A little Pho Goes a Long Way

                          A LITTLE PHO GOES A LONG WAY

Pho Vietnam, once the mysterious little restaurant tucked quietly in a Pandanaram shopping plaza next to the bait and tackle shop and liquor store, now a sensational, trendy eatery serving a menu that will not only take you on a culinary journey, but leaves you wanting more.

This once hole- in the wall spot, was sadly ignored for many years, having gotten a bad wrap early on, something the new owners quickly realized before opening. Now the new Pho is bright and inviting, colorful Asian arts adorns the walls, and large windows allow in the day light, so you won’t be left wondering if that was red lipstick on your chopsticks or chili sauce. The service is friendly and attentive and the food timed well, which can only be expected of a restaurant boasting such small a number of seating accommodations. This means reservations for diner service and weekends are a must. Though if you have to wait, the food is well worth it.

This brings me to the menu, one which certainly does not lack those fundamental key Vietnamese ingredients such as lemon grass, ginger, cilantro and chili. When you sit down with the menu, do not underestimate the difficulty of getting past the appetizers, among them red curry mussels and ginger dumplings, which practically sing your name. Though for anywhere between $6 and $8 you could sooner than later be sampling just a small portion of what Pho has to offer. Me, I decided to live on the edge and treat myself with a house salad. Now I know what you’re thinking, what kind of person can stare in a state of salvation at delicious fried shrimp spring rolls with a plum dipping sauce and got straight for the rabbit food? Well, hold the judgments please. Trust me when I tell you, composed of shredded cabbage, sprouts and fried shallots, tossed in sublime lime vinaigrette of mint and cilantro, this was no ordinary salad. A couple of pieces of fresh, jumbo grilled shrimp didn't hurt the cause either.

Next was the Pho. With its sensationally vibrant broth that travels like warm silk down the esophagus. Swimming within it are rice noodles and your choice of a variety of beef, chicken or seafood. Each bowl comes with the essential sides, bean sprouts, lime, cilantro and of course that delectably delicious plum sauce, which one learns quickly to squirt liberally upon each noodly bite. 

Pho was originally created in Northern Vietnam and utilized the techniques and flavors of China and even France. Interestingly enough, it is said to have been derived from a traditionally French soup. Now Pho has been adopted in a variety of ways ranging greatly throughout the country and the places to where it has travelled. Today in America we find the more traditionally Southern Variation of the beef soup which, lucky for us, contains almost a dozen of those amazingly flavorful ingredients.

Pho Vietnam does not stop there, for those most adventurous gastronomes, there are the options of tripe, tendon and fish balls, to be chased down with a bubble tea or creamy Thi iced tea. And for those who play it on the safer side, Pho serves up a variety of the more recognizable dishes, including a pillowy friend rice literally to die for, or even some of the entrees offered in the Chef's Selection section, including lemongrass chicken, $14.95, the Caramelized Tiger Prawns, $16.95 and the Vietnamese Pork Chop, $12.95.

PICTURE:MY HALF EATEN PHO

Any of these options I am sure would be amazing, but what I say is.....

........ If you're gonna go Pho, go Pho or go home.


                        56 Padanaram Road Danbury, CT 06811
                                               #(203) 743-6049