Sunday, June 29, 2008
Food, In this Issue...

Pho sure

Finding (and explaining) the best pho and bun in town

Photos/Spark St. Jude

By Aaron Lipson

If Buckhead is the beaten path, you certainly don’t have to venture too far off to hit Buford Highway. Once there, a stone thrown may hit a barbecued duck trussed up by its feet, a rotating, roasting spit of al pastor, or, in today’s case, a big Vietnamese bowl of pho (prn. “fuh”) or bun.

WHAT THE PHO?

Pho, the de facto national dish of Vietnam, is the noodle bowl at both its simplest and most complex. The simple comes from the slightly salty beef broth, silken rice noodles and tender cuts of steak. The complex comes from the melding of two chefs—the one in the kitchen, and, well, you.

The broth is a flexible stock that could be lightly seasoned with ginger or dizzyingly ham-fisted with star anise, cinnamon and cloves. The beef varies, at your request, from a basic cut of thinly sliced rib-eye or well-marbled brisket, to the more foreign tastes of meatballs, tripe or tendon. The rice noodles are austere, smooth and slurpingly long. Your role as sous chef, though, is where the real fun of pho comes in. Pho typically arrives in its basic broth, noodles and beef form, but also brought to the table will be what looks like the entire fresh herb aisle from the Dekalb Farmers Market. Expect at least the following: basil, jalepeño, lime, sawtooth and sprouts. Shred in a little basil and some strips of sawtooth for an aromatic and savory flavor; drop the jalepeños and squeeze the lime to add heat and brightness. The ultimate complexion of the pho is entirely up to you. Round things out with a splash of Vietnamese hot sauce. Option 1 is a traditional red sriracha sauce made from chiles, garlic and vinegar that always seems to come in a plastic squeeze bottle with a rooster on the side; think of it as a cross between Tabasco and ketchup. A few squeezes stirred around the pho pot adds great flavor. Need more kick? Move to Option 2: Look for a small glass pot on the table filled with what appears to be pepper flakes and viscous red oil. Caution: An eyedropper full goes a long, long way. As a final tip, take your soup spoon in one hand and your chopsticks in the other; use the chopsticks to ladle noodles into the soup spoon. The ultimate beauty of pho is its endless variability, all in your own hands.

HAVE SOME BUN

For those who don’t like splashing their chopsticks in a big bowl of soup while fishing for rice noodles, skip the pho and hit the bun. Pho’s twisted broth-less cousin is far more noodle-salad than soup, but equally satisfying, unique and fun. Picture a towering bowl of vermicelli, some crisp lettuce, green onions, strips of bright orange carrot, crumbled peanut, bean sprouts, cucumber and succulently charred strips of lemongrass barbecued pork. And, most importantly, a side bowl of nuoc cham (pronounced “nook chaw-em”), the dressing or pasta sauce depending on your point of view. Nuoc cham can be sweet or spicy, pungent or fragrant. But this basic mixture of thai chilis, fish sauce, garlic and lime juice is the Vietnamese equivalent of barbecue sauce. There is no right or wrong to it, but every aficionado will tell you where you can score the best. So spice up your nuoc cham, throw it on your noodles, slosh it around, grab your chopsticks or your fork, and dig in.

SIDE DISH

At most pho and bun shops, there are plenty of ways to round out your enjoyment of the meal. To wash everything down, try a chanh muoi (Vietnamese salty lemonade). Even sweeter are crushed ice bubble teas, whose massive tapioca pearls and gargantuan straw make for both a fun drink and a soothing way to douse some spice.

FINDERS KEEPERS

Here are three of the finest pho and bun shops around; all are casual and you should expect a bowl of pho or bun to run between $5 and $8 depending on the size.

Pho 79   
5000 Winters Chapel Road (Dunwoody Point), Doraville
404-477-3317
Open daily. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Full bar
Credit cards accepted

An Atlanta pho mainstay, Phuong Le will greet you warmly, explain the menu in detail and point you in just the right direction. Her pho broth is lighter and brighter than most, the herbs are highly aromatic, and the noodles of a thinner variety. The bun is more American-salad-like, with some local vegetables and a nuoc cham that is almost vinaigrette-y and light. A great spot for your first-time pho or bun.

Pho ’96
5000 Buford Highway, Suite C, Chamblee
770-452-9644
Open daily. 10 a.m.10 p.m.
Beer/wine
Credit cards accepted

Named after Atlanta’s “most exceptional” Olympics, this corner spot offers a dark, heady pho broth with the freshest of herbs. The bun is traditional and the nuoc cham on the sweeter, fish-saucier side. Don’t miss the fabulous shrimp spring rolls and mind the hot sauce—it’s the real deal.

Pho Dai Loi 2
4186 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta
404-633-2111
Sun.-Thu. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Beer/wine
Credit cards accepted

The grand dame of Atlanta pho shops makes for a great late dinner stop. Classic, simple and delicious pho with a higher grade of beef than most. Truly great barbecued pork in the bun along with superbly spicy nuoc cham. SP