We've been eating a lot of Subway lately. Because it's fresh, filling, yummy, not too pricey, easy, and across the street. Mostly for dinner, but yesterday we shook things up a bit and had it for lunch instead. I've just been at a loss to even think up what kind of eat-out cuisine we want to choose and too tired to go get anything else or take three small boys to a busy city restaurant.
And then today, like some kind of epiphany, I remembered something I've pined for in Ukraine and absolutely can't get. Besides Mexican food (which I'm still looking for), I want Pho more than anything I can think of. Tonight, we found Pho. In our part of London. Pho. Vietnamese soupy goodness.
The online info said it is a fairly new phenom here, which I think is funny because in Northern Virginia, there is a pho place around almost every corner, usually called Pho75 or Pho70 or Pho89 - depending on the year the proprietors came to America. They are little holes in the wall usually and specialize in just pho, but one bowl of pho is all a person needs to be happy for a long time.
Anyway, the pho of London is marketed as chi-chi Vietnamese "street food" and has a little more sleek facade to go with it and a slightly higher price tag, but tonight it took me to heaven. It has slightly thicker sliced meat and they use wide rice noodles instead of the the vermicelli type ones that I love, but the hoisin sauce! the chili sauce! the Thai basil! the cinnamony, anisey, beefy good broth.
All those months of trying to find the things to make pho at home in Kiev were just erased. It did occur to me, however, that a pho place would make a killing in Kiev. Soup is a vital component of every menu and Ukrainians think it's positively scandalous (not to mention very bad for your digestive health) if you don't have soup as part of every decent meal. So an exclusively soup restaurant with hearty meat and broth and add-in herbs? I think it would really work.
Except that I don't think Ukraine is high on the list of "places to immigrate" for the average Vietnamese restaurateur. Bummer.
But anyway, I think we'll be alternating sandwiches with pho for dinner from here on out. Dreams do come true.
7.23.2009
Heaven in a Big Bowl
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Is "pho" pronounced the same way "faux" is as "fo" If it is, someone may think that fake soupis being sold. Who would want that?
Pho sounds so much better than the pickled olive and sardine soup someone made for me the other day. Just a few days and I can share a steaming bowl with you.
mmmmmmmm, pho.
Avee nagged m RELENTLESSLY the entire trip we took, because I made the mistake of finding some pho our first night in Colorado. It was SOOOO good and she couldn't let it go. I couldn't either, I'm just more mature than her. And more modest, but that's a whole 'nother story.
Anyway, I'm really glad you found some pho. Even if we don't have any within at least a 100 mile radius, i can still be happy for you.
Post a Comment