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| - Soup, Salad, Banhwich to go. (uh-oh....)
Thanks to most of the reviewers who put me into the "can't wait to taste that stuff" zone, I finally made it here. It all began with a friendly, helpful girl who took my order. I told her that it was my first time there, that I'd never eaten Vietnamese foods, and that I was really looking forward to trying these dishes.
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COMBINATION MEAL 2
GOI GA * * * * * Chicken Cabbage salad; deliciously vinegary-sweet thin (like water) dressing over very finely-shredded cabbage, with cilantro additions resulting in that herb as the dominant flavor. A few small pieces of mild tender chicken breast complemented the pleasant crunchy sharpness.
#3 PHO TAI CHIN * * * Well-done Brisket and raw Eye of Round Steak, both shaved and in very generous amounts (but with too much fat and gristle that I had to trim off the dry, lacking-in-flavor Brisket), lots of crunchy bean sprouts, a few slices of onion and mild green pepper, many leafy sprigs of I'm-not-sure-what-but-tasted-wonderful (probably a form of basil), and a little tub of a hot saucy mixture---maybe a sesame/hoisin mix---but alas, no noodles. Their site says Pho contains noodles. Looked forward to that, but still satisfying without. Obvious---but mild---cinnamon-flavored broth, that once other ingredients are added as you eat, begins taking on the beef and herb flavors. I wouldn't mind a big pot of this type of broth---to dip a ladle into over 2 or 3 days---with all those delicious additions. I'm going to do a little kitchen experimentation. I have a wonderful beef broth recipe that might soon be going through a little Asian Transformation. (Hmm---TransformAsian. Just made that up, but it's probably been floating through the universe for decades.) And I won't forget the noodles. (FYI: For newies like me, PHO is pronounced FUH, as in DUH. Searched it a year ago, and it's taken me this long to visit a Pho spot.)
CHOICE OF BEVERAGE * Jasmine iced tea was way too weak---delicious but too faint a flavor---and as close to plain water as you can get. Needed another 5 minutes steeping or more tea to water ratio.
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The "7C" style, BANH MI THIT * *
Good crusty French Bread hoagie-style, with roasted pork, cucumber, homemade pate, mayonnaise sauce, and fresh herbs---maybe daikon, too. Very little pork, however---looking nothing at all like the photo on their site showing a good amount of meat. Mine had a very light-handed fill, and almost as much fat as pork---thinly-sliced into long narrow strips. (Fat was never mentioned as one of the ingredients on their menu description, but there sure was enough of it.) Since this was my first ever banh mi, I don't know if this is the authentic way that it's prepared and served, but was willing to try as is. "When in Rome" lasted about 2 bites before I performed the final trimming----and ended up with a reasonably-sized pile of fat, at that. It was a disappointment---not enough flavor or ingredients, and not enough of the good parts. Plus, the two very faint smears of pate and mayonnaise lent no discernible flavor to this sandwich. I'd read about Banh Mi's years ago, so at least I was able to finally try one. Really liked the idea---the combination of these elements. With this visit, I've found another new way to use my leftover roasted pork---I'll just add these other ingredients and make my own. Done.
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I want to believe that I was noodle-deprived and pork/pate short-changed by accident. I'll just about always give the benefit of the doubt in matters like this, although it was a slow (from all appearances) Sunday afternoon and was nearly empty---counted only 5 diner-heads. Mondays they're closed. Maybe they'd run out of prepared ingredients---namely noodles, pork, and pate---but I don't want to go there. Even the best laid plans.... If I ever go back---I'm still deliberating on that possibility---I'll eat in. Or I might try other Vietnamese spots to compare these dishes and confirm authenticity.
Now, it could be my inter-galactic experience manuevering through swirling space debris, dwarfs, and all that other stuff, but I had no problem finding this joint. I pulled right in like I was pulling into my own driveway. I took the interbelt north, turned off and up the Superior exit ramp, made a sharp right turn halfway up, came to a stop sign, crossed a side street, continued straight onto an open alleyway, and there was the building's rear entrance at my left. Appeared to have parking for 20-30 cars---for at least the two restaurants here, and perhaps other businesses, too. Click on the Google map on Yelps Superior Pho's page, choose Satellite view and click + and -- to get a feel for where it's located.
My recommendation:
Pull up their site for complete menu and descriptions so you know what to expect.
http://www.superiorpho.com
Eat in rather than taking out---if there's an omission, it's easily resolved.
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