Ly: What the pho?

By Monica Ly, AsiaXpress.com

July 11, 2009

I love pho. I really do. There’s something addictive about a big bowl of hot, noodle soup with meatballs and slices of beef cooking in the broth; crisp bean sprouts, leafy vegetables and fresh squeezed lime on top, and then a squirt of Sriracha and hoisin sauce to complete the bowl.

Who couldn’t love this?

Ahem, who couldn’t love this?

Anyone?

That’s what I thought. In an age with loyal pho fans, Food Network and adventurous eaters, that’s what some pho store entrepreneurs probably thought too. Everyone has a recipe to boast—all hoping to draw in more customers than the pho store a couple doors down. And the one down the street. And the one across the street to that one.

Wait, what? Hold the chopsticks! Why are there so many pho restaurants in one short stretch of street? It’s pho this, pho that, and now I can’t remember which one I went to last week.

I think I like Pho 77. Or was it Pho 78? Pho 79? I know there’s a Pho 120. Pho 2000? There are so many numbers! I’m sure each has its own significance, but at the same time, it seems like they’re competing for the higher number. Would you eat at Pho Infinity?

I’ll stop wallowing in self-pity, I’m just a customer. Imagine being the owner. How does each restaurant manage to keep afloat with all the competition that exists with pho?

I remember going out for pho with my family one time only to find that the restaurant overcrowded and that we’d have to wait. Have no fear, we trooped ourselves over to the next nearest store to eat. It was nearly empty.

For every business venture, there will be ups and downs. I just think that being in such close proximity to others who advertise the same product, the fluctuations might be more apparent between being the king of pho or its minion.

I vote for a pho cook-off.

In the meantime, I think I’ll stay at home. You can’t beat mom’s pho.