Finding Pho
I recently began a serious search for a good bowl of pho. Pho is a popular Vietnamese noodle soup served with beef or chicken. I had been spoiled by a friend’s mother, Mrs. Nguyen, who always had a delicious bowl waiting for me.
Vietnamese cuisine is a unique blend of Thai, Chinese and French. Vietnamese restaurants can be found all over New York City; however, southern Brooklyn has a greater concentration of good Viet restaurants. After a poor experience at Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown, a friend recommended Pho Hoai in Bay Ridge.
Pho Haoi has a comprehensive menu with many dishes which is unfamiliar to me. It is apparent that the restaurant caters to a genuine Viet following, in addition to “Westerners.” I decided to try the spring rolls in addition to Xe Lua (pho); neither of the dishes were a disappointment. The spring rolls were perfectly fried with little grease. The filling was mysterious but flavorful. The pho was pretty good. The broth was rich and complex with a satisfying blend of herbs. The ratio of meat and noodles was on point. It was an excellent dish for a cold winter day. Service was attentive, yet not annoying. Although the decor was clean, it was not particularly special. However, given the extensive menu, I will definitely be back to explore further!
Unfortunately, it did not surpass Mrs. Nguyen’s home-made version. I may have to ask her for the recipe now that she has moved to California.
Pho Hoai
8616 Fourth Avenue, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (718) 745-1640
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Nice. We LOVE Asian food! Vietnamese food is pretty tasty. Yours is a great resource for eating around NY. Ooooh and this background with all these fruits in the comment section is amazing!
NY can be an overwhelming city when it comes to dining out. Many of the best restaurants can go out of business because they are not “discovered” by the masses.
Hope that you can visit soon!
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted Pho so I will be watching out for Mrs Nguyen’s recipe, knowing that it is the genuine article. Food like that is like a big bowlful of love.
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I am trying to bribe it out of Mrs. Nguyen with a bottle of my family’s secret recipe liqueur!
I have actually tried Vietnamese cuisine once and recently. I did enjoy it but as I do not eat meat or chicken the selections were a bit limited. Glad that you found a pho you enjoyed and good luck with your search, although the homemade will probably allways win out.
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There are lots of vegetarian Vietnamese dishes, but the language barrier of the menu makes selection difficult sometimes. 95% of the menu was a mystery to me, so I stuck with Pho and spring rolls.
I love this post!!! I have been in search of great pho lately and i go to pho 32 on 32nd btw 5th and 6th mainly because its open 24 hours, but i need some truly transformational pho in my life so brooklyn here i come!!!
Love pho! Can’t eat beef so I usually just get plain noodles in broth with lots of bean sprouts, spicy sauce and basil leaves.
It’s the best on a cold winter day or when you’re sick or hungover.
Good Luck with further Pho explorations!
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