually make - it was sort of like a delicious shrimpy Vietnamese hush puppy. I also liked the tender little dumplings that were tucked underneath the pile of greens, and the electric-pink meat cake that was seasoned with some kind of sharp root vegetable (beet? radish?) was worth trying, if not something I'd order on its own. And, to Le's Pho's credit - I was steered towards my choice by our waiter, who pointed out when I went for A15 (just shrimp cakes,) that I'd probably be happier with A16.

All in all, it was a very nice lunch, and the company was equally pleasant in spite of their respective pottymouths.