Pho Hong
I’m officially hooked on Vietnamese food — a good addiction for once. This evening, I had takeout from Pho Hong, a new (to me) Vietnamese restaurant on North Winooski Ave. I’ve wanted to try it since I discovered it on the way to the mountain a couple weeks ago.
I ordered the usual: Bun Thit Nurong (Vietnamese grilled chicken over vermicelli) and Cha Gio Chi (spring roll stuffed with cabbage, carrots, and wood mushrooms). When I got home I kept getting sidetracked; by the time I relaxed and sat down to eat, it was a bit cold. Regardless, it was good and I am satisfied.
I can’t say how it compares to Pho Bang because I’ve only been to both restaurants once. It is much closer to HQ and within walking distance, so it has that going for it.
Before I went to Pho Hong, I saw In Bruges at the Palace 9. The plan was to also see There Will be Blood afterwards, but we decided that would be a bit much for one afternoon. I’m not good at verbalizing my feelings about movies (or anything else), so I’m not even going to try. The best I can do is say it was entertaining, humorous, and violent. Plus, for 101 minutes, I was distracted from complaining.
It was nice to take a break, but I should get back to all the things I want to, have to, and promised I would do. I really just want to sit on the couch and read until I fall asleep.
(Pho) Dang, that was Good
On Tuesday, after patiently waiting seven months, Keegan and I finally went to Pho Dang, a little Vietnamese restaurant in Winooski. I highly recommend it. The food was excellent, the service was impeccable, and it was affordable.
We split the Goi Cuon Tom Thit (cold spring roll with shrimp, vegetables, and pork) for an appetizer that came with some really tasty carrots. For the main dish, she had the Com Bo, Ga Xao Xa Ot (stir fried beef, chicken, lemongrass, scallion, and hot pepper served with rice) which was tasty. As tasty as it was, it wasn’t as good as my Bun Ga Nuong (grilled chicken with vermicelli noodles). It’s a bowl crunchy, meaty, and noodley goodness. It’s my favorite thing to eat. We also split a Ca Phe Sua Nong (coffee with condensed milk), which is the most sinfully delicious drink in the world. After dinner, we nursed our food comas with a few Flight of the Conchords episodes that had me singing in my dreams.
I waited so long to try Pho Dang because I wanted to go with Keegan — I was saving myself; I wanted my first time to be with someone special. For the past ten years or so, whenever Keegan and I are in Montréal we always eat at the same Vietnamese restaurant. The food is great and inexpensive. Plus, they have pictures of all the dishes in their menu — you can order by number or, my favorite method, pointing. We’ve always called it “Pho Bang” because someone wrote “Bang” below a sign that said “Pho” on the wall outside. We never knew its proper name because there are so many signs in their window and it wasn’t on their menu. The last time we were there, we made a conscious effort to find out its real name. We found it on their takeout menu, but I can’t remember it and the menu I took is buried somewhere in my workroom. All I remember is none of the numerous signs had the name on them and neither “Pho” nor “Bang” are in it. Oh well, Pho Bang is good name. Plus, it usually involves a punching gesture.
In June, on my way back home from the Adirondacks, I drove past Pho Dang in Winooski, a week or so after it opened. I immediately called Keegan when I got home to tell her about it and we made plans to go. Seven months later, we were there.
And the Pho don’t stop because last weekend I drove by another Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Hong (Pho Hung would’ve been better) and it’s right around the corner from my apartment. I hope it’s good because the only downside to Pho Dang is that it’s a bit far to walk. Hmmm… since I don’t have any food at home, it’s pay day, and I don’t have any plans for this evening, I might go there tonight.
Odd Fortunes
Ordering Chinese takeout and watching a movie is one of favorite pastimes and will cure anything — except death and most farm machinery accidents. After I ate, I opened my fortune cookie and read the fortune:
I ordered the shrimp this time. What? Is it going to be better next time? That’s a suggestion not a fortune.
A few months ago, on a another fortune cookie opening, I found a bewildering fortune:
Speaking of dogs and bones, I visited my friends and their dogs last weekend. I awoke early in the morning because I had a disturbing dream: I was at the reception desk of a local hotel trying to claim the body of a Mexican man before they made him into bone soup and served him in the lobby. I couldn’t get back to sleep and I was really hungry. I read an interview with Tom Waits in my friends’ basement while I waited for them to wake up. When they woke up we went to the diner for breakfast. I had raisin bread French toast with the real maple syrup that’s kept under the counter for special guests, sausage links, and coffee — a heavenly combo.