Vietnamese chicken noodle soup hits the spot
Restaurant of the week: Pho Hoa
Regina Aquino
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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The minute I walked through the double glass doors of Pho Hoa, I noticed the inoperative fountain that runs alongside the right side of the walls.
Although there is no flowing water, the various types of green plants and flowers make it worth viewing.
After being seated, I surveyed the menu for something to satisfy my palette.
About three minutes into my perusing, a server came to our table and asked if we were ready to order. Hence, the prompt service I mentioned in the beginning.
Luckily I was ready with a decision - the "pho ga," or chicken noodle soup with "ca phe sua da," which means iced milk coffee in Vietnamese.
One thing that I particularly liked about this establishment is that its chicken pho has the options of being prepared with dark meat white meat or both. I chose the white meat.
Each bowl of soup is accompanied with a plate of bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, coriander leaves and lime wedges for people who like to dress their dishes.
Within minutes our server returned with my iced coffee, which was not served in a glass with ice. Instead, the coffee was in a silver tin on top of a ceramic mug and appeared to still be dripping through some type of strainer.
Soon after that, she returned with my steamy bowl of pho. I threw in some bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, a squeeze of lime and drizzled some oyster sauce and Sriracha sauce, or hot sauce, over it.
Pho is a popular cure for my hangovers and colds, and goes hand in hand with rainy weather.
Another reason why pho is so popular is because it's quick and fulfilling, which is why it's usually the number one choice after a night out at the club.
This particular bowl of pho was truly delicious, satisfying and healthy at the same time. The broth was not too oily and the chicken was tender.
There was a balanced proportion of noodles and chicken, which was perfect because I've been to other pho restaurants where there was either too many noodles or not enough meat.
By the time I had enough of my soup, my coffee had finished straining into the mug, so I poured it into an empty glass of ice.
One thing I noticed about Vietnamese iced coffee is that it is sweetened with condensed milk.
The coffee was pretty strong, which was pleasing because I tend to like my coffee on the bold side.
The condensed milk gave it a distinct taste that is incomparable to Starbucks or Peet's coffee.
According to the Pho Hoa Web site, the restaurant is health conscious, low calorie, and offers complete, well-balanced and nutritious meals.
Pho Hoa offers various dishes including spring rolls, rice plates, and of course, pho - its signature noodle soup that can be served with various types of meats such as eye of round steak, tripe, flank or meatballs.
Overall, my visit to Pho Hoa hit the spot, because the meal was tasty and didn't give me that "food coma" feeling that fast food restaurants tend to leave.
Also, the service was courteous and prompt which is difficult to find nowadays.
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