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| - I rarely review restaurants; who has the time? But to be frank, I feel compelled to review this place. Bottomline, I want this place to stay in business. No, I NEED this place to stay in business. From the first meal I had here, it was love at first taste. Since then, I've been a Hoja addict. How could anyone not be? Though you might not even notice it at first glance, what goes on behind this tiny colorfully decorated little enclave is nothing short of culinary alchemy. And as far as I know, there are no other places that even compare!
I will admit, though the menu is simple enough to navigate, the sheer amount of choices available can be a little dizzying. Having gone over ten times now, I've had a chance to try a lot on the menu, and it's all very good; fresh and flavorful every time. However, as far as I'm concerned, there is one dish truly that takes the cake. If you're not sure what to order, please do yourself a favor and try this combination.
Veggie Combo - Mild Hoja broth, add chicken (or any protein really) - add the spiced egg and my favorite are thin noodles.
The hoja broth is hands down the best. It has this far away aromatic flavor, deep and rich, sweet and smokey, full of mystery yet strangely familiar. I find myself rolling my eyes with each bite. Because of the vast array of veggies, (cabbage, asparagus, corn, mushroom, bean curd, puffed tofu, lotus root, etc) each bite is uniquely refreshing and one of a kind. To add to all this goodness, the portion sizes are huge. I mean HUGE. When the bowl comes, you may be a little overwhelmed. But don't be. Every time I've brought someone here and treated them to this dish, they finish it down to the last drop. I wouldn't be surprised if one bowl could easily provide enough nutrients for the entire day.
If you like the richness of ramen, but find it be too thick and salty, perhaps leaving you feeling sluggish, and you like the lightness and parsimony of Vietnamese pho, but find that it doesn't fill you up enough or is too subtle in flavor, then the luwei at hoja is the perfect in between.
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