Pho Delight

I must impart with you my first tastings of a Vietnamese dish by the name of Pho. Perhaps you've heard of it. Lists circulate every so often on facebook or other social media of the 50 foods you must try before passing into another life where apparently none of this food is available. One that I consistently saw on said lists was Pho. At first I was like, "what the heck? Why would I eat something that sounds like someone talking smack?" For real, pho looks like it should be pronounced fo or foe. Fo sho. And all that. However, after reevaluating my life [i seem to be doing that often enough these days], I figured that it would be wise to not let another few months pass without trying this magically elusive dish. Because, honestly, who knows what's going to happen in any given day? I didn't want to feel like the pathetic loser at the pearly gates. God would be standing there [or Saint Peter depending on what Bible you read. kidding. or something.] letting people pass right through onto the streets of pure gold. I'd get up there, and He'd be all like, "Julia, you did not finish that list of 50 foods you MUST eat before you die." I'd ask God respectfully if that list was simply a suggestion that some uppity foodie put together to make other people feel bad about their cuisine curiosity. And of course God would ask me to pull out my pocket dictionary and look up the word must.

Must - be necessary: to be important or necessary for doing something

Obviously I'd have to agree with God that the word must is imperative in this statement, and I simply did not live up to that food list. Thus, how could I be let into heaven without having tasted one of the many spectacular and curious cuisines of the world?

So I decided I must try pho.

Ironically it isn't pronounced f-o. That isn't actually ironic. However, it is said like the word "the". Just put the prefix "ph" and you get the Vietnamese soup dish.

I apparently ramble to no end late at night. My bad-ness.

To finish this up: I was in DC one night with my good/wonderful/superb/phenomenal friend Lauren, and I saw a Pho place. So we had to stop.

[we also had to stop because the Ramen place we wanted to eat at had a TWO HOUR WAIT. for a ramen restaurant.]

I ordered the beef pho, as suggested by our waitress. Let me tell you, it was superb. I'm literally salivating thinking about it [which is a little awkward to be doing in front of my dog].

Please note the attractive couple sitting behind me in this picture. Obviously I wanted my excitement over pho to be framed by their lovely figures. That's why my friend included it in her picture of me.

Lauren demonstrated how to put plum sauce, Asian basil [it's a real thing. look it up], sprouts, cilantro, jalapeno pepper and sriracha sauce on top. It takes a bit of dressing up, this soup, but it is totally worth it. I chose to not use the number one condiment in the world on my sauce as Sriracha makes my mouth burn like a raging forest fire, but I all the other toppings added such depth and diversity to the dish. 

Also, my nose kept running because it was hot out already. But I'm sure Pho is just delightful in the winter.

U Street, I'll be back for more Asian goodness. Perhaps I can knock off another food I MUST eat before I die of the list.