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Dining Out and About: Pho 14
By Ann | September 4, 2008
There has been much recent griping among travelers (particularly those of us who suffer from a weak currency) about the expense of Paris. I can’t disagree: the City of Light could very well be renamed the City of Light Pockets. But on recent rainy Saturday afternoon, we enjoyed a bona fide cheap eat, as we slurped our way to happiness via giant bowls of pho.
You’ll recognize Pho 14 by the long queue out the door, but don’t be intimidated–one does not linger over pho and the line moves quickly. Inside, something about the cramped space, steamy air, and fluorescent lighting reminded me of Saigon. Our bowls of pho arrived in short order; I ordered soupe pho au poulet (chicken pho, 6€50), which offered a fragrant broth and shredded meat (a bit fatty, but I’m a little picky), as well as golden slivers of deep-fried garlic. CK enjoyed the soupe pho avec viande saignante (6€80), with its tender slices of rare beef.
The condiments were reassuringly familiar, including sliced onions, bean sprouts, basil, cilantro and (hurray!) my favorite hot sauce, Sriracha. Question: does anyone know the name of the long-leafed herb that tastes like cilantro?
The only disappointing part of the meal were these odd fried shrimp cakes, bouchée viêtnamienne aux crevettes (5€50).
To be honest, we thought we had ordered summer rolls, but then these appeared. They were made (possibly) of taro and had a starchy, pasty, dense texture. I would not recommend them.
I would, however, recommend Pho 14, especially as our entire meal (2 bowls of pho, 1 order stodgy-shrimp-cakes, and 1 iced tea) came to 20€. Granted, if you’re a tourist it’s perhaps a bit unorthodox to chow on Vietnamese cuisine in Paris (or is it, considering the long relationship the two countries have shared?). And, situated on one of the main arteries of the 13th arrondissement (historically known as Paris’s Chinatown), Pho 14 is hardly on the beaten tourist path. But if you’re seeking an antidote to heavy French fare at heavy French prices, you’ll enjoy this bustling spot, pho sure.
Pho 14
129 Avenue Choisy
75013 Paris
01 45 83 61 15
P.S. I recognize this blog has recently been heavy on “dining out” activity versus “dining in.” But rest assured, we will be popping our half-baked review of How to Eat Everything Vegetarian back into the oven very soon. We are gathering material as you read this!
Topics: Dining Out and About | 3 Comments »
3 Responses to “Dining Out and About: Pho 14”
Comments
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September 6th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Just moved to the Paris area and have been looking for good asian food, so this post is nice to see. I think the cilantro-like herb you had is called Culantro in English (it’s used in a lot of Latin American cooking). In Vietnamese I’ve heard it called “ngo gai”
September 9th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Thanks for the info, Keith! If you have a chance to try Pho 14, I hope you’ll come back and post about your meal. And bienvenue à Paris!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
[...] had a late lunch at Pho 14. It was a nice, warm rest to our cold [...]