Have been seeing Pho soup pop up an Andrew Zimmeran's shows and finally decided to go to get some. The place was cozy, perfect for a date, not too loud, not too busy and the server came over right away. I don't have a problem telling someone if I don't have experience and today wasn't any different. The server suggested the basic noodle bowl so we ordered that and another of my new interests- a bento box.
The good- the bento box contained a California roll which was nice & fresh, perfectly rolled and rather full. It was delicious. The chicken on a stick was teriyaki and perfect as well. The steak cubes were marinated and cooked perfect but a bit tough to chew (so I wouldn't blame them). The rest of the ingredients were rather good but not so good as to make them memorable.
The bad- my taste for lemongrass. If you aren't familiar- I looked it up for you... Lemongrass: Related to citronella, this bulbous, greyish green tropical grass is a favored herb in Southeast Asian cuisines, where its delicate, lemony essence permeates a wide assortment of dishes. In Thai cooking, lemongrass is used most frequently to flavor soups, salads and curries. Had I looked it up first, seeing that the first thing it says is 'related to citronella...' I should have ordered something else. Lemongrass is STRONG. I can't say it tastes like anything I have ever tasted before and now I know I'm not a fan. But if you are, this bowl was stuffed with noodles, vegetables, came with a side of fresh jalapeños (at my request, as I told the server we liked spicy) and some dry rice noodle crackers. Again- if you like lemongrass- this soup would have been perfect. I wanted to like it, but I just can't. Again- nothing against the restaurant, just the flavor of lemongrass... See where I'm going here?
Thanks for reading. :)