I've been going to Pho 84 with my family for a few years now, and every time I go, I love it. I somehow convinced Andy to try their food on Wednesday. Every time I've gone in the past, there has been a huge line, so I guess Wednesdays around 6 are a good time to go--even parking was a breeze!
Both of us got drinks--Andy an imported Vietnamese beer and me a mango smoothie. I always have a hard time deciding what drinks to get at Pho 84 because they are all so good--the coffee with condensed milk is always a great choice, probably not for dinner, but it's also a good conversation starter because it's so beautifully presented. I also love the lemonade mixed with iced tea. On Wednesday, though, it was a smoothie day. The mango smoothies are made from fresh mangoes and they truly taste like it. They can be a little bit heavy at times, because I think there is some sort of dairy in it too, but they are overall very refreshing.
Sorry, didn't try Andy's beer...I know I have to be a reviewer but honestly I just don't like beer.
Moving on. Our appetizer of the night was the spicy beef salad. They marinate and grill thinly sliced pieces of beef and lay it on a bed of fresh mint, shredded carrots and jalapenos. It was even spicier than normal last night, but the flavor was still really strong, and the beef tender. Andy wasn't a fan of the mint, so we compromised. He ate all the meat and I ate all the mint...my favorite part.
We also ordered chicken satay and my personal favorite dish of red snapper in a coconut curry sauce with special rice. At Pho 84 you can choose between having regular rice or "special rice." The special rice is I believe cooked in chicken broth, which gives it a bright yellow color, but a lot more flavor than the ordinary rice.
The chicken satay consists of slices of chicken breast in a spicy red chili sauce with tons of green onions on top. It's very spicy, but goes along well with the rice. Andy's friend Dave ate our leftovers and apparently he was sweating like crazy but loved it.
The red snapper is fried and then covered in a coconut curry sauce with onions and fungi (I don't want to say mushrooms here because I think most people will get the wrong idea). The sauce itself is so tasty and addictive--even after the fish was gone, I like saving it to eat over rice. It's a little bit spicy, but not overwhelmingly spicy. You can also tell that everything is freshly made for each order because the fish, despite being covered in sauce, is still crispy.
All in all, it was an as usual wonderful meal at Pho 84. The food was fresh, tasty and flavorful, and the service was good (not outstanding, but good). The cost of eating there isn't as cheap as most Vietnamese places I've been to, but it's definitely worth it for the quality of the food. I highly recommend this place to anyone. Even Andy said he'd love to go again, which is a huge stamp of approval.
Pho 84 is located at 354 17th Street in Oakland, CA between Franklin and Webster.
They are open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
They are open for dinner Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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11 years ago
3 comments:
i'm bored at work too so i thought that i'd type a little. Pho is deff one of our fam favorites. I'd like to add that last time i went they were out of mango so i got a lychee smoothie instead. SO MUCH BETTER. Tastes like real lychee, not too sweet, not too creamy. Oh, and the special rice-- although flavored with chicken broth, it's the saffron that gives it the bright yellow color and enhanced flavor.
your sister
I agree. Pho 84 is outstanding. I'm a jackfruit smoothie fan. It has a peachy, banana-y, pineapple-y flavor--very refreshing.
Another favorite is a beef appetizer that I think they just call marinated beef (it's different from the beef salad). It's very rare thin slices of beef marinated in lemon and topped with lots of mint, peanuts, onions, sesame seeds and lemon slices. Delicious!
Tell e1 that the Shrimp plate appetizer is also to die for!
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