Whoa. Is it possible that I have never blogged about one of my favorite foods, pho?
I love pho. I love the broth. I love the meat. I love the noodles, I love the plate of aromatics. I love squeezing hot sauce into the bowl. And until a few weeks ago, all I knew was beef pho.
Then my friend Phyllis introduced me to the 5 Spice Chicken Pho at Pho Phu Quoc (PPQ), a place on 19th and Irving in the Sunset where I had been many times, but until a couple of weeks ago had no idea that they were cooking up this treasure in the kitchen.
What makes the 5 Spice Chicken Pho unique is that the meat comes on the side. The chicken is so so so good, it makes me sad when I start on my last piece, because I know that soon it will be gone. I give it a gentle dunk in the broth and take small bites to make it last.
Good pho places are not fancy. They will usually be no frills, but full of people, all of the time. The wait staff will usually be abrupt. The broth and the noodles have to be just right, and the aromatics have to be super-fresh.
Pho is messy. I always end up with some on my shirt. But there is nothing better than that steaming bowl arriving at your table, and getting your face close to the bowl as you slurp away, just like everyone at every other table is doing. On a cold day, on a warm day - every day is a good day for pho.
