Pho at Pho 66 in Hell's Kitchen - NYC, New York

There are days where you are fixated on a particular dish. This time (shall I say again?), it was ramen! We were planning on going to Sapporo ramen, but it was packed. So Jodi and I decided to walk on 9th avenue, aka Hell's Kitchen, and see if any restaurant would erase our disappointment. We noticed Pho 66. The location looked familiar and it is only after we entered the restaurant that we realized that we went there several months ago, at the time it was a Colombian place called Farmers Rotisseria A La Brasa. I could not believe it!

If you do not know what Pho is, it is Vietnamese dish consisting of broth, noodles usually made from rice, herbs, vegetables and meat. Well, it was as close to the ramen craving as it could be...

What I really liked is the fact that they offer different sizes of bowl: large, medium and small, to accommodate any appetite.

Jodi ordered the Pho Verte:

Pho verte at Pho 66 in NYC, New York
Pho verte at Pho 66 in NYC, New York

Verte means green in France and here, it relates to the fact that it is a vegetarian dish. 

On my side, I ordered the Pho Bun Bo Hue:

Pho Bun Bo Hue at Pho 66 in NYC, New York
Pho Bun Bo Hue at Pho 66 in NYC, New York

It consisted of pork shoulder and beef shank and came with some lime, soy and lemongrass to mix with.

Pho Bun Bo Hue at Pho 66 in NYC, New York
Pho Bun Bo Hue at Pho 66 in NYC, New York

Both broths were tasty with for sure bolder flavors thanks to the meat in the Bun Bo Hue. The noodles were good, but I preferred the one in the Pho Verte as the one in the Bun Bo Hue were a bit too al dente for my taste and as they were thicker, it was less enjoyable. I liked both dishes, with a preference for the vegetarian one in fact! Incroyable!

For dessert, we decided to share a black rice pudding:

Rice pudding at Pho 66 in NYC, New York
Rice pudding at Pho 66 in NYC, New York

It was made with coconut milk and served with slices of mango. I did not like it to be honest: the texture was off, I could barely taste the coconut milk and the mango was not ripe enough.

I really liked Pho 66 (except the dessert): the Pho are pretty good (they have a nice selection), they look beautiful and taste good, all of that for a reasonable price! I did not regret not having ramen that night! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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