"What the Pho?"

On Saturday morning we walked the West Seattle street fair to see if anything was different from last year (not really) then decided to have a bowl of Pho for lunch.



Here's a funny story: Amanda and I were at the Southcenter mall a few weeks ago and drove by the "What the Pho?" restaurant. I'm not making this up, it was interesting to see Pho go mainstream next to McDonald's and Sizzler. You might not be familiar with this Vietnamese noodle soup (pronounced "fuh") but it may be coming to a mall near you. In Seattle there are dozens of small Asian places that specialize in just Pho soup. Our favorite is the "Pho Than Brothers," and they have a branch nearby at the West Seattle junction. They are unique in the world of Pho because they serve a cream puff with each order-- made from a family recipe, no doubt picked up from the French occupiers long ago. I believe the French also left the Vietnamese with an appreciation for good baguettes, which wouldn't be bad with Pho, either.



http://www.thanbrothers.com/

The soup is served in different size bowls, the largest big enough to wash a baby. The Pho assembler puts rice noodles and vegetables in the bottom, followed by thinly sliced raw meat, cooked chicken or tofu, then covers everything with boiling broth. Pho is always served with a plate of toppings: fresh basil, bean sprouts and lime. And at Than, a cream puff appetizer! It's especially good on winter days, but also restorative after trudging down the length of the WestFest street fair.