Tuesday, March 27, 2012

#1 Pho


The change in seasons has been tap dancing on Bug's head and rattling the snot out of him. What better way to chase it out than Vietnamese food at our favorite place for it -- #1 Pho.

As has been customary for us over the years we have patronized this restaurant, we ordered the chargrilled summer rolls. A trip here would not be complete without this deliciously smoky dish, as indicated in its recurrence from our visits posted previously.

365-268 Chargrilled Pork Summer Rolls
Day 268/365

I recently got Bug hooked on the incredibly beefy, spicy lemongrass noodle soup, bun bo Hue, so that is what he ordered. This sufficiently cleared his congestion, especially after adding jalapeno peppers.

365-268 Bun Bo Hue
Day 268/365

I am often torn on what to order, between pho (beef noodle soup), bun rieu (tomato crab noodle soup), bun thit nuong (chargrilled pork rice vermicelli), several other dishes I have already tried, or stepping out of my skin and ordering something new.

On this trip, I ordered the make-your-own summer roll platter served with freshly fried-crisp whole shrimp (not minced nor with fillers) spring rolls and seasoned pork meatballs (shaped into logs), an appetizer that can feed 4 people alone. Generous portions of pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, rice vermicelli with green onions and chopped nuts are also included. The dip, a thicker sweetened fish sauce, complements the meatballs very well.

365-268 Shrimp Spring Meatball Summer Rolls
Day 268/365

Making your own food is a delightful way to pace a meal. It's so easy to take flavors for granted when a dish is presented fully prepared. In some cases, to enjoy a dish at its peak, one must eat it very quickly.

While the combinations of rolls will not be extremely complex, I enjoy the opportunity of differing flavors, textures, and temperatures. In hindsight, this dish is probably one of the more labor intensive dishes to put together, even though a number of components are likely made in advance.

This meal was the perfect cure for Bug. I was extremely happy with my freshly prepared dish. As always, everyone here is friendly and the service is fantastic. Of course, this is why we visit so frequently!

- Cassaendra

#1 Pho
3120 Superior Ave E
Cleveland, OH 44114
Tel: (216) 781-1176

2 deep thoughts:

Mrs. L 28 March, 2012 15:41  

We have a ton of Vietnamese restaurants here and I do tend to order the same thing every time...basic beef pho. I need to get out of my rut one of these days and get more adventurous!

Cassaendra 28 March, 2012 23:48  

Hi Mrs. L,

I am so envious of your choices! I have issues with going to the same places and ordering the same thing mainly because I've been disappointed too often going to new places, or when the other dish isn't as good as my favorite dish. :)

  © Blogger templates Brooklyn by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP