"There are several regional variants of phở in Vietnam, particularly divided between northern (Hanoi, called phở bắc or "northern phở"; or phở Hà Nội), central (Huế), and southern (Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon). One regional phở may be sweeter, and another variation may emphasize a bolder and spicier flavor . "Northern phở" tends to use somewhat wider noodles and green onions. On the other hand, southern Vietnamese generally use thinner noodles (approximately the width of pad Thai or linguine noodles), and add bean sprouts and a greater variety of fresh herbs to their phở instead." (Source) The noodles are called bánh phở, traditionally cut from wide sheets of fresh noodles, though rice sticks may also be used. Thinner rice noodles are better for soups. Quite a range to choose from.
The restaurant is open with its clean decor, ceiling covered in baskets, sky blue table tops, and emphasis on wood. The fresh environment could reflect the impression pho should have on its consumer. Running close to the end of the lunch hour, a quick call to ensure they expect our arrival proved fruitful. Yay! Here we go again. Hopefully, this experience will wash away the utter disappointment brought by Pho Sizzling.
The spring rolls came out with the soup accompaniments of fresh red chilis, Asian basil, bean sprouts, and lime. The spring rolls were fried and contained some meat and a lot of carrots to give it a nice crunch. Two dipping sauces also accompanied the dish: a rice vinegar and a sort of sweet fermented fish sauce. This appetizer was just filler until the main event. Where is that phở?
The bowl finally came out, decent sized and looked promising. The broth was aromatic and looked a tad dark, though indicating more flavor (by appearance) and smelling richer from the bones. Spring onion, cilantro, flank, and steak were also floating in the bowl. The meat was cut a hair too thick. Again, the noodles looked wrong being still wide. In any case, this was a big improvement from the noodle soup attempting to pass as "phở" consumed a few weeks ago. All the accompaniments were thrown in and ::ahh:: a wave of familiarity washed over me. I found my phở fix, the operative word being "fix" as in if-I-want-phở-and-cannot-find-the-real-thing-I-will-come-here. In the event that my stomach is unwell or I need a phở fix, I would definitely trek to Phở Real.
The lunch special is a set meal 38RMB per person and includes 2 spring rolls, a bowl of pho (or two other entrees which were of no interest at the time), and a soda or iced tea. It's not your beloved street or cheap as chips phở at 38RMB. Lunch lasts until about 2:00pm until they reopen for dinner. The set meal for dinner is the same as lunch, but they want to get about 88RMB from you. Ridiculous! Go for lunch and save your wallet.
Phở Real. No. 166 Fumin Lu, near Julu Lu 富民路166号，近巨鹿路 Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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