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After some tummy troubles, I decided a big bowl of pho sounded great! But, leaving my job on the North side and driving to my fave spot in Chinatown at 5pm, was NOT in the plan. I hit Google and came across this spot that was located in the Heights. On the way home -- perfect!
The restaurant shares a lot with another business and front door parking is quite limited (I'm sure there's more either on the side or in the back). Lucky for me, I found the one remaining space at the front door. Walking in, it was quite nice, I was surprised to find it had a bar. I spotted Don Julio 1942, Clase Azul and Grey Goose. I was mentally settling in for what I thought would be a great experience.
I make my way to the register and place my order: two sodas, egg rolls, large bowl with raw steak and tendon, and extra noodles on the side. Condiments are on a separate bar and they the usual setup, but no chili oil. It wasn't a big deal, I've made it work with just hoisin and sriracha before.
I took my seat and waited for the food. My egg rolls came first, of course. They were hot, flavorful and not bad at all. Then, the pho came. 🫠
Anyone who knows anything about pho is aware that it's a monumental task to create the real deal. And, in honor of the star (the broth) it's customary to take a few sips with nothing added; no veggies, no sauces and no spices. I dipped my spoon into the soup and -- tragedy.
My shoulders sank, and I immediately felt my brow involuntarily furrow, "What the?!?" All I could taste was cinnamon. Not star anise. Not cardamom. Not cloves. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, 'Well, isn't it supposed to taste like cinnamon?', and the answer is, "Yes!" But it's also supposed to taste like all of the other things I mentioned. There was none of that.
After realizing that there wasn't much to be done about anything, I went for the Hail Mary and added hoisin and sriracha. Use of the veggies was NEVER an option, so don't even go there! At the end of it all, I ended up with meat, noodles and broth. 😒 To my chagrin, the hoisin and sriracha actually made it a bit worse, so I decided to not take in so much broth and eat the meat.
Nope! The tendon was tough and kind of gristly, not like the tender and almost silky tendon that I've gotten at every other the restaurant I visited. Then, the rare steak was in two massive balls that I had to kind of finagle with my chopsticks, and swirl around the bowl, to separate them. In the end, the steak was okay, or just wasn't enough to carry a massive bowl if pho.
Finally, I tried just eating the noodles. But, flag on the play! The extra side of noodles I ordered came in a bowl with no broth. We know what happens when thin pasta hits room temperature (or cooler). It solidifies and turns into a ball of yarn, right? Well, that ball of yarn threw off the temp and texture of the whole bowl. And, after about six or seven bites, I'd had all I could take. I decided to leave.
So, to recap, for $38 (you read that right), I got: a large bowl of cinnamon-heavy pho with gristly tendon pieces, wilted/dried-out veggies, mediocre beef, two Mexican Cokes and some decent egg rolls.
SIDENOTE (you knew it was coming):
I write reviews because I rely on reviews!
It's important that I say that because this dish, in particular, holds a special place in my heart and I take its preparation very seriously. With that being said, I'm just one person! Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean you won't.
And, for those who are saying I should've gotten my money back -- a refund isn't the point! The point is a dining experience that hopefully meets my expectations. Whether it does or it doesn't I chose tell you what I thought about it.
We all take a risk when we eat out. Even the restaurants we frequent or visit on a daily basis can disappoint us. This was my first time here and I am sharing my first time experience with others who may one day decide to give it a try! ~ p
