I Eat Pho: Pho 101
I love Pho. Pho is life. Pho is when you're sick and need something warm and comforting in your tummy but Campbell's chicken noodle soup is just too BLAH.
Pho (pronounce FUH) is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat, primarily made with either beef or chicken that originated in Northern Vietnam in the early 20th century. (Definition swiped off of Wikipedia) Why do most Pho shops have numbers after their names you might ask? Well, most of them are lucky or meaningful numbers. For example, many choose important dates, like the year they fled Vietnam.
I have only been to 3 different pho places here in Sarasota: Pho Cali, Pho 99, and Pho 101. All three are quite delicious, but I favor Pho 101 above them all for one simple reason. THE BROTH! It is all about the broth. No one does it better than Pho 101 in my opinion. (Some debate me and insist that Pho Cali's broth is better, but this one is my jam.)
TIP: Pho and the other noodles used in Vietnamese dishes are typically rice noodles, so they are GLUTEN FREE! If you have one of those friends who can't eat anything fun when you go out, take them here!
Some people like their pho all fancy with different types of meat or spicy lemongrass pho, but I'm a plain Jane when it comes to my pho. I just like the regular Pho Tai with sliced beef. It comes out rare, then gradually cooks right before your eyes in the hot broth. LOTS of basil, LOTS of bean sprouts, and a good squeeze of lime for me. I just like a dash of hoisin and a slightly larger dash of sriracha. That's my perfect bowl of pho.
Because the bowl of pho is the size of a small watermelon, I usually don't get an appetizer, but on this particular day, I was waiting on my friend Rachel who accidentally went to the wrong pho place, so I ordered the Salt & Pepper Calamari. It's fried calamari strips topped with cilantro, jalapeno, and fried minced garlic & shallots. It was delicious, HOWEVER, it could not beat the Salt & Pepper Calamari you get at Yummy House on 41. Yummy House has the Beyonce of Salt & Pepper Calamari. Pho 101 was more like the Solange of S&P Calamari.
Some days, it's just too hot for pho. On those days, I opt for the delicious and cool vermicelli bowl. Pho 101's Special Vermicelli Bowl comes with Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Pork, a Fried Crispy Springroll (absolutely delish), and some other stuff. The protein is hot, but everything else is served cold. Once mixed together it comes out lukewarm. It's flavored with a clear fish sauce, so if you are not fond of Vietnamese fish sauce, I'd suggest sitting this one out. It's not really fishy tasting, but it does have a unique flavor not every non-Asian palate can handle. But as my dear friend, Skye, would say, "ILOVEIT."
No trip to Pho 101 is complete without a glass of iced Vietnamese Coffee. Forget dessert. This is dessert. And the best part of your day. You sit patiently, and watch droplets of strong coffee drip from a small metal filter pot into a nice layer of sweetened condensed milk. Once the coffee stops dripping, you stir until the two layers become one sweet and creamy cup of goodness, then you pour it over ice, sip, and let the ecstasy wash over you as you marvel over the sublimity of something so simple.
As a teacher, one of my favorite things to do is bring my Pho First Timer friends (or Pho-st Timers as I like to call them) and watch the look of wonder and discovery spread across their face as they take their first few bites/sips of it. As many non-Asians have never before experienced such flavors, it's a whole new world (cue Alan Menken). Then, watch their eyes get even bigger when they try the Vietnamese Coffee for the first time. If the foundational Pho Tai (sliced beef) is too much for your more basic or health conscious friends, go ahead and have them try the Chicken Pho. It's pretty much an elevated chicken noodle soup.
If you're a beans & rice or a steak-n-potatoes kinda person you may not be into pho. But if you like complex flavors and savory & sweet at the same time, you should consider giving pho a try.
*If you have a hankering for more Asian flavors, check out my posts on the two Korean places in town and let me know which you like better!
https://beccaeatssrq.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-eat-korean-shilla-korean-restaurant.html
https://beccaeatssrq.blogspot.com/2017/07/i-eat-korean-again-ssam-bar.html
Pho (pronounce FUH) is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, a few herbs, and meat, primarily made with either beef or chicken that originated in Northern Vietnam in the early 20th century. (Definition swiped off of Wikipedia) Why do most Pho shops have numbers after their names you might ask? Well, most of them are lucky or meaningful numbers. For example, many choose important dates, like the year they fled Vietnam.
I have only been to 3 different pho places here in Sarasota: Pho Cali, Pho 99, and Pho 101. All three are quite delicious, but I favor Pho 101 above them all for one simple reason. THE BROTH! It is all about the broth. No one does it better than Pho 101 in my opinion. (Some debate me and insist that Pho Cali's broth is better, but this one is my jam.)
TIP: Pho and the other noodles used in Vietnamese dishes are typically rice noodles, so they are GLUTEN FREE! If you have one of those friends who can't eat anything fun when you go out, take them here!
Some people like their pho all fancy with different types of meat or spicy lemongrass pho, but I'm a plain Jane when it comes to my pho. I just like the regular Pho Tai with sliced beef. It comes out rare, then gradually cooks right before your eyes in the hot broth. LOTS of basil, LOTS of bean sprouts, and a good squeeze of lime for me. I just like a dash of hoisin and a slightly larger dash of sriracha. That's my perfect bowl of pho.
Because the bowl of pho is the size of a small watermelon, I usually don't get an appetizer, but on this particular day, I was waiting on my friend Rachel who accidentally went to the wrong pho place, so I ordered the Salt & Pepper Calamari. It's fried calamari strips topped with cilantro, jalapeno, and fried minced garlic & shallots. It was delicious, HOWEVER, it could not beat the Salt & Pepper Calamari you get at Yummy House on 41. Yummy House has the Beyonce of Salt & Pepper Calamari. Pho 101 was more like the Solange of S&P Calamari.
Some days, it's just too hot for pho. On those days, I opt for the delicious and cool vermicelli bowl. Pho 101's Special Vermicelli Bowl comes with Grilled Shrimp, Grilled Pork, a Fried Crispy Springroll (absolutely delish), and some other stuff. The protein is hot, but everything else is served cold. Once mixed together it comes out lukewarm. It's flavored with a clear fish sauce, so if you are not fond of Vietnamese fish sauce, I'd suggest sitting this one out. It's not really fishy tasting, but it does have a unique flavor not every non-Asian palate can handle. But as my dear friend, Skye, would say, "ILOVEIT."
No trip to Pho 101 is complete without a glass of iced Vietnamese Coffee. Forget dessert. This is dessert. And the best part of your day. You sit patiently, and watch droplets of strong coffee drip from a small metal filter pot into a nice layer of sweetened condensed milk. Once the coffee stops dripping, you stir until the two layers become one sweet and creamy cup of goodness, then you pour it over ice, sip, and let the ecstasy wash over you as you marvel over the sublimity of something so simple.
As a teacher, one of my favorite things to do is bring my Pho First Timer friends (or Pho-st Timers as I like to call them) and watch the look of wonder and discovery spread across their face as they take their first few bites/sips of it. As many non-Asians have never before experienced such flavors, it's a whole new world (cue Alan Menken). Then, watch their eyes get even bigger when they try the Vietnamese Coffee for the first time. If the foundational Pho Tai (sliced beef) is too much for your more basic or health conscious friends, go ahead and have them try the Chicken Pho. It's pretty much an elevated chicken noodle soup.
 |
| Me and my Pho newbie friends. |
If you're a beans & rice or a steak-n-potatoes kinda person you may not be into pho. But if you like complex flavors and savory & sweet at the same time, you should consider giving pho a try.
Ambience: 8/10.
Service: 10/10
Food: 9/10
Good for: All the time!
Salt & Pepper Calamari $7.95
Pho Tai (Beef) $9.95
Pho Ga (Chicken) $9.95
Pho Ga (Chicken) $9.95
*If you have a hankering for more Asian flavors, check out my posts on the two Korean places in town and let me know which you like better!
https://beccaeatssrq.blogspot.com/2017/05/i-eat-korean-shilla-korean-restaurant.html
https://beccaeatssrq.blogspot.com/2017/07/i-eat-korean-again-ssam-bar.html
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