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| - We finally made it to Pho Van to use our Groupon, just two days before it expired! That's how we roll, last-minute style. We moseyed in on Wednesday around 7 pm - about half the tables were full, and two tables were set up for outdoor dining for those of you who like to people-watch in the Strip District! We chose a table inside, in the "spartan" dining room, as my boyfriend called it. There isn't really much decor or atmosphere at all - just a simple room with tables and chairs - nothing to focus on but your dining partner and the food!
We ordered the crispy rolls first, which arrived hot and with their texture as advertised. You can taste the meaty pork inside them! Then we got bowls of pho - mine with rare eye of round, my boyfriend's with brisket. My meat did indeed arrive rare and red, but after a few minutes swim in the broth, it continued to cook and developed a more uniform brown color. The bowls were huge and just full of noodles! We took a few sips of the hot broth and instantly, any stress or pain melted away. Wow, that stuff was lovely. Aromatic, herbal, delightful. I doctored mine a little bit with basil leaves and bean sprouts, but surprisingly we didn't add any Sriracha at first. I love spicy food, but the broth tasted so lovely on its own, I didn't feel the need. We ended up adding some later, which did add a nice kick but it changes the flavor slightly.
The food was so inexpensive - $7 for a giant bowl - we each took half home for lunch the next day. So that's basically $3.50 per meal. A steal! And it was such a pleasure to eat - it was....peaceful food, if that makes any sense. Our server was also friendly and fast. We both felt like this was a great use of Groupon - we tried a new place, and liked it enough that we plan to come back! Everybody wins!
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