Pho on the Ave
posted January 18, 2009
Pho Tran
The broth here is of a different sort. It’s darker in color and tastes a bit more roasted and salty (in a pleasant way). It almost reminds me of Worcestershire sauce. (Advertises “No MSG”. Perhaps this accounts for some of the difference in broth.) This place is worth a try, even if only to experience the atypical broth flavor.
The mushrooms here were clearly of subpar quality. Still enjoyable as mushrooms but neither flavorful nor creamy.
Only a single jalapeño slice was provided.
The tofu was cut after it was fried, resulting in a smaller proportion of the chunks' surface area being fried.
Plum sauce and sriracha were on the table, but chili paste (in the typical, redder variety and the darker, smokier variety) was on a bookcase in the back.
The sizes are labeled “regular,” “large,” and “extra-large,” but they're the same old small/medium/large as everywhere else. Accurate, maybe, but misleading.
Prices: $4.55 / $5.15 / $6.25
Pho Than Brothers
A baseline pho. Quite acceptable, with an open and friendly atmosphere.
Prices: $4.35 / $4.75 / $5.15
Saigon Deli
Includes onions, chives, unfried tofu (too bad), broccoli, and a little carrot. Broth is slightly sweet and somewhat intriguing at first, but becomes a little boring after the first few bites.
Not highly recommended for the pho, but try their other soups — especially the Special Veggie Soup (if that’s what it’s called).
While the typical “free dessert” on the Ave is a sweet, extremely-dairy cream puff, Saigon Deli serves small cups of excellent maple-flavored yogurt. A much nicer treat.
Pho Vietnam 2
An eerie atmosphere that looks exactly like Than Bros. They copied the typeface and style of the window decoration. Their menu has a few design choices lifted directly from their neighbor’s.
Includes broccoli, a nice touch.
I found the noodles less delectably tender. They required some breaking apart before they were edible. Overall, their texture was on the poorer side.
Plain broth was remarkably flavorful.
Prices: $4.35 / $4.75 / $5.15
Pho Thy Thy
Not pictured, unfortunately.
This place has big, coarse onions and carrots. This seems exciting, and it sort of is, but neither is particularly well-executed. The onions — full circles, like you might put on a cheese sandwich — are raw and soggy and are sort of an interruption to the flavor. The carrots are just halved frozen babies; their texture is abysmally crumbly and chalky.
Populated and busy atmosphere marred by a boring television set. People are seated so that they can see the advertisements for housewares while they eat.
I received maybe two mushrooms in my medium bowl — damn it. Dark chili paste only. Ample, but notably unspicy, peppers. The tofu was cut after frying, but shaped thinly enough that a significant amount of surface area was fried. The tofu itself, though, was a little disappointing.
I felt a little cheated on the amount of noodles I received; the result was a somewhat overwhelming broth:noodle ratio. After a while, the MSG or salt or bouillon or something tired out my mouth and made the whole soup a bit less enjoyable.
Not recommended except for experiencing the onions, which are an experience.
Prices: $4.35 / $4.75 / $5.15
Thanh Vi
The atmosphere is busy but hospitable, with a large rush and frantic staff at lunchtime. Pho is only one aspect of an extensive menu here, so there’s limited (though extant) meat variety if that’s what you're into.
The ingredients are simple: just chives, onions, and fried tofu. The size of the tofu behemoths was at first off-putting but turned out to be novel and enjoyable.
The broth is delicate and even somewhat sweet. It’s intensely enjoyable, even encouraging me to eschew plum sauce and chili paste for the majority of the meal. The noodles are the perfect texture and hold flavor well.
Also available is the “pho chay Than Vi,” a special veggie pho that includes a heap of extra vegetables (including broccoli, cucumber, chopped peanuts). This is also recommended, but can be a bit overwhelming: the eater must dig through the salad on top to reach the soup below.
As an aside, the boba drinks mixed here are slushy fruit frappés, which are novel and extremely satisfying.
Only disposable chopsticks, so bring your own.
Strongly recommended; an overall surprisingly delightful experience.
Small and medium only, but called “small” and “large.”
Prices: $4.97 / $5.97