WS #6: Pho Saigon
Last month, we dined at Pho Saigon for the first time. It is located in the same complex as TC Noodle House, which I blogged about a few weeks ago, and MT Supermarket, the Asian supermarket we go to.
Looking at the number of people dining at the time of our visit, I can say that Pho Saigon has quite a following already. It’s not even 7 pm yet! I took this as a sign of good things (good food!) to come. :) I love Vietnamese food, noodles specially! I especially like the little ritual of adding beansprouts, lemon, cilantro, basil and pepper to a very hot bowl of noodle soup. It somehow gives one a (false?) sense of having a hand in the meal. Hee hee!
So here’s what we had…
soybean milk – This is Abby’s beverage of choice when dining at an Asian restaurant. She liked this better than TC’s because it’s green and a tad sweeter, definitely the flavored kind. :D This one has a hint of coconut, too, much like the buko pandan of the Philippines.
For appetizers, we had fresh vegetarian spring rolls: bean sprouts,vegetables, tofu-vermicelli and mint wrapped in thin rice paper served with peanut sauce. Whenever we eat at a Vietnamese restaurant, we almost automatically order Vietnamese spring rolls. This was the first time, however, that we dared order the vegetarian kind. After the first bite, we started longing for “the usual kind”. ;) This one proved to be a little too bland for us. You’ll need a good amount of peanut sauce to help you along. :D
This is our main course, a plate of fresh bean sprouts, lemon, spicy green peppers, cilantro and basil leaves. Kidding. :D Abby loved taking part in adding these fresh veggies and spices to our bowls of noodle soup.
As always, I had chicken noodle soup with white chicken meat. It was passable, ok at best. What I didn’t appreciate is how the chicken white meat was sliced. They were just too overwhelmingly big! Looking at the chicken slices alone left me feeling full already (which should have been a good thing).
Hubby had beef noodle soup with eye round steak, well-done flank, fatty brisket, soft tendon, and white omasum beef tripe. Don’t make me say that again, please! Hahaha! I don’t know what possessed hubby to order this. The words “fatty brisket” should have already served as a warning. Hubby is a certified carnivore. He loves his beef, and he loves his beef’s tendons. Hahaha! But fatty brisket?! He didn’t even dare give a small piece a taste. They were all left swimming in the soup. :D
They say first impressions last, and our first impression for this restaurant seems to boldly say, “never again”. But a teeny weeny part of me wants to give Pho Saigon another chance. Come to think of it, we may actually be the ones at fault here…for ordering the wrong food. Not!!! ;) If and when we do go back, you’ll definitely read about it again.
Have a great week, everyone!
ps: I have another WS entry here.
I love Vietnamese beef noodles and the rice rolls too! It costs 300 pesos for a bowl at my favourite Vietnamese eatery.
Reply
Weng, not a fan of viet food… I go for the thai ones.
Reply
Have to go with Keith on this one – Viet food just does not hit the spot for me too… :( The only thing I really like are the Vietnamese fresh spring rolls with shrimp (pretty much like what CPK serves back home).
Hope your next visit will be better. Tell Donds to go easy on the meat – uso sa pamilya namin ang gall stones! ;)
Reply
uy pareho tayong nag-vietnamese food nung weekend! :) siyempre sinali ko na rin si myparty sa ws (*wink*) and our visit to pho quyen is my first entry.
for pinky and keith, i appreciate viet food naman mainly because of the hot noodle soups. they’re a great alternative to our native mami, especially when we’re craving for some hot soup during the cold days and we couldn’t find ma mon luk anywhere near, hehe. :) oh well, i love thai food too so can’t fault you there. :D
Reply
oh boy! i am crazy with Pho soup…drool! glad you can’t see me salivate, haha. Nice pictures, making me hungry…
Reply
At least you got some good photographs even if the food wasn’t all too your liking. I enjoyed your write up.
Reply
Oh, I miss my pho bo in California!
Reply
I like Vietnamese noodles too. The food looks very appetizing. Thanks for sharing.
I wasn’t able to join WS but if you have time, I’d like to share photos of our visit to Ocean Adventure. Take care.
Reply
This is comfort food (unless I crave for lugaw) :) !!!
Reply
langya ka, Weng. You almost had me with that plate of fresh weed-like stuff. I almost believed that that was your main dish! And then I thought, “Yuck, I wouldn’t pay to eat that! What could they have been thinking???” lol! Ang engot diba. Sana sometimes di masyadong gullible ang lola mo.
Reply