Some Cali Pho-un

Yes it is a terrible pun, however when looking for some quality Pho after a day of fishing Pho-un is not as bad as "Pho Queen" a believed derivative of a once and former "Pho King". If your still reading perhaps you should reconsider.
The backstory; to interject some personal history, my Pho days started in the Bay Area. Our family found Pho after moving out to California from Brookline MA. Needless to say Pho had not made the immigration to the East Coast by 1992. I am sure that by now Pho has engulfed all of America except for Tennessee and other 'states' where a phonetic 'f' on a sign would cause cars to crash, pedestrians to stop in confusion and distrust and babies to cry.
So my childhood work with Pho revolved around late night escapades to various Pho establishments in the Bay that stayed open past 9. The reasoning being that Pho is the perfect cheap food for a growing boy, or for munchies. However this trip back to the bay was simply for relaxing and the chance to eat some good Pho was a pleasant surprise indeed. So on to the facts:
Pho NAM Vietnamese Restaurant located in Sunnyvale near Lawrence Express Way is a funny little Pho place that my father pointedly stated looked as if it had been a former ice cream parlor. Apparently 1 of 4 Pho NAMs in the states (according to the excellently designed business card available at the counter next to fake flowers that seemed to be rotting), hell they even have one in Texas. The basics: regular ho-hum menu, even split into the usual categories that allow all non experienced pho persons a shot at figuring out what gets put in pho (the categories being: for the beginner! regular pho! for the adventurous eater! yes with the exclamation marks, eating pho after all is exciting). The good: cheap, four people fed and full for under $25 = excellent, fresh veggies (wilted basil does not add to the Pho experience), good portions, open on Sunday**this will be discussed later!. The bad: they do use MSG as most pho places do, wilted fake flowers, broth cloudier than I enjoy it and saltier as one experienced pho eater pointed out.
Overall: again fairly good Pho, not top-o-the-line but worth at least another visit (especially if I am in Texas), price under 5! I would give it a 4.5 out of 10

Pho-on people

In search of Pho

This story starts best on a dark and stormy night. It also works well after a heavy night of drinking. Or perhaps for the more nostalgic, when looking for simple comfort food reminiscent of another, slightly more exotic, place. What I am essentially hinting at is the ability to engorge a bowl of noodle soup approximately the size of ones head. Now being a relative new-comer to Tacoma (but an old hand in the eating of Pho) I set two goals for myself this summer. First, find housing, employment, and all those small things associated with life before the rain starts to descend upon us. Second, find a true, authentic bowl of Pho. The first was accomplished with much hemming and hawig, the second is still an ongoing adventure.
Pho 32, location: somewhere in the Tacoma Mall area (that vast expanse of sprawl that has attached itself to Tacoma like an unwanted leech -ahem- thats another story). The basics: cheap, sizable, the usual menu, nothing special. The advantages: limited contact with other Pho-digestors coupled with the colorful menu make ordering and engorging (even by ones lonesome) possible even while under the influence. This in tandem with the 2 am closing on the weekends makes it a good last-ditch Pho possibility. The negatives (READ THIS!): MSG, holy shit this place uses enough MSG to make boiled seagull taste like chicken; good chicken (apologies to chickens and to persons who have sampled seagull and found it does taste like chicken). After one late night escapade to Pho32 my head was pounding so much that even drinking didn't feel like a good idea, rough. Overall: not bad for a quick lunch, try to to frequent more than once a month as matter of health.
Price: $5/6 without drink Quality: 2.5/10

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