pho-king

Las Vegas Pho

Las Vegans have a lot of choices when it comes to dining, but an awful lot of it is either junk or aimed at tourists. There are a few pho joints in town, some of them decent; here's a quick rundown, partially from our friends at Chowhound.com.

Pho Vietnam, 4215 Spring Mountain Rd., Las Vegas NV 89102: "... the beef in my pho tai was just shards of scrap beef that sat in the soup long before I received it ... way past rare." Others are kinder, though, and note that the other dishes - that is, other than the tai - are good and inexpensive, and that the place opens at 8 am if you like your pho for breakfast. On the second floor of the main Chinatown building, opposite the 99 Ranch store.

Pho Kim Long, 4029 Spring Mountain, Las Vegas NV 89102: "...consistently ... beautiful slices of rare roast beef. I go there once a week and have never had any complaints. The fresh and fried spring rolls have always been excellent ..."

There is also a Pho Hoa, for fans of that chain: 4503 Paradise Road, Las Vegas NV 89109

Pho Chien, 3839 W Sahara, Las Vegas NV 89102: Hopefully they don't serve actual chien; a friend reports that the broth here is very good and the service friendly but that hours are a bit spotty. I think the name may keep people away from what is a quite decent restaurant.

Pho So #1, 4745 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas NV 89102: Excellent bun and pho; noodles are homemade and excellent.

Saigon Fragrance Vietnamese Noodle House, 3650 S. Decatur Blvd., La Vegas NV 89103: Smells much better inside than certain parts of Saigon. All sorts of noodle dishes - not just pho - although their pho is good and portions are very generous.

Any more Las Vegas pho reports? Email us!
 

Seattle: Pho Than Brothers

From reader Laura:

I recently travelled (to Seattle) for work and stumbled across Pho Than Brothers and gave it a shot. Hands-down the best pho I've had.  I got the extra-large bowl and drew worried looks from the waiters who feared I wouldn't be able to finish, and when the bowl came to the table I did freak out a little because I could have dunked my whole head in that sucker, but all was forgotten because the vegetables were beautifully fresh, the meat paper-thin, the broth rich-tasting, and the noodles fresh.  They also serve hot cane tea and delicious cream puffs made by the owner's wife and daughter. There are several locations through Seattle, and they are all listed on the website.  Had my trip been longer, I would have checked out the places near UW, but that's for next time ...

image from NW Asian Week

Breakfast Pho in the South Bay?

reader TC Altus writes:

I constantly crave pho in the mornings. Yes, very proper I know. However, it seems that in the US, you can't get pho before 10am! Where in the south bay can I have pho for breakfast (preferably near downtown San Jose)?

Cambridge, MA Pho?

Reader Felix Turner recently moved to Cambridge after living in Fairfax, VA (where he recommends Vietnam 75 on Lee Highway, which he says has an exemplary pho tai w/ extra meatballs) and New York City, where he frequently enjoyed Pho Bang on Mott Street.

Unfortunately, he's having trouble finding a bowl of his favorite soup in Cambridge, and he and I both hope that some of you might be able to recommend something in the area. Felix says Pho Pasteur in Boston's Chinatown is good (and I agree, having been there only once), but is looking for something on his side of the river. Any recommendations?