One of the best things about travelling is the food. You get to eat out every meal and you can rationalize it. And what do you know, while staying in Seattle this past month, I got hungry and had to eat.
It’s always a good idea for you to chat up the front desk staff when you are looking to feed yourself, since it’s likely they would know their own city better than you, the tourist. We were lucky to have Ryan—an easy going fella with a slight southern draw. He made a few suggestions for us, here’s the first of the two.
Overview
After a raving review from Ryan, we decided to grab a little lunch from a Pho joint (FYI it’s pronounced “fuh”; are you happy now Frank? Are you?) down the street, called Pho Viet Anh. This place definitely stands apart from the typical pho places around Lower Mainland. Inside, the restaurant is dim and cozy. The windows are mostly covered with bamboo sticks, the walls are painted in a brick-red colour, and the décor is very much Asian, though I can’t speak to its authenticity.
Moving onto the menu, there is a choice of four distinctive types of broth: traditional beef, hot ’n spicy beef, chicken, and vegetable. In addition to beef, there are also chicken and veggie options as well. I’m a huge sucker for choices so this is definitely a plus for me. However, there are less beef options, with the menu missing the essential (to me anyways) beef tendon.
What went in
After some thought, I chose the hot ’n spicy beef broth with brisket and fatty flank. I could be imagining this, but the broth tasted that much better pre-spiced than if I had added in the hot sauce myself. The large bowl I ordered is well deserving of the label large, with a very generous portion of meat piled on top. The brisket was tender and done just right. The fatty flank was… well, very fatty, and unless that’s your kind of thing, you are probably not going to enjoy it. Being the manly man that I am, I savored every bit of the fatty meat.
The best part of the meal came afterwards. Over time, I’ve come to expect the insatiable thirst that follows a bowl of pho. I was surprised to find that after polishing off the whole thing, I wasn’t at all thirsty. It was as if I made it myself. This just goes to show, you can make a delicious broth without dumping in vast amounts of MSG.
What came out
At only 8 dollars, this deal is hard to beat. Usually when I have pho, I run out of meat with plenty of noodles left. This time around, I was surprised to find that at the end of the bowl, the noodles were gone and I still had meat left!
Service
Not much is there to be said about this department. The service is quick, efficient, and friendly. But they are serving noodle soup, not exactly rocket science.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t go as far as calling this a whole new take on pho, but the variations this restaurant offers give it a unique flare. This was easily the best pho experience I’ve ever had. Next time you visit the rainy city, pay these guys a visit.
Pho Viet Anh: Vietnamese Noodle Soup & Grill
372 Roy Street, Seattle, WA
Rating
(Max Score: 10; Base Score: 5)
What went in (+/-2, 0) = 1
What came out (+/-1, 0) = 1
Service (+/-1, 0) = 0
Mr.’s Bonus (+/-1, 0) = 1
Total Score – 8/10
Thank you for reading my very first post. Happy feeding!
- Menu cover
- Beef pho options
- Large bowl of Hot ‘n Spicy
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