Pho 97 Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine
To make great soup, you must start with great broth. At Pho 97, the broth they use for their noodle soups is rich yet light, redolent of cinnamon and anise. It's flavorful without being oily; a foundation upon which each soup variety can build. It is, in a word, great.
Over time I've sampled most of the menu here. The rice dishes are good but I keep coming back to the soups. Today is pho dac biet ($5.50/medium), a bowl of rice vermicelli in a broth of beef bones simmered slow and long with aromatic spices. The vermicelli is topped with rare beef, beef balls, tripe, tendon and miscellaneous less identifiable beef bits.
Pho is traditionally served with a generous side plate of thai basil, ngo gai, bean sprouts, lemon wedges and sliced green chilis. I hand shred the basil and ngo gai, sliding them with the sprouts and chilis it into my steaming bowl then give a quick squeeze of lemon across the top. The combination of savory soup and fresh herbs is heavenly, and addictive.
Many Westerners can't stomach soup for the first meal of the day, but I'm a pho-for-breakfast kind of guy. It's a habit picked up on trips to Vietnam where street vendors welcomed the dawn by calling out for customers. Paired with a glass of ca phe phin sua da ($2.50) there are few better ways to start the day. Come a few hours later for lunch if that's your style, but be prepared for a short wait around noon. Pho 97 has a reputation for great food. Personally, I think it's all in the broth.
Pho 97 Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine
Maunakea Marketplace
1120 Maunakea St. #176
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 538-0708
Mon-Sat: 8am - 9pm
Sun: 8am - 8pm
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Hey Alan,
I'm glad you finally got a chance to try Pho 97. I love the soups there as well and normally eat there at least once every 10 days. I haven't yet had it for breakfast because it opens too late (I'm usually at the office by 6am), but maybe I'll take a day off and have some pho for breakfast!
I've always wanted to try pho, but I never have because I didn't know what -exactly- it was, how to eat it, how to even pronounce it.
I've also been a little nervous because I'd heard that the meat added is rare... Will it cook a little in the broth?? I'm not a big fan of rare meat..
Reid, I'm afraid you've got me beat. Now that I don't work downtown any longer I only make it there sporadically.
Lisa, the pronunciation is tricky, especially for people unfamiliar with tonal languages. A close approximation is to say "Phuh?" (rhymes with duh?)
The meat does cook nicely in the broth. Just submerge it with your chopsticks until it cooks to your comfort.