The Phat Pho: A Vietnamese Kitchen

I miss Vietnam.  There's something about the red banner and the yellow star that makes me want to go back.

Not the motorcycle which has the same ratio and their population. 

But the gems that were laid out along their streets. Yes, it's the street food. Bahn Mi happens to be my top favorite.  I don't know what they put in there but I could finish three sandwiches and I would still have room for more. I tried ordering this sandwich in a restaurant, I was hesitant at first about the idea of street food, but the one in the streets tasted far better. The herbs were mild but flavorful.

I wouldn't be back there anytime soon but I was happy to have dine in:

Located in Crossroads Banilad. No reservations needed

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat (bo is beef, ga is chicken)

Among the restaurants I've tried that claims to be Vietnamese, this is the only place that serves a version closest of what I tasted along the streets of Saigon.  The moment I opened the door, the scent of the herbs welcomed me warmly and with delight painted a smile on my face. Made me want to sing The Heat is on in Saigon.

Well, this is a high end version. What do you expect its part of ABACA group. Here are what we've got.

@195 pesos

fresh vegetables and shrimps in rice wrapper.  That reddish vinegar sauce is exactly the same. Light and flavorful!

this is in Saigon 2012

@370 pesos

in Saigon 2012

Except that in Saigon the herbs were served separately to your taste.

@195 pesos

Banh Xeo is like a rice batter pancake.

in Muy Nei

What I remember eating was the bun bo xao. It's a noodle salad.  This were just mixed and were not cooked together. While the above photo was stir fried.  It's in between our Pancit Canton and Pad Thai if you were to arrange them accordingly.

Bun bo xao in Saigon

The only difference was the price. Phat Pho could be expensive.  It's best shared with friends. I may not be able to go to back to Vietnam anytime soon, I'm happy that Phat Pho is within my driving distance.