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Pho Thinh, a closer look
Aloha!
4/18/09 - It was Big Al that first brought to my attention a new (at the time) Vietnamese restaurant on S. King, sitting right across the street from the parking lot of McDonald's, in what was once a short-lived Mexican eatery. I remember coming to this place and, while enjoying every meal I've had here, couldn't help but wonder if it would last. Crowds were always on the thin side, and I haven't seen it advertised or talked about very much anywhere. Nevertheless, it does sit in plain view right on the main thoroughfare of S. King St., usually has ample parking right out-front, and has survived its first couple of years, a feat in itself!
However, not only has Pho Thinh been surviving, but it's also been thriving! Much in contrast to its humble beginnings, I'm glad and heartened to see quite the crowds packing this place in - everyone from locals and ethnic Vietnamese to Japanese tourists and Downtown office workers, all seemingly enjoying themselves! I guess critical mass has finally been reached!
In fact, it was so busy the day we visited that I again opted not to bother everyone else by taking a shot of the dining room. No worries, though, a few days later wifey had the inkling for pho again, and we returned after she got off work one night, twenty minutes before their closing time of 9pm. I just waited for the last, other diner to leave, and voilah! Forgive me in not being able to correct the funky lighting!
With the optics being so bad, I guess I'll show you the one food shot I took there that evening first, and get the junk out of the way. Wifey always orders beef pho anyway, so no sense in taking shots of her dish when I could take the same thing under better conditions. Not that the dish I ordered, on the other hand, was junk by any means - I'm just talking about the picture, is all! In fact, if the dish wasn't so good, I'd probably have left it out altogether and saved myself the embarrassment of such a shot!
This chicken with eggplant over rice was killer, coming full and bursting with all kinds of wonderful flavors and aromas - fish sauce, lemongrass, soy, ginger, onions - aaah, what a treat! In these cheaper places, you don't always expect the chicken to be perfectly cooked, nor the eggplant softened but not yet mushy, but this one was done with a keen eye and firm control over the entire matter. And those crispy garlic chips added that little extra touch that gave it so much more depth and contrast. Stuff like that always make me feel like the kitchen really cares, ya know?
Now that that's out of the way, let's shift back to our day-time visit:
I noticed a that lot of people, including an entire table of six young women, were ordering vermicelli bowls, or those thin, white rice noodles that are always available in Vietnamese restaurants. Similiar to a rice bowl dish, they usually come with a mix of veggies, herbs, peanuts, and whatever topping you decide upon, which could be lemongrass chicken, kalbi, bbq pork, tofu w/vegetables, beef w/onions, or other meats and stir-fry's. Judging by the above dish, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the others. Just a hunch, though...
Nevertheless, on this particularly fabulous day, something else caught my eye. As there are many variations of pho, so there were many variations of egg noodle, and I decided to settle with a chicken infusion.
Once again, the chicken in this broth didn't taste like it was pulled, fully-cooked, from the refrigerator and thrown-in, as they were as tender as a freshly-cooked batch. The stock was hearty and flavorful, complementing and standing up well to the also-hearty noodles, which are much bolder in both taste and texture than regular pho or vermicelli noodles, which are rice-based. It (the noodles) almost tasted like saimin, coming very aromatic and perfectly al-dente.
As with pho, I plucked leaves of basil and ngo-gai, along with bean sprouts, chili peppers, and a small splash of lemon. Delicious!
I love when they have house-made chili sauces, and Pho Thinh did not dissapoint, with a sauce made with garlic, chili, lemongrass, oil, and other spices, along with all your other, more standard bottles and containers.
You know, I've been thinkin' about it... What would pho be without these sauces and herbs/vegetables added-in afterwards? I mean, if I'm gonna compare a bowl of pho with good saimin, ramen, wonton mein, udon, or any other soup/noodle, the best of which sauces and extra's are not used quite as much, is it really fair to compare pho with the others? Hmmm...
It's just that for me, a I do believe a hot bowl of beef pho or egg noodle wouldn't be quite as enjoyable without them, and I'm not so sure I'd keep coming back to Vietnamese restaurants as often as I do, if it weren't for all that chili, salt, fish sauce, and other concentrated flavors found in these pastes and oils. Even so, when I think about it, anytime wifey or myself orders pho, my first taste is always a spoonful of broth - no sauce. And you know what? If it's a good restaurant, it usually results in me savoring every little drop and feeling as satisfied as mom's chicken soup on a cold winter morning while trying to shake off a head-cold. So, yeah, while I definitely can, with all confidence, conclude that pho ranks right up there, if not even surpassing the other similiar dishes, I also gotta say again that they wouldn't be quite as enjoyable without the extra's. Hey, it's a package-deal (pho, sauce, herbs/veggies), though, so I'll consider them all one and the same dish and put this useless analyzing to rest, if that's allright with you!
Pho - you rate!
I love you Man!!!
And believe me, the pho here at Pho Thinh is about as good as it gets anywhere! Wifey's bowl came, not with slices of beef meat, but of beef tendon. The last time I had tendon at a Vietnamese place, it was hard and sinewy, but this time... Aaah, perfection! Soft, tender, melt-in-your-mouth-delicious, it was!
Oh, my gosh, I forgot about our appetizer! Sorry, just a little excitable in jumping ahead-there for a moment. Wifey and I always battle for spring or summer, which represents fried and non-fried, respectively. Today, wifey won the toss and we had summer rolls, which are rice-paper wrapped rolls filled with vermicelli noodle, bean sprouts, basil, mint, and half-split shrimp. This time, however, I felt absolutely none-the-worse-off, as these rolls were one of the better versions I've had anywhere. With such simple ingredients, there's really only a few things that make it better or worse, really - Is everything fresh? Are the noodles under or over-cooked? Are the shrimps large and plump? And how 'bout that side of peanut sauce?
Goodness, gracious - I feel like I'm at Yakiniku Hiroshi's a couple of closer look's ago, when every darn thing placed in front of me made the Headlines and a standing ovation, to boot! Yes, wifey and I both arrived on the positive side of every question regarding these rolls, for sure. This place is dangerous, I tell you...
Hey, don't you all rush down there and start crowding this place out more than it already is, allright? I don't wanna have to wait 15 minutes to get a seat when we return...
I hope you're all enjoying the weather out there! Yesterday was the first truly warm day (not just sunny!) in a looong time, no? I'm working over-night's these day, unfortunately. Nothing better for acquiring stoner-red pupils and the mind and gait of a zombie.
Have a good one!
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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