Tasting Pho - Vietnamese

     I love trying new food items.  I love suggestions from family and friends of exciting restaurants  offering tasting food choices.  So when my sister and mother told me I had to try Pho, I had to try it.  I had never had Vietnamese food.




  We ordered carry out lunch from Pho 12 - a neighborhood place in the Brookland area of Washington, DC close to my sister's house.   From the menu, I expected food similar to Chinese.  We ordered several dishes - Pho soup with white meat chicken, Springs rolls, Grilled pork on a stick, and Fried rice dishes (including my order of combination).



   When my sister arrived with the food, I was pleasantly surprised.  I expected greasy Chinese food.  Instead, to my surprise, I encountered something different.  The food was fresh and flavorful.


    I am not really a fan of soup but this soup looked and smelled delicious. The aroma alone made me want to love soup.  In fact, the soup came in ready for you to assemble - broth, chicken and vegetables.  You combine the ingredients to your taste




    I really enjoyed the use of fresh vegetables and especially cilantro.  I had to wonder if I was eating infused Mexican.  I actually got a salad with my rice dish! 


    Although the food was good, especially the Grilled Pork on a stick, I found my combination fried rice disappointing.   The shrimp was good. However,instead of pieces of pork the rice had small pieces of pork sausage which I found distasteful.   It would of been so much better with pieces of the grilled pork. 


     Overall, we enjoyed our lunch.  Just not everything.  Mom was not thrilled with the Pho soup although I found it nice soup dish.  The fried rice although not greasy like Chinese fried rice lacked the right combination of meats like Chinese.  However, unlike Chinese food that takes me a hour or two to be hungry again, I was still hungry after eating my two spring rolls, 2 grilled pork sticks, and the fried rice.  Either I am a pig or the food was just tasting and not filling. For the price, which is more than Chinese, I expected to be full and satisfied.  I was not.  Either I am a pig or the food was just tasty and not filling.  I will have to try it again to find out. I just will eliminate the combination fried rice and have just shrimp fried rice. 


     The experience of Pho Vietnamese cuisine is yet another assortment of international favors that I added to my hungry palate.  It made, however, for a interesting lunch discussion.


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