pho 79

pho 79
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#57 and #25 (35/143) on my 101 in 1001 list
the first meetup event i organized, which was at pho 79, turned out quite well. everyone was excited about the food and the experience.

one of my many gastronomic missions is to find some damn good pho. this place has been on my list. that list is a long one, so it's taken me some time to finally try the pho here. the broth is not as sweet as i like it, but it's pretty good.

they have a large variety of options as far as what you can get with your pho. my favorite combination is the pho tai nam gan, which includes rare beef (theirs is thinly sliced and tender), well done flank and tendon. i went with a group, and after seeing my neighbor's bowl of pho with the fatty brisket, i was wishing i'd gotten that too. what's good about the pho here is not so much the broth, which was fine, but the natural flavors of the meat that comes through. although they offer other vietnamese food, i would recommend sticking to the pho, which is what they're known for, unless you really need or want something else. we shared some spring rolls made with shrimp and bbq pork, which were ok not great. i prefer the roasted pork in my spring rolls rather than the bbq pork, which was cold.

be prepared to wait some, as this place is very popular. at 11:30 am on a sunday, there was already a 15 min wait for a table, but luckily, the service is quick. it's a typical pho joint, and not one of the newer ones, but sanitary enough.