Earlier this week we wanted to either try some Southern or Korean fried chicken, but the first restaurant was closed and the second had a line waiting outside the door. Because of not knowing how long the waiting time would be to seat the amount of people in our party, we started an online search for options in the vicinity and found a Phở place nearby.
We didn't know if the Phở place would be open, so two members of the group went ahead and the rest waited in line. Not long after we received their call, that there was a table free to seat our group.
When reading the menu I wasn't sure what to order yet: will I go for the beef, chicken or something else? Ultimately, I ordered a dish called Phở 91 -the special named after the restaurant - because of the variety of meats: beef balls, chicken and brisket.
It being my first time having Phở, I kept slurping the broth and noodles after my first taste: that's how much I enjoyed the soup and understood why Vietnamese celebrities like Jeannie Mai called it the soup for those sick days.
The soup was surprisingly light, yet flavorful and filling. There was even a strong scent and flavor, that I remembered from my childhood. It came from a herb my great grandmother and grandmother used to massage us with when we were kids: culantro or better known as recao.
The smell of recao was so strong when our elders massaged us with it, that I had an aversion for the scent, but when eating the Phở I could appreciate its contribution to the depht of flavor in the soup. Its health benefits are also a plus.
