Phở Saigon

Phở Saigon is the very first place I tried phở…it was where my addiction began. About eight or nine years ago I was mesmerized by a hot, steaming bowl of Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup. The amazing fragrant broth, tender rice noodles, coriander, scallions and thin slices of rare beef were a combination I couldn’t get enough of. What really intrigued me was being able to add in all the various ingredients and sauces. It simply made dining so much more interesting. To this day, phở is the one dish I crave more than any other.

Back in those days, Phở Saigon was as consistent as a place could get. Over the years the management changed as did the level of quality. I’d visited once or twice but it was never the same. This recent visit, however, has made me a believer, once again!

The condiment plate arrives! Good, crunchy bean sprouts, lemon and very fresh basil.

Phở with rare beef and beef balls.

Phở with rare beef, tendon and tripe. From all accounts, both of these bowls hit the spot.

My selection was a tamed down version of Bún bò Huế. It had all the requisite elements save for the pig knuckle and congealed pork blood. Nevertheless, a damn good bowl. Tasty chicken balls, Vietnamese ham, thin-sliced rare beef and some really nice brisket in a well-spiced broth. Absolutely delicious!

The Chả giò was also very well made and tasty…a rice-paper wrapped ground pork roll cooked to perfection.

It was really great to see Phở Saigon is back and as good as it once was. Judging by the large amount of happy lunch customers, they look to be back on track.