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Pho Viet, a closer look
Aloha!
8/24/09 - Phew!!! For all of you who were wondering what happened to all the pictures in the older Closer Look pages - I finally finished re-uploading them!!! Yeah, the older ones got lost in the shuffle when I changed web hosts. Man, how I dreaded having to do all of that - double-work is never fun - you always feel like you're wasting your time. But alas, it's all behind me now, and the end-results are much better than the first time around! The pictures are much larger now and I've brightened a lot of 'em up quite a bit, so they're actually not too bad considering many came from my old point-and-shoot. I guess since the first couple of Closer Looks, from Akasaka and Bistro Shun, things have evolved quite a bit, which is what should happen in everything we do, ey? I've even put in a few pics that weren't there before, especially in the New Zealand adventures, from the Abel Tasman and Fiordland area to the Queen Charlotte Trek, all of them truly natural wonders to behold! Can't wait for Japan in a couple of months so I can do another series of Off-Island Adventures!
Meanwhile, I do apologize for totally making a mistake on the Nobu page just earlier! I erroneously listed two of the sushi pieces as whitefish and aji, when they were actually Big Island halibut and kohada, respectively! I did make the change with extra comments there, so I'll leave it at that.
Oh, and the Island Flavors book will definitely be available for purchase through the site mid-to-late this week. I just received an advanced case of books, so I'll have a limited amount to send-out right away. If orders exceed the amount of books in the case (46), you'll have to wait for the the entire shipment, which is scheduled to arrive by Friday, the 28th, after which I can send 'em out, pronto. You can always wait till they hit the stores, but it takes anywhere from a week to a month, sometimes longer, to finally arrive on the bookshelves of the big-box retailers. By the next Closer Look after this, the internet store should be ready...
But right now, all eyes are on Pho Viet, a small Vietnamese restaurant located on busy Moanalua Rd., right across the street from the Aiea Shopping Center (Aiea Bowl, Times, McDonald's, etc.). Parking is behind the building, but watch out - as area residents know, there's a small network of retail and restaurant buildings with separate parking lots that are inter-connected by foot, but not by car. Make sure you park only in the lot directly car-connected to whatever establishment you visit, or you'll get flagged like wifey and I did. No worries - I just pleaded innocence and apologized, as I really didn't know I was doing anything wrong. But here's the back of the building, and the small lot that you should be parking in:
While the lot is out-back, you'll need to walk up and around the building, entering from the Moanalua Road-side, as seen here:
Kinda looks like Chinatown or something! Yeah, it's not the most elegant place, and eeeeks, everytime I think of this particular place, it reminds me, unfortunately, of Diane Suzuki, the Dance Instructor that went missing many moons ago, who was last seen at the Dance School next-door. Grim, veeeh-ry grim, I tell you... Hey, and isn't that the same school with that pervert-guy molesting the little girls a few years back, too? Geeeez - they oughta just bring in a Kahuna to bless the place or something, is what I say...
Anyhow, sick neighbors besides, Pho Viet has been raising quite a bit of news and commotion in itself, mostly for a little sign it has posted prominently on its glass windows - THE BEST SOUP IN TOWN! Wow, is that the first time I've shouted on this site? Well, I guess that's because in the midst of a self-proclaimed statement like that, considering such a passionate, pho-loving crowd as we have here on the island, all I can say is... you better be good! Waaaai... with places like To Chau, Bac Nam, Pho Thinh, Pho Tri, and so many other great spots, I'd honestly suggest shatter-resistant glass in case some fervently-opinionated pho nazi from a different camp feels like sending a rock or two through the walls, via some ghetto drive-by from a pride-offended, egomaniacal competitor. Yo' pho bettuh den mine? I kill yo' muddah...
But who knows? Maybe they are the best! But of course, we shall soon find out!
The inside of the restaurant is pretty much what you'd expect, nothing fancy - old-school booths, school-room vinyl tiles, daruma dolls - you know, the normal, economically-minded stuff. Hey, as long as there's no cockroaches around (ooops, there actually was one on the wall right next to us!) and my elbows didn't stick to the table like tree sap, all's I was thinkin' about was pho!
We all know about Japanese pancake (okonomiyaki), or Korean pancake (pajeon), and perhaps even Chinese pancake (types of bing), but who's ever heard of Vietnamese pancake? Called bahn xeo, it almost seemed to me like a doughy omelet from both appearance and taste, although eggs are not always used in this dish.
As you can see, the insides were filled with shrimp and beansprouts, while green onions were mixed throughout the pancake itself. I gotta say, and you know I don't say this too often, but this dish was... pretty darn horrible!
I mean, the egg-dough, or whatever you call it, was totally and completely bland, as if they used no sugar nor salt at all, and the only parts of the dish I could eat were the shrimp, bean sprouts, and crispy sections of the pancake, and even then, only with heavy doses of the same sauce used for wifey's pho. Much of it was just too starchy-mushy and tasteless to be considered palatable at all. But that's all I'll say about that. I hate dwelling on negative's.
Boy, what a start that was...
Moving on, and upon receiving a little help from our kind waitress, I had a mixed bbq pork and chicken on rice:
I tried putting both the chicken and pork in a flattering light and angle to make them look bigger, but I tell you, sometimes the pieces of meat were like the folks living along Saddle Road or the Ka'u coast of the Big Island, who jump in the car or ATV to go visit their next-closest neighbor down the hill! The small pieces of meat were interspersed frugally throughout a bed of rice, with a little too much white acreage to adequately satisfy a grown man like myself (grown physically, at least!).
That being said, the cuts of both proteins were actually very good, both being cooked perfectly and with just the right amount of tasty, Vietnamese-style bbq marinades. The pork, especially, was absolutely delicious, with thick bands of fat and a super-duper-tender meat that was about as soft as it gets before falling apart into a Southeast Asian kalua pig. Aside from the portions, they definitely know what they're doing when it comes to Vietnamese bbq. I don't mind coming back for a full order of just grilled pork, but I may have to get two plates!
But then again, I don't hear nothin' 'bout Pho Viet having the best bbq meats on the island! The test here, as in any Vietnamese restaurant, is always in the bowl, and the customer's own taste and satisfaction is the real barometer of who's the best!
Pre-pho preparations come from the accompanying plate of veggies that always comes first - no sign of ngo gai, but then again, I'm not really into the saw-toothed herb like wifey is. I'd much rather have the bright-green leaves of fresh basil and mint, crispy-white beansprouts, and hot chili peppers, all of which they had in abundance and in very good condition.
The hot, steaming bowl of pho finally arrived at our table, wifey ordering a medium (you can get small and large, too). We quickly shredded the leaves of mint and basil off the stalks and proceeded to launch a barrage of veggies into the waiting bowl:
But before dressing-up, you know we had to try this best soup in town broth first, unadulterated and all on its own! Actually, even before taking a cautious sip, ever aware of how hot pho broth always is, the smell should preceed its own arrival, as a good bowl will be filled with the aroma of clove, cinnamon, star anise, and/or even more herbs and spices to heighten and pique the senses. And what did we find?
Hmmm... Herby aroma? Check. Rich, beefy taste? Check. Complex flavors? Check. Al dente noodles? Check. The best soup in town? Hold on there, trigger!
Hey, I wouldn't go knocking the pho here, as it is pretty darn good. It's much more aromatic and deep than most places, I can tell you that! However, I really can't say it's the best, because, in all truth, no matter how revealing, I honestly can't name you a favorite! Yes, indeed, there are many differences between the various Vietnamese spots, but sometimes, it seems like the best places all trade recipes and secrets, because if you blind-folded me in a secret taste test, I really don't believe I'd be able to tell the difference between restaurants situated in the top tier, but rather, only between the group of restaurants in the top tier and the group of restaurants in a lesser tier, that's it. Pho Viet, I'd throw in the upper tier, if that means anything, as that's about all I can say, despite the possibly melodramatic ending.
But you know how it is with high expectations and self-flattery - you'll always set yourself up for a vicious mob mentality waiting to pull you down, and I think that's exactly what's happening with some of those writing in customer review sites like Yelp. But there's more good reviews than bad concerning this place, and the bad is never really that bad. Jeff H. recently wrote, asking a similiarly-minded question about the best sushi spots, and I think it's the same situation there - anyone claiming to know or be the best spot in town will always leave themselves open to some heated opposition and passionate interpretation. Just like pho, you don't mess with a man's sushi, either!
Nevertheles, I always leave my favorites in the Big Boy'z sections of the main guide pages, and I did leave a reply for Jeff H., in case anyone's interested. It's in the comment section under Nobu's.
Hey, you all remain calm, cool, and collected, and we'll meet-up again...
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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