Pho Hoa
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With all the pho joints around Argyle, there’s always the nagging thought that no matter which one you choose there’s another serving a subtler, more aromatic bowl of the Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Among phoficionados such places rise and fall in favor continuously, but for almost a year now Pho Hoa, tucked inside a Broadway strip mall along a tight parking lot in perpetual gridlock, has been dishing out one of my favorites. Available in a relatively limited 20 combinations, the potent broth gives off a harmonic perfume of ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. Noodles are fresh, not precooked, and each bowl is dosed with ample portions of meat. The pho list is broken into three categories: “For the Beginner,” offering lean cuts of steak, brisket, or meatballs; “A Little Bit of Fat,” which augments those cuts with flank steak, tripe, or fatty brisket; and third and largest, “Adventurer’s Choice,” featuring still fattier cuts and tendon, plus a version with chicken broth. All are accompanied by the usual garnishes–fresh lime, jalapeno, mint leaves, and bean sprouts–and if you’re feeling heroic you can request a small bowl of luxuriant golden fat to drizzle on top. Fruit shakes, coffee drinks, and several varieties of che, the popular pudding-type sweet, fill out the menu. –Mike Sula
