Let it be known, I don’t like soup. Why? I don’t know. I think it comes from when I was a kid and being forced fed soup… murky herbal and medicinal soups that smelled like a mix of the inside of a cedar chest and a damp math textbook. The concept of soup never made sense to me; why fill up on liquids when that’s just going to take up space and restrict the intake of actual food and deliciousness? As I grew up I reconciled with soup and have slowly let it back into my life in the forms of noodle soups and salsa. Letting the weather stipulate what I ultimately end up eating, I think it’s safe to say that Pho, is a winter-time meal – don’t get me wrong, by all means, eat it in the summer, because what you really want in 40 degrees with humidity is a bowl a steamy hot soup. A friend and I hit up this spot we both like to go to when cold is in the air and boots on our feet: Pho Tay Ho.
If you’ve been following me on Twitter lately, you were witness to my weather commentary and how it’s been forcing me against my will to remedy my aversion to the grey skies and soggy ground with pho. Sweet, delicious, steamy bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup. My girlfriend (although she doesn’t know we’re actually dating, or know that I exist) Lori Graham, has stated that the weather we’ve been experiencing is not normal for this time of year. So I took that as a cue to get in as much pho as I can while it still tastes good, before the weather warms up – as we all know pho’s deliciousness quotient is as its optimal when the outdoor temperature is below 0 degrees.
I hit up Pho Ngon in St. Michel for some phosome goodness (I’m so punny). On the corner of Cremazie and St. Michel boulevard, this place is one of a handful of Vietnamese restaurants in the area, however, for the record, we went at 2:00pm on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed and people were queuing at the door. I started off with the spring roll (remember, Imperial rolls are the fried ones in Vietamese restaurants). Nothing much to say about them. They were as exciting as watching “Meet the Press” in the Spanish alternate audio feed… on mute; but I wasn’t bothered by it, I wasn’t here for this anyways… Points for a really tasty peanut sauce though.
As stated before, when going for pho, this plate is the accoutrement to your bowl of noodle soup, NOT a complementary appetizer of bean sprouts and limes.
I noticed an herb that I was not accustomed to seeing in my bean sprout plate when pho-ing. This discovery only solidified my stand on pho being good only because it is based on personal taste. Let me explain. Regular beef pho is ultimately based on the soup; hours simmering with the right herbs and spices and carefully tended to is what produces this bowl with its pungent and unmistakable aroma. There is no definitive formula or recipe, only a guideline. Ingredients are the same, possible different techniques to all yield similar final products but in the end, very different.
This herb called, thorny coriander… why you ask? Because it tastes like basil, obviously. The addition to this unique herb (in my opinion) is attributed to the chef’s personal taste, training or quite possible family recipe. Different places do it differently, and that’s why certain locations for pho are so fickle and can be loved by some and disliked by others; which is subjective to anything else we eat. So this Ngo Gai is an indication of where this recipe comes from.
I ordered the house special, which is the special in most houses as the name, “Dac Biet”, means “special”. Raw beef, with tendon, brisket, flank, tripe, and fatty flank; topped with thinly shaved onions (which cook practically instantly when you flip the noodles and mix the bowl up) and scallions. The soup was incredibly clear but deep in flavor; beefy but not murky. The more I ate, the more I could literally feel the threads on my shirt tightening up to resist the role as host to the smell molecules from attaching themselves.
My friend have the chicken pho. Same idea, different animal. Chicken soup made with the same principle as the beef counterpart; herbs and spices and lots of love. The soup was chickeny and rich in flavor, the kind that you know only comes with hours of boiling. Toped with onions, scallions and in this case fried shallots and garlic; fried shallots and garlic to draw out the ginger taste in the soup to balance the clucking poultry flavor.
Take a second and admire that slice of glorious gelatinous piece of tendon floating in the soup like a beautiful spotted koi in a pond swimming noble and proud. But in this case, that fish’s fat and lazy video gaming cousin who lives in the basement of the parent’s place who’s gone way over his internet bandwidth limit.
Restaurant Pho Ngon is situated in one of the most culturally diverse areas in Montreal, and understandably, it would be easy to get lost if you’re not situating and creating an appropriate identity for yourself. These guys have a thing going on and they’re doing it right. Simple and honest, you know a good bowl of pho when you eat it, and this one you just have to try.
Restaurant Pho Ngon
3205 Crémazie E
(514) 723-6466
It’s to be noted that Pho Ngon offers bun bo heu (spicy pig and beef knuckle noodle soup) only on weekends.
I had made an agreement with myself many moons ago that I wouldn’t review pho. I know… “WHY?!”, right? I’ll tell you why. Because, pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) is peculiar – there is no definite – it tastes different from north to south, east to west, family to family. It would be hard to compare or qualify one bowl of noodles to another, the essence of ‘pho’ is there, but like anything else it all depends on personal preference and taste. I’ll spare you the history lesson and recipe preparation, but it just boils down to what your taste buds find acceptable and I’ve decided to share this place with you that has been appeasing and filling my pho void for years. I assume everyone has some sort of experience with pho, if not, here’s the quick run down. Once you’ve ordered your noodle soup, a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, and lime wedges are placed on the table. Contrary to popular belief and practice, the bean sprouts are *NOT* a complimentary appetizer or amuse-bouche… it goes i your soup. If you like the taste of plain raw bean sprouts, by all means, go for it; I guess I’m just a stickler for formality, just like how I get irked when I see people putting ginger on their sushi.
My friend started with the spring rolls. Vermicelli noodles, Thai basil, lettuce, pork and shrimps delicately rolled up in a rice paper wrap, it’s served with a side of peanut dipping sauce. Fresh and crisp, this is polar opposite of the imperial rolls – which are fried, so make sure you’ve got the right name down before you order. You’re more likely to be asked by the waiter if it’s the “fried” or “fresh” ones that you want, I’m sure this is a direct response to many a orders being returned when someone was expecting a nice fried roll with fish sauce and instead received a white log with a side of hoisin-peanut sauce.
We also split an order of “Banh bot chien” – fried rice cake with egg. Made with rice flour, the “cake” is fried up on a flat top until crispy and then an egg is beaten and mixed in, served with a tangy vinegar dipping sauce. This is the kind of dish that if you didn’t know what it was, you’d look right past it on the menu. Most people don’t know to order it unless they know exactly what it is… That’s why I’m telling you to order it. I’m confidant when I say that Pho Lien is the only Vietnamese restaurant that not only makes their own rice cake, but serves this dish at all. Something that almost resembles a twisted and wonky Asian poutine, the rice cake is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Pho. A perfect mix of chewy rice noodles, beef brisket, raw flank, tripe, tendon and beef balls and swimming in a meaty broth. The soup is what really makes this bowl, beef bones are boiled with aromatics, prepared in a very specific manner to yield this magic liquid that although I’ve never had before, I can only assume tastes like unicorn tears. We both ordered the “special” which is basically the all-dressed noodle. The menu comprises of different variations and essentially a mix and match of all the ingredients.
Bean spouts, Thai basil and lime are added to complete your bowl. Don’t be afraid of the raw flank, the soup is hot enough that with one flip of the noodles, the beef will cook itself. Don’t get me wrong, the place also serves other dishes, dry noodle dishes, rice plates and what not but serious eaters go here for the pho… Serious eaters are serious.
This steamy bowl of Vietnamese comfort food hits the spot and I’m convinced it tastes better in the winter when the temperature outside if a bone chilling minus ridiculous degrees and just a word of warning… Like with Korean BBQ, the smell of pho will permeate your clothes and people on the bus will know exactly what it was you had for lunch. Don’t get discouraged by the phoddicts lining up out the door, people move through the place like milking cattle, you won’t wait more than 10 mins at the most.
Pho Lien
5703 Côte-Sainte-Catherine
(514) 735-6949
Closed on Tuesdays
