Good Eats: Pho An, Bankstown

I think it's strange how I'm so Asian (with pinches and sprinkles of Chinese and Japanese) and not like noodles. I don't hate it (hate is such a loaded word) but it just never really occurs to me to wake up and find Noodles on my day's to-eat list. I only realised this when I went on a 2-week holiday around Japan last summer. While working our way through eating all things Japanese, the Noodle option never seemed to appeal to me which made me beg the question WHY. 

And I found it's because I find Noodles to be available absolutely everywhere and that I am a snob. It takes some really good noodles to make me call out an exception.

Pho or Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup from Pho An is an exception to my nooodle-snobbing ways (along with Menya Musashi and Kyushu Jangara in Tokyo). Pronounce it as Fohhh, Fuhhh, Faaahhh, Fwuoahaxxxkk--it means the same thing: delicious. 

It had to be done. (Not completely off-tangent but you won't believe how many other "Pho-isms" there are in the world)

It's a very straight-forward restaurant, simple and clean interiors of black metal chairs on tiled floors. Upon entry, they hand you a menu while scouting for a table.

I knew I was going to be fine in the company of a Vietnamese food whisperer. Silly, I don't know why I was so nervous then. Maybe it was because we were somewhere what they call "The Hood" and I couldn't help feeling so foreign. The Vietnamese and Chinese menus did not take the edge off either. But right then and there, I knew I picked the right place to surrender my Pho-virtue.

We entered, we sat, he ordered and then we blinked. BAM!

Pho Dac Biet worth your $13with all the rare beef slices, tripe and other beefy innards.

Two big bowls of Pho and a platter of mint and bean sprouts to share were before us all under 5 minutes. It made sense being nicknamed "McPho". Seriously gives Yoshinoya a run for its money.

We ordered 2 "small"  Pho Dac Biet (Beef Combination), and as you can very well see, some redefinition of the word needs to happen. No complaints from our end, though!

Some serene table situation before the destruction

In my book, first times are always on a 50-50 playing field. You love it or you don't. A good first for me is one that builds excitement for your next. However, a great first time is one that shoots you way over the moon with sheer gratitude that you waited for THE ONE.

Was I glad I waited until Bankstown's Pho An to swipe my Pho Virginity card. I'm such a romantic for food.

I lack grace and table manners in the presence of god-awesome food. Also, might be the heavy plastic Vietnamese chopsticks I wasn't well-acquainted with.

So indulge me a little bit. We're in another universe where I'm a really good singer.

I could only sing praises full of riffs about that Pho. Let's break it down:

• THE BROTH was so tasty and just respectably warm on that summer's day. To describe it in a word would be hearty. I'd pay extra for some soup alone. 
• THE NOODLES made me want to try other noodles on offer here on Earth. They were so good! Just the right texture and softness, it slipped into my mouth with ease as I slurped albeit unattractively.
• THE WORKS: I guess I was thinking in Yen but I thought 13 bucks was pretty cheap for that huge bowl of Red Meat Party. In the Dac Biet, not only do you get a generous serve of thin rare beef slices but also an army of nondescript beef parts. Tripe, tendon, beef balls, beef fat. I mean.
• If the likes of those are way too Fear Factor-y for you, you can always live less and order the safe option. Or... Chicken.
• THE EXTRAS: As if the bowl of Pho didn't already have my tastebuds go haywire with flavour-overdrive, there were also some mint, slices of red chili peppers and sweet and spicy red sauce (I'm not sure what it was) you could add to your heart's content.
• Insider tip I learned from my Vietnamese food whisperer was dipping the beef parts into the red sauce then dunking it in your spoonful of broth. Open wide and do a second-take with the noodles. *Disclaimer: requires skillful hand coordination*
• THE TEA they served brought me back instantly to my very short stint in HCMC. It was fragrant, slightly sweet and perfectly hot. Cleansed my palate nicely after I was strong enough to let go of my spoon.

There are very few occasions in my life when I think, "I'm only human, that sucks".

This was one of them. My stomach could only house so much and I'm pretty sure all that MSG was sending me to sleep at 70% of my way through my "small" bowl.

No sense looking in hindsight now, though. I've had my first time and it was special.