Pho
Duong Dong owner Dieu Pham doesn’t speak much English, so her niece, Linda, is
helping us. I’ve asked about chicken soup, and without translating, Linda
answers, “We can make it, but we don’t.” Pham looks distressed and says
something like, “It’s not right.”
Many
Vietnamese restaurants cave and serve pho
ga, but not Pham. It’s partly a matter of finding it distasteful — it’s beef noodle soup, you knuckleheads —
but also about keeping things simple. Pham specializes.
So
here, you will not find spring rolls, other appetizers, or Chinese food. Nope,
just pho, a few noodle and rice dishes, and one sandwich. But what Dieu Pham
does, she does very well.
Pho
comes small ($4.85), medium ($5.50), large ($6), and extra large ($7). The
large is right at the limits of my appetite; the XL must come in a bathtub.
Pham’s pho isn’t as subtle and
aromatic as that at Le Lemongrass, but it’s plenty good. You can get it with
rare beef, brisket, well-done flank, tripe, tendon, or beef balls. (I tried to
explain, with little success, why Americans often react negatively to the term
“beef balls,” but not to “meatballs.”)
Pho
fans know that part of the appeal is what you put in and on it. A bit of hot
sauce and hoisin is nice. But the fresh toppings are the real score. At Pho
Duong Dong, you get the usual bean sprouts, Thai basil, and lime, but also
sliced chilis and the rare saw-leaf herb (ngo
gai). You put just enough of these on to eat quickly; the heat softens them
and releases aromas. Top it, eat some, repeat.
Try
a two-fisted approach, with sticks in your right hand and spoon in your left.
Be sure to try mouthfuls with various toppings and combinations of meats. The
saw-leaf herb — like an earthier, denser cilantro — is particularly yummy.
I
also tried the bahn cahn gio heo,
described as “pork jumbo noodle” but much more (same prices). Bรกhn cahn are
thick, chewy rice noodles, but the soup also had shrimp and two pigs’ feet. It
wasn’t for the faint of heart, but it was delicious.
There
is only one bun dish, bun bo xao xa, sautรฉed beef with lemon
grass over vermicelli ($6), but bun man Don Tremblay says it’s his favorite in town.
It has crisp-fried onion bits and super-fresh mint leaves that light it up. Com dishes have some kind of meat over
rice, with a rice vinegar and fish sauce dip. They come with grilled pork chop,
shredded pork skin, egg, or grilled chicken in various combinations ($5.50 to
$6.50).
If
you’re on the go, try bahn mi, a
light meal for the absurd price of $2.30. It’s a toasted roll, spread with a
pรขtรฉ, then piled with Vietnamese bologna, roast pork, pickled radish and
carrot, “red sauce,” “yellow dressing” (note theme), and cilantro. Not an item
for those who like to understand precisely what they are eating, it is,
however, delicious and a bargain.
The
largest portion of the menu is devoted to beverages. There is the strong
Vietnamese espresso, hot or cold, with or without sweetened condensed milk. The
iced soda with pickled lemon — salty, sour, and sweet all at once — rocks
my world, reminding me of the salty plum soda I had in New York years ago.
There
are also several fruit “milk shakes” (all $2.75), not all made with milk (some
have condensed milk, some water). The avocado milk shake is thick and intense
(my whole family shared one glass). Durian is sweet and on the pungent side
(stinky like papaya). There is also sour sop, jack fruit, and sapoche. It’s a
weird-drink lover’s paradise.
Pho
is, quite simply, the perfect food: delicious, fun, nutritionally balanced,
filling but not heavy. The day I first tried it in Washington, DC, I actually
had it twice. Normally, a restaurant review means two trips; I’ve been to Pho
Duong Dong six times. There are spoons on the tables, ferchrissakes. The place specializes, and for this
obsessive-compulsive, it’s close to heaven.
Pho Duong Dong, 182 Otis Street, 254-8120.
Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Friday and Saturday till 9 p.m.)
Food
tip
Several
years ago, Mark Cupolo closed Victor Grilling Company and joined Tony Gullace
at Max of Eastman Place. When Tony opened Max Chophouse, Mark was the natural
choice for chef. With local sweet corn at its peak, Mark is serving the best
corn chowder I have ever tasted. Note: Mark Cupolo will do a grilling demo in
front of the Public Market office this Saturday, August 6, at 10 a.m.
—
Michael Warren Thomas
Michael
Warren Thomas, www.SavorLife.com.
This article appears in Aug 3-9, 2005.
