My blog n'at

After a long night of recording which may have involved a LOT of mead, eating a bowl of Pho on a cold fall day is spiritual. I’ve been unable to find decent Pho since Vietnam’s Pho but that all changed with a trip to Pho Kim 88 today. While the selection wasn’t as extensive as Vietnam’s Pho it was HELLA good and after the Mekong fail I wasn’t sure if I could find this bowl of heaven.

I’ve made it a personal mission to eat in as many Pho restaurants as I can in Pittsburgh. There isn’t a timetable so I can ease into each restaurant and make sure i’m in the mood for Pho. It’s a spiritual thing after all.

This trip took me to Mekong in Dormont. I’ve diven by it a few times and based on the reviews from Urbanspoon I figured it would be a nice little treat while Lushie and teaspoon were away last weekend.

The restaurant is very quaint with enough room for a small handful of tables. I took a peek at other dishes patrons were enjoying and every single one looked bountiful. One menu item caught my eye, Deluxe Eggroll. Turns out for $4 more it comes crammed with curry and shrimp. I stuck to my guns and when the very pleasant server arrived placed an order for a single eggroll and Pho. I know my stomach and that much food could slip me into a coma. As luck would have it  the eggroll had very chewy dough inside.

The Pho arrives and the bowl isn’t as big as Vietnam’s Pho but it does win on visual appeal (the pic above doesn’t do it justice). First thing I did see what that the broth was darker than usual. I let it sit so the beef could cook a bit and when I took the first taste I came up with a mouthful of bloody beef. I started to look at the meat and 1/2 of it was still mostly raw. I’m all about flavor in my beef but the time I waited the beef usually continues to cook but the temp was lukewarm. I picked out the pieces that were done, fished off the noodles and left the broth. I really did try to stomach it but the blood was too overpowering.

I will go back for other menu items and try them out but the Pho is something I’ll have to pass on.

If you’d like to meet for Pho sometime shoot me a message.

If you can finish that lyric of who I’m mocking you are one bad mofo and we should have drinks.

Last night was the crazy insanely hugely successful Tweet-up organized by Uncle Crappy at Vietnam’s Pho. In attendance (christ I hope I get all these right from what I remember on where people sat) – @Techburgh and his lady, @Beth910 and The Boy, @psylum, @douglasderda, @Bobtv and his girlfriend, @colindean, @illyrias, @ilikesleep, @pgha, @jamilbroom, @mrscrappy, @unclecrappy, @andreadisaster, @shanlin1022, and  @shadow.

The Dinner – Don’t even ask me what everyone had cuz that’s not happening. However I do recall @shadow taking a bath in the chili sauce. You know he was shooting fireballs about later, he just wont admit to it. You know you have a friend like that. No matter what they eat its not hot enough? That’s @shadow.  One of these days I’ll make him cry from heat. Lushie may need to break out her home made wing sauce that cleared a high rise with tears.

The Pho - I dined on an appetizer of Goi Cuon (Spring Roll w/shrimp, pork, vermicelli and fresh veggies rolled in rice paper with a peanut dipping sauce) and finally caved for the Pho Dac Biet (Beef Round Eye, Flank, Tendon, Tripe, Brisket, Beef Balls and noodles). You read that correctly, tendon and tripe. The tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and the first three chambers of a cow’s stomach. Thankfully the Beef Balls were these and not these as I feared.

The tendon was a mess as always so I just picked most of it out but the tripe was mind blowing. You have to get past the mental fact that you’re eating part of a cow’s stomach and dig in. It takes on the flavor of what its in so it consumed the beefy goodness of the broth. The Beef Balls were an odd texture but tasted decent. Kinda chewy and what i would expect heart to be like. Everyone else around me seemed to have been won over on their dishes which secretly really made me happy. I think more people need to open their minds and give this a try as you can order a simple dish of broth, meat and noodles to enjoy. Work your way up to the big boy stuff !  Our final bill, $170.  that’s right, 20 people ate full meals and drinks for $170. You can figure the math

Highlight was also finding out that it is BYOB and with a few growlers of East End beverages in hand I think a Pho-king-beer tasting will be coming up shortly.

Dare I say the Pho was spiritual? On the drive home I thought I saw God and he was eating a bowl of Pho also and drinking a beer.

Here are a few other pics

cheers!

The Pho jokes just never stop around here. You may recall that back in July I had my first bowl of Pho while contacting in the Strip. Since then it’s grown to an addiction that finally consumed my dear friend Uncle Crappy and spawned what will be my first official “tweet-up” attendance… I think. There’s a good chance I was a part of a tweet-up and didn’t know it.

If you’re in Pittsburgh, join us for a PHO-DOWN!
1. Show up at Vietnam’s Pho.
2. Eat.
3. Go home happy.

I never said these things were difficult. Complete details are at http://pittsburghtweetup.ning.com/events/pho-down

Would a fluffy guy like myself says something is good, you should probably listen.  Come be one of the Pho-king cool kids in Pittsburgh tonight!

July
Began the month with recording at the BeerDependence Day celebration at Bocktown. Attended the Penguins Stanley Cup DVD Release Party. Started a contracting job at EDMC that would become the longest month of my life and that’s all I’m going to say. Enjoyed my first ever bowl of Pho. Rocked the Beer on the Bay festival in Erie which the videos are epic and may never be released. End the month being interviewed by KDKA for the Craft Beer Summit.

August
Won a 2009 Mustang! Bees invade our bathroom (landlord still has yet to remove the dead bodies). I got a full-time job in social media/web dev that has turned out to be freaking cool plus I’m on a rockstar team. Threatened Lushie with divorce after she gets rid of the Back to the Future marathon channels.

September
Attended “Best of the Burgh” at the Warhol with sickpuppy, PittGirl, Woy and Rachel. Go big time and hosted Beer School at the Cabaret downtown to a sold out crowd. Teaspoon hits 17lbs.

October
Hosted 2 sessions at Podcamp Pittsburgh 4. Should I Drink That passed 500,000 download mark. Pens start defending the Stanley Cup. Revised Google Maps errors. Celebrate 4 years of marriage with Lushie. Lay the smackdown on poor fact checking by the Post gazette about Erie. Teaspoon goes pumpkin farming.

November
I blogged the whole month. Seriously. Bought a X-box. Teaspoon’s first Thanksgiving. Wonders of fatherhood and a kid who grows like a weed. Craft Beer Dinner with Lew Bryson, Education on the Pittsburgh Potty. Making your own Bacon. BEER AT GIANT EAGLE! Yinz Bowl 2.o

December
Still living it for 5 more hours. Remembering dad on his anniversary. Hosted a Christmas beer sampling at Bocktown. Saw KISS in concert. Teaspoon’s first Christmas. Finished the school year with a 3.65GPA. SNOW!

So what do I have to look forward to in 2010?  Come back tomorrow and find out!

(check out the full gallery on Flickr)

I wouldn’t say that I’m an adventurous eater like my boy Phil but I am willing to try new things. Over the last year Phil and BuBBy have been all googoogaagaa about this dish called Pho. At the time I didn’t have a place by me or where I worked that fancied themselves in Vietnamese cuisine. Fast forward to today and a contract I’m working on put me downtown with a rumored fantastic Pho place present. What the hell, I’m game.

What is Pho? – Wikipedia

Lunch at Vietnam’s Pho is an adventure. If you’re going to feast here do not eat breakfast and don’t worry if you’re on lunch because the food is ready fast. Not realizing the size portions I picked an appetizer of Goi Cuon (Spring Roll w/shrimp, pork, vermicelli and fresh veggies rolled in rice paper) and a main dish of Pho Tai-Nam (Beef round eye and well done flank noodle soup). I should have paid attention to BuBBy and Phil about portion size. The soup may not appear large in that photo but on the table it’s wider than a dinner plate and as deep as a Chicago style pizza. The noodles were incredibly tender, the broth complimented the pieces of meat and the seasoning added a sensational final accent on a perfect bowl.

When I thought it couldn’t get any better I saw the bill. $12 for that feast and I can assure you that I was comfortably full for a good 5 hours.

Website: http://www.vietnamspho.com/