I've visited three different Pho places recently, and I'll be talking on CBC radio's drive home show about those places on Friday at roughly 4:40 p.m.
Pho, in case you don't know, is Vietnamese noodle soup. There are Pho places all over the city, and even one chain (Pho Hoa, with four locations in Edmonton). The soup itself is fairly simply, generally made with a flavourful charred onion and beef-based broth, and thin slices of various beef cuts - from ordinary sirloin, to cuts most people don't each much, such as tendon, flank and even tripe (stomach). Pho is seasoned with distinctive spices such as star anise, fennel, and cardamom.
The fun thing about Pho, though, is the condiments. It's served with hot sauce, Thai basil, bean sprouts and lemon or lime wedges. Some say that Pho is influenced not only by French cuisine (remember that France once occupied Vietnam) in terms of its use of beef, but also by Chinese food culture. The latter theory is rooted in the fact that Chinese cuisine is big on balance of flavours (bitter, salty, sweet, sour and spicy) and that the Pho condiments give an opportunity for people to please, and balance, their own palates to their own taste.
I tried three places for Pho in my wanderings. One was Phobulous (8701-109th Street) in the Garneau area. This is a popular spot for students and is a bit more upscale than the other Pho places I tried. It also had a broad-based, Vietnamese food menu with lots of options for things to eat if you don't want Pho. I enjoyed the Pho beef broth, which was strongly flavoured with star anise (I love star anise).
The second place was Pho Tau Bay at 10660-98th Street. It was casual in the extreme, a good place to grab something quick. It closes from Monday to Thursday at 6:30 p.m., so make sure and leave yourself time. The menu here was almost entirely Pho based, and the service was speedy and efficient. The hot sauce was...hot, and delicious.
The third spot was Ninh Kieu, located just down the street from Pho Tau Bay at 10708-98th Street. Again, the menu featured lots of other Asian foods and (Pho aside), I loved their green onion cakes. By the time I went to Ninh Kieu, I had the condiments down pat, and really enjoyed mixing my soup with lots of sprouts and lemon for extra crunch and tang.
Pho is filling, and inexpensive, with all the places I tried offering big bowls for less than $10.
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