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http://www.senbaltimore.com/places/ph-soul-food.shtmlPhở, a kind of soul food
My mother would say, “I’m hungry for some pho,” and right on cue my dad would get up, go upstairs, put on his going out clothes, and I would follow right behind him. Moments later we would meet out at the car and off we went. Out of our drive way we would head south down Federal street to a nondescript single family home located on an ordinary street in a typical suburban neighborhood. Once there we would all file out, knock on the door and was thusly escorted down to the basement were other like minded Vietnamese were gathered. One long table was set up in the middle of the room that accommodated perhaps fifteen to twenty happy noodle slurping patrons seated quite closely to one another. The close proximity didn’t really seem to bother anybody, once you’re in your world of pho; nothing else really seems to matter. After a short while three seats became available, once seated we proceed to order. My brother would come along too but he was too little for a seat so he sat on my mother’s lap, “no space to spare,” the lady would always say. I always got the same thing, Phở Tái, Bò Viên (rare beef with meatballs).
Pho Nam
6477 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 455-6000
Get DirectionsPho #1
5764 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 719-7500
Get Directions
My mother would say, “I’m hungry for some pho,” and right on cue my dad would get up, go upstairs, put on his going out clothes, and I would follow right behind him. Moments later we would meet out at the car and off we went. Out of our drive way we would head south down Federal street to a nondescript single family home located on an ordinary street in a typical suburban neighborhood. Once there we would all file out, knock on the door and was thusly escorted down to the basement were other like minded Vietnamese were gathered. One long table was set up in the middle of the room that accommodated perhaps fifteen to twenty happy noodle slurping patrons seated quite closely to one another. The close proximity didn’t really seem to bother anybody, once you’re in your world of pho; nothing else really seems to matter. After a short while three seats became available, once seated we proceed to order. My brother would come along too but he was too little for a seat so he sat on my mother’s lap, “no space to spare,” the lady would always say. I always got the same thing, Phở Tái, Bò Viên (rare beef with meatballs).
That track house was the only place to get your Pho fix in Denver during the early 80’s. Noodle houses that specialized in pho just didn’t exist. Today it’s clearly quite different, Pho shops have strung up in every city through out the country and lucky for us, our charmed city is no different. We actually have two nearby, both on route 40 - both are good but in very different ways.
Before I get into that, let me start with the meaning of Pho as I understand it. Originating in northern Vietnam around roughly 1880’s, the French had a hand in it’s’ creation. Not surprising, as the French has had a hand in changing many aspect of Vietnamese culture, most prominently its food. The noodles and the spices came from the Chinese. What makes uniquely Vietnamese is how everything comes together.
Ask any happy slurping pho aficionado what makes a good bowl of pho and the answer would invariably be the broth. First and foremost it must be clear devoid of any scum particles shaken loose by a hard boil, pho broth should never come to a full boil. The clarity of broth to me is like tranquilly physically manifesting itself for your enjoyment through pho broth. The flavors you should expect to detect are anise, cinnamon, ginger, coriander, and a fishy saltiness, all should be present, but none should overpower. Just as important as what you see and taste is what you smell. Before you take a sip, be sure to enjoy the richness and complexities of smells before your nose. The noodles are of rice flour, they should be firm and elastic, never soggy. I prefer the thin noodles although wide noodles are usually available.
How you order pho and how you eat it is a very personal affair. The dish is very basic, just noodles and broth. What makes it special is what you put into after that. The choices of meats to top your pho comes from every corner of the cow. Some sounds fairly questionable but believe me, they’re all pretty tasty. The Vietnamese are never ones to leave anything to waste. The herbs that accompany your bowl of pho really lend the details to really make this the perfect dish. Typically Thai basil, bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, and lime makes the herb tray, if you’re fortunate, they may even throw in some Vietnamese cilantro.
Two condiments are there to provide for the finishing touches. Hoisin sauce, a soy-based slightly sweet Chinese pap often used in marinating barbeques, is one. And the other is Sriracha, the ketchup of the east, this stuff you can put on anything to make seem more exotic and interesting. It’s made of sun ripen chili peppers ground up with garlic and vinegar to form a paste. Its scoville rating is 2000 if you were curious. What ratio of these two you use is a personal quotient. Pho veterans will already know this but in order to get the right combination of meats, vegetables, and condiments right, you just have to do some experimenting.
On Rt. 40, first light after Rolling Road in the middle of a strip mall is Baltimore’s best example a the quintessential Pho Shop, Pho Nam. Spartan to be sure, but one comes here for just one reason, and that is for a well made bowl of earthly delight, meaning pho of course. Walking in there are three rows of tables, seating is self service, be sure to get a table towards the back during winter months as it does get cold close to the door. The walls are sparsely decorated with picture scenes of Vietnam. My favorite piece of art hangs right behind the register. It’s a scroll written in a heavily stylized English font mimicking Chinese calligraphy, it reads “oh my dear, life without you is like pho without the broth,” this truly describes my old feeling for a certain someone.
When you come to Pho Nam you can expect the following, a well made bowl of pho and very good prices. Be sure to bring cash because they don’t accept anything else for payment, I’m sure there wasn’t anyone in back washing dishes for their meal, except for the guy that does it regularly. They incorporate all the elements required for a satisfying bowl of pho, including a few items that may not be on the menu. Two come to mind, Hành Giấm, pickled shredded onion and Nước Béo fat rendering. I use the onions like I would ginger at a sushi bar, to cleanse my pallet after each bite. Be sure douse it with some Sriracha, makes for a nice spicy tartness. The fat rendering would be mixed into the pho itself to add a rich and heavy bold flavor. Use it with discretion, not everybody likes the stuff.
Also on Rt. 40 but on the other side of I-695 is Baltimore’s other pho place, Pho #1. It’s in the corner between Lowes and Sams Club. Pho #1 is a full service restaurant with a liquor license. Comfortable booths line the two side walls in the main dining area and there’s a row tables down the middle. Towards the back of the restaurant there are bigger tables to accommodate larger groups. They do have a bar but it’s used primarily as a server station. Dark paneled molding runs half way up the wall from the floor. The rest of the way up are only white walls decorated with Vietnamese themed artwork.
The menu is much more extensive here (more on that in my upcoming Raggin’ Asian food segment - I know, corny but descriptive) but they do put together a good bowl of pho. They have all the requisites mentioned above and beer to boot. If you’re looking for an authentic Vietnamese beer go for Ba Mươi Ba, “33”, once lovingly called “tiger piss” by the war’s alums. Mind you this is not an apt description of what the beer actually taste like, not that I know what tiger piss taste like, it is however a good lager.
From here to Denver and beyond, pho has really claimed a spot in upper ranks of ethnic cuisine in America’s food consciousness, right up there with Dim Sum and Vindaloo. To really appreciate pho is to appreciate and understand the Noodle culture.
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