4: Vegas Baby

It’s been a while since my last post but I figure the hot summer weather is a good excuse for my lowered pho consumption. But don’t worry friends, that didn’t stop me from getting Pho in the hottest possible weather ever. I know I said the goal of this blog was to try all of the pho places in LA but I guess I lied. Last weekend my friends and I did a trip to Vegas as our last hoorah before becoming real adults (RIP having no responsibilities).

It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t add a photo of the group

So what does Vegas have to do with pho you may ask. By a stroke of luck, fate, or whatever you want to call it, we happened to pick a hotel that had a Vietnamese restaurant as one of its main restaurant choices. It may have only been Treasure Island, excuse me, TI (I see you and your rebranding efforts, TI) but it was perfect. The first day there we were too, ehm, distracted to even think of sitting down for a meal but by the second day our bodies were in dire need of sustenance. Pho was calling our names.

At this point of our trip my body was aching for literally any morsel of food, so my review of this pho may be a little bias. However, taking the first sip of the broth was like drinking from a fountain produced by the gods. Even if I wasn’t on the verge of collapse I really do think I would have enjoyed the broth just as much – it was delicious.

After adding the usual fixings I devoured my bowl at an alarming rate. Delicious enough to make me consider staying at ~TI~ for my next Vegas trip… maybe.

Goodbye Pho Now,

Nahal

3: Pho Citi

Back in my youthful high school days, Pho Citi was the first pho I ever tried. Like a first love that you keep going back to, I go back to Pho Citi every time I’m home in LA. Yesterday, I figured I’d give my old fling another shot. As I drove up to the strip mall located on Santa Monica Blvd and Westwood Blvd I was greeted by a familiar sign and neon light that flashed “open 24 hours”. I made a mental note to keep Pho Citi in mind for my 4th meal cravings.

As always, I ordered the Pho Tai which is the Rare Steak option on their menu. Their broth was delicious. So far my ex love and I seemed to be getting along. I added the usual sriracha along with everything on the plate they give you and dug in.

This is when things started to get a little rocky. While their steak portions are quite generous – some places give you 4 slices of steak and expect you to be satisfied – they had not been separated into individual slices before being put into the broth. This resulted in large clumps of steak that were quite difficult to separate with just chopsticks and a spoon. The same deal goes for their noodles. They were all stuck together instead of floating around in beautiful, individual strands in the broth as they should be. After quite some time shimmying my chopsticks around, the pho was finally ready to eat.

Despite that little setback, I found myself fully enjoying the pho. The flavor was rich, the portion was generous and the steak tasted great. Perhaps it is time to give an old lover a second chance.

Goodbye Pho Now,

Nahal

2: Mama Hong’s Vietnamese Kitchen

The other day I noticed a pho restaurant called Mama Hong’s Vietnamese Kitchen in a strip mall only 4 blocks away from my house. I have no idea how I didn’t notice it before, perhaps I’ve developed pho-vision since starting this blog.

Yesterday, as I stood examining the contents of my fridge, unsatisfied with my lunch options (they all required effort to make), I decided it was as good of a time as ever to see what Mama Hong had to offer. In a true Los Angeles fashion I decided to drive, yes drive, the 4-5 blocks to the restaurant. To be fair the blocks are all very long and uphill which has to count for something… right?

I want that neon sign for my room. Also you can see me taking the picture in the reflection… hi everyone!

The actual location of the restaurant is 11819 Wilshire Blvd #106B, right behind the Subway. Just a warning, the sign for the strip mall has the name listed as “Pho 999”, which was a little confusing but no harm done there.

The restaurant itself was very clean and modern looking. I got the impression that it was a regular lunch spot for people who work in office buildings nearby. I ordered my usual, the pho tai filet. I tried a sip of the broth before adding the sprouts, jalepeño, and of course sriracha. It was delicious. It clearly had been cooking for a while as it was rich and somewhat oily from the fat of the meat. They had also added slices of onion and cilantro into the broth which I love.

The meat itself was tender and cut perfectly thin. After finishing the bowl I cursed myself for driving there. A nice walk home would have immensely helped with deflating my food baby but of course, my lazy self had gotten the best of me. The next time I go back (which I definitely will), I’ll walk… maybe.

Goodbye Pho Now,

Nahal