Austinist: Austin Bites: Pho Hoang

jayevee

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:19:53 -0600

Heh, I was about to say the same thing about the photo choice. There are different ways to eat pho, but it's a finite amount of ways. As for other items, Vietnamese are very quick to correct and tell you which sauce goes with which. (My mom's family is Vietnamese.) I used to not like the peanut sauce that comes with summer rolls while growing up(until I made it spicy with chili sauce) and would use the fish sauce instead. I wish I had a dollar for every time I had to explain that I didn't like peanut sauce. By the way, hotmouth forgot about the Thai/holy basil, and the saw-edged green leafed vegetable is called "culantro".

txtoast

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:54:58 -0600

There's nothing I like with my meal more than a list of rules. Thanks Hotmouth. Nice review David.

hotmouth

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:55:02 -0600

Certain dishes have appropriate condiments that accent, enhance, and compliment the flavors of a dish. To omit them is not a huge deal, but to introduce random condiments is breaking the rule. I happened to take a group of people to eat at Pho Van a few days ago and I told them to start traditional. Taste it first before you decide that it sounds weird or looks weird, please! As a Vietnamese person - my preference is what my mother taught me. That is.. Siracha and hoisin go in a small plate that you dip your selected meats in and occasionally in the actual broth with lime. This is all assuming the broth was seasoned well to begin with. Fish sauce is quintessential Vietnamese food and I apologize but I find it difficult to wrap my head around not eating fish sauce when called for. In fact I knew a guy who slurped on it as soup the first time he ate bun and loved it. He didn't even know that it was meant to be poured over the noodles. my last comment is minor, but the image you provided looks like spaghetti. Rice noodles would have tied the article together better. oh and finally, Tam Deli, Thanh Ni, Hai Ky and Pho Van are all great Vietnamese restaurants. Avoid Kim Phung, it's going down the drain.

jaireaux

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:15:26 -0600

not sure about this location, but the north location (Round Rock, next to Chuck E Cheese) isn't the same. the lemongrass beef is one of the best meats, particularly on the Bun with a touch or Sriracha. If you're feeling a little adventurous (and hungry) I would also recommend the Com (rice dish) of lemongrass beef with a "fired" egg on top. (at least that's what the menu calls it.)

David Kalina

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:11:03 -0600

hotmouth, Thanks for the feedback. To quickly address your points, 1. Not sure about "saw edged green," but jalapenos and lime are present on the plate of accompaniments. My apologies for not including every ingredient in every dish. Not sure why you would think the joint isn't 'traditional' from this minor omission. 2. The meatballs aren't bad strictly because of the texture, though I may have insinuated as much. I have had good, toothy Vietnamese meatballs at other joints. These are especially tough and kind of funky. Maybe you'll like them, but in my opinion, they are unexceptional. The salient point is "stay away." There are better combos on the menu. 3. Yes, the fish sauce is present with the bun; I'm personally not a big fan, though I like it on my egg rolls, with some sriracha. As for the bun, I just go with the chili sauce; can you tell I'm a fan? Point taken on the hoisin, but frankly, the idea that there is one "right" way to eat these things is, in my opinion, rather silly. My whole point in the article is that if you are new to pho or bun, you should feel free to experiment.

hotmouth

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:07:45 -0600

1)you forgot about the wedge of lime, fresh sliced jalapenos, and the saw edged green that typically accompany a good pho. Perhaps Pho Hoang isn't very traditional 2)pho meatballs are supposed to have a crunch or rubberiness to them. that's actually a desired texture. don't eat a vietnamese pho meatball thinking of your italian-american grandmothers rendition. 3)vermicilli bowls, or bun, are served with a fish sauce (lime, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chiles). DO NOT EAT WITH HOISIN. Hoisin may be used to accent the pho.