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Dick on Food: Try Pho
By
Eddie Dick
Staff Writer
If you are looking for an exotic culinary treat in
the area, then Pho Ha Vietnamese Restaurant on Indian
Hill is the place to go. Its combination of fresh ingredients
and unique flavors make it a real winner for readers
looking to take a walk on the culinary wild side.
To help me sort out the dizzying array of options on
the menu, I brought along Kelli Howard ’04, who
was fresh off the boat from a two-month stay in Vietnam.
Going to Pho Ha with someone who knows a thing or two
about Vietnamese food can be handy, but certainly not
necessary.
According to Howard, there are two main things that
a reader should know about Vietnamese food. First, expect
lots of flavor. Vietnamese cooking embraces the Chinese
concept of incorporating all five flavors (sweet, sour,
spicy, bitter and salty) in every dish. The focus in
Vietnamese cuisine is on creating a balance between
flavors, as well as textures, smells, and colors. Second,
freshness is a key component. Lots of dishes at Pho
Ha come with piles of fresh raw vegetables and herbs;
make sure to add them to your meal, as it makes a world
of difference.
The first thing you will notice upon arriving at Pho
Ha is the rather bleak atmosphere. According to Howard,
this is not representative of the typical décor
found in Saigon. But with food this cheap and packed
full of flavor I had no problem ignoring it. It should
be noted that the service is incredibly prompt with
waiters almost sprinting to take orders. Unfortunately,
communication with the wait staff can sometimes be difficult,
and unless you have been boning up on your Vietnamese
its a good idea to point to your selected item on the
menu to ensure the accuracy of your order.
The name of the restaurant is a reference to the popular
beef noodle soup known as Pho. Ordering Pho requires
the patron to make a decision as to which part of the
cow will accompany the soup. I went for the rather conservative
eye round steak, but more adventurous spirits can select
various other meats, including cuts of fat and even
tripe (bovine stomach lining). A large bowl of Pho suffices
as a meal, and will only set you back four dollars and
some change.
Accompanying the Pho is a plate of basil, bean sprouts,
chili peppers, and lime that should be added to get
the full Pho experience. The tables at Pho Ha are also
stocked with a wide assortment of condiments that can
be added to enhance the flavor of every dish. Howard
suggested that I add Siracha for spiciness and hoisin
sauce to give the Pho a touch of tangy sweetness. The
result was a delicious salty broth that was sweet and
tangy but finished with a touch of heat that was just
right. The only problem I had with this dish was managing
to navigate the astonishingly long noodles into my mouth
without making a horrible mess.
Another dish worth pointing out is the plate of egg
rolls that reside toward the end of the menu. They come
freshly fried, and are paired with a plate of lettuce
and mint in which to wrap the rolls. Once the egg roll
is bundled inside the lettuce it should be dipped into
an accompanying cup of fish sauce before ingestion.
This dish is all about the contrast in texture. The
piping hot egg roll blends perfectly with the soft mint
leaves and fresh lettuce, while the fish sauce gives
it just the right amount of sweetness.
My trip to Pho Ha also included an order of charbroiled
pork and bean curd shrimp paste, topped with fish sauce
and served on a bed of noodles, lettuce and pickled
vegetables. I found the charbroiled pork to be cooked
to perfection with a slightly charred outer crust lightly
covered in a Vietnamese style barbeque sauce. Much less
satisfying was the accompanying bean curd shrimp paste,
which is essentially shrimp-infused tofu that has been
deep-fried. It certainly was not bad, but it lacked
the zest of the other items on the menu.
For all you vegetarians out there, the menu at Pho
Ha also contains a list of items to suit your needs.
Pho Ha provides a great alternative to the Mexican food
and hamburgers that have become a staple of the Southern
California diet. Plus, taking friends and family out
to a Vietnamese restaurant is sure to score you points
on the cultural sophistication scale. All in all, Pho
Ha is a solid bet for more adventurous cuisine that
is still reasonably close to campus.
The Verdict: The perfect cheap meal alternative for
Pomona students who are sick of eating Mexican food
every time they go out.
Cost: It can run anywhere from $4 to $8 for a meal
and tip.
Hours: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm everyday of the week.
Directions: Take Indian Hill Boulevard south, Pho Ha
is in a shopping center on the right hand side just
before Food for Less.
Pho Ha Vietnamese Restaurant
695 N. Indian Hill Blvd.
Pomona, CA 91767
(909) 622-7578
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