If there's anything that Vietnamese and Korean cuisines share, it's the insatiable love of beef and the ingenious ways this meat shows up in its dishes. So if you just happen to be wandering down this part of Lawrence Avenue and wonder what a nice Vietnamese restaurant is doing in the heart of Koreatown, step inside; the common link will soon reveal itself.
Pho is probably the most exemplary of Vietnam's beef-lovin' tastes. As its unofficial national dish, the noodle soup generally consists of thin rice noodles in a deeply beefy broth—ideally one that's been stewed all day—garnished with basil leaves, cilantro, bean sprouts, thinly sliced onions and a wedge of lime. The garnishes usually arrive on a separate plate, to be added at your discretion. And of course, let's not leave out the meat additions.
The twelve different versions of pho on offer at Big Pho are categorized according to cuts and types of meat you want to add: beef tendon, brisket, tripe, flank, shrimp, squid, fish balls, mussels, etc. A conventional version is the dac biet ($5.99), which boasts all beef cuts: rare steak, flank, brisket, tripe and tendon. The broth is decent, though not the harrowingly carnivorous experience that seasoned pho connoisseurs might be looking for (alas, no visible bone-marrow matter floating around here).
A reasonable number of condiments accompany each table, including squeezable bottles of hoison and two types of hot sauce. If pho isn't your thing, there's also a variety of teriyaki dishes, as well as fried rice and noodle entrees ($6.99 to $7.99), along with a limited selection of appetizers including spring rolls.
The staff is friendly and the decor is decidedly young. There's a variety of fruity smoothie drinks ($2.99), free wi-fi and Korean pop music videos playing on a TV in the corner. The videos are captioned, which makes for some engrossing viewing to go with your pho.
Average cost: <$10
Centerstage Reviewer: Ling Ma
