Sunday, July 10, 2005

Savouring Saigon: Pho24

LeThanh Ton, D1
Ho Chi Minh
http://www.pho24.com.vn/

(Numerous outlets in HCMC in district one)

When I think of Vietnamese food I think of spring rolls and pho. My first Vietnamese culinary experience was slurping a bowl of pho and so for me, a trip to Vietnam without eating a hot bowl of pho is incomplete. Eating from the street stalls is probably one of the items on the top ten must do things in most travel guides, and indeed one should. To mingle with the locals, to have no fuss food and to soak in the atmosphere and the life on the streets. I love having breakfast on the streets, a steaming bowl of pho and a drip-coffee always reminds me that sometimes life isn’t so complicated, and there are simple things to be savoured.

I was a little apprehensive about eating this place since it was a noodle bar of sorts and I usually never like noodle bar food, because I feel it becomes too focused on efficiency that the noodles usually taste a little too mass produced and lacking in any sort of personal touch. However, I was assured that it was pretty good and I was in agreement since the prospect of having some air-condition instead of the searing heat seemed like a good oasis.



Nosh: Rice noodles with either beef balls, beef flank, tripe and beef slices. To that you can also add additional beef, tripe, etc … and also an egg. I had the beef flank with tripe and an egg, which comes raw and you add it in yourself.

The soup was terribly gratifying. It had so much depth and nothing like some of the msg-laden ones that you sometimes get on the streets. (Tested by K, who is ultra-sensitive to msg, who will suffer the Chinese restaurant syndrome if the msg level is too high). To borrow from the wine jargon, the broth was full bodied with gentle and subtle flavours that will ensure you’ll keep slurping. The secret of the soup is that it is made out of 24 ingredients and hence the name – pho 24. Ah … I wonder what those 24 are.

Pay: 50,000 – 60,000 VND for a hearty broth and a drink.
*estimated conversion: S$ 5-6, $3 USD.

Why I would come back: The B-R-O-T-H!

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi r u still in Vietnam? If so, u MUST try the street stalls that serve BUN CHA. It's grilled meat patties which u eat with noodles and lots of yummy veggies (mint/basil/tau-gay). It's absolutely the best! :) I went to Hanoi and had lots of it last yr. Really miss it! Anyway, jus discovered ur blog - cool!

4:51 PM  
Blogger joone! said...

nope I have left, but i think i'll be back soon and so i'll bear that in mind!

4:54 PM  

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