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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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 Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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Funny to hear about people's opinions on Pho.
I think the best Pho ever is this small joint in Richmond. The service there is completely crappy. You get 1 glass of water and thats it. They will ignore you if you ask for more water/napkins. Hell, sometimes they won't even bother to bring you a menu.
It has the worst service I've ever seen, then the place is always packed with people.
The reason is because the Pho is freaking awesome there. However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
I don't mind the Pho in Korea. I don't expect a bowl of Saigon Special Pho in the backalleys of Konguk University. Maybe you shouldn't either. |
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AD35
Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Location: Was in Dallas...now in Busan, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
Funny to hear about people's opinions on Pho.
I think the best Pho ever is this small joint in Richmond. The service there is completely crappy. You get 1 glass of water and thats it. They will ignore you if you ask for more water/napkins. Hell, sometimes they won't even bother to bring you a menu.
It has the worst service I've ever seen, then the place is always packed with people.
The reason is because the Pho is freaking awesome there. However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
I don't mind the Pho in Korea. I don't expect a bowl of Saigon Special Pho in the backalleys of Konguk University. Maybe you shouldn't either. |
Yeah, the best pho places are the holes in the wall joints. It might look crappy, but it's probably the closest thing to homemade without making it at home. I'm from Dallas, and there's a good community of Vietnamese people, and there's alot of pho resturants out there. Some are good, and some are bad. I know it's not the same pho as like Vietnam or even in the U.S.A, but if the Koreans are gonna say it's "authentic" Vietnamese food, they have to get all the ingredients at least. Until they do so, it's not truly pho. |
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Big Pun Lives
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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| AD35 wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
Funny to hear about people's opinions on Pho.
I think the best Pho ever is this small joint in Richmond. The service there is completely crappy. You get 1 glass of water and thats it. They will ignore you if you ask for more water/napkins. Hell, sometimes they won't even bother to bring you a menu.
It has the worst service I've ever seen, then the place is always packed with people.
The reason is because the Pho is freaking awesome there. However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
I don't mind the Pho in Korea. I don't expect a bowl of Saigon Special Pho in the backalleys of Konguk University. Maybe you shouldn't either. |
Yeah, the best pho places are the holes in the wall joints. It might look crappy, but it's probably the closest thing to homemade without making it at home. I'm from Dallas, and there's a good community of Vietnamese people, and there's alot of pho resturants out there. Some are good, and some are bad. I know it's not the same pho as like Vietnam or even in the U.S.A, but if the Koreans are gonna say it's "authentic" Vietnamese food, they have to get all the ingredients at least. Until they do so, it's not truly pho. |
True - My sister dated a Vietnamese guy for awhile and his grandmother made Pho that was pretty dope. - Never been to the Nam' but after eating that soup it made me want to - BTW Pho here is pretty weak compared to the US, (Meaning hitting up the Pho joints in the Vietnamese neighborhoods) |
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KYC
Joined: 11 May 2006
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| Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
,
However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
. |
I'm Vietnamese and have been to Vietnam twice. The pho in Vietnam sucks. I've eaten at very popular pho joints in Vietnam and thought it was just whatever. I prefer the pho that my mother or sister makes. |
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AD35
Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Location: Was in Dallas...now in Busan, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| KYC wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
,
However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
. |
I'm Vietnamese and have been to Vietnam twice. The pho in Vietnam sucks. I've eaten at very popular pho joints in Vietnam and thought it was just whatever. I prefer the pho that my mother or sister makes. |
Yeah, it depends on the place in Vietnam (been there a while back) but the best is always the homemade version made by my mom. Also, did you eat the pho street food version? I think it's better than some of the actual resturants and it's definitely alot cheaper too. |
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KYC
Joined: 11 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 2:28 am Post subject: |
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| AD35 wrote: |
| KYC wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
,
However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
. |
I'm Vietnamese and have been to Vietnam twice. The pho in Vietnam sucks. I've eaten at very popular pho joints in Vietnam and thought it was just whatever. I prefer the pho that my mother or sister makes. |
Yeah, it depends on the place in Vietnam (been there a while back) but the best is always the homemade version made by my mom. Also, did you eat the pho street food version? I think it's better than some of the actual resturants and it's definitely alot cheaper too. |
Ya, street food. hm, it was the most popular pho joint in HCM. I can't remember the restaurant's name, but the pho was quite expensive. |
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LonelyAssasin
Joined: 07 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:39 am Post subject: Re: The pho in Korea sucks because. . . |
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| madoka wrote: |
| None of the pho restaurants have Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (aka Rooster Sauce, Cock Sauce, Hot Cock Sauce, Kickin' Chicken). I can't eat pho without it. Anybody know where I could get some or if any pho restaurants actually have it? |
yeah that sriracha chili sauce is a MUST when it comes to PHO |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:55 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
| Maybe it sucks because we aren't in Vietnam! |
Not true. There's an awesome Vietnamese restaurant in Ottawa. Cheap. Delicious. Love the lemon grass or basil they put in it. I was so disappointed when I tried it here in Korea. Figured it would even be better here as we are closer to Vietnam. Nope. Koreans have a way of destroying any other culture's food -- from coffee to pizza, from Indian to Mexican, if a Korean is cooking, good luck. |
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CA-NA-DA-ABC
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
| Maybe it sucks because we aren't in Vietnam! |
Not true. There's an awesome Vietnamese restaurant in Ottawa. Cheap. Delicious. Love the lemon grass or basil they put in it. I was so disappointed when I tried it here in Korea. Figured it would even be better here as we are closer to Vietnam. Nope. Koreans have a way of destroying any other culture's food -- from coffee to pizza, from Indian to Mexican, if a Korean is cooking, good luck. |
you should consider the fact that countries like Canada/US are more multicultural and ethnically diverse than Korea. The Vietnamese restaurant you speak of is likely run by Vietnamese people.
Do you think a Korean meal prepared by Indians is going to taste better (or as good as) one made by a Korean? |
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AD35
Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Location: Was in Dallas...now in Busan, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| CA-NA-DA-ABC wrote: |
| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
| Maybe it sucks because we aren't in Vietnam! |
Not true. There's an awesome Vietnamese restaurant in Ottawa. Cheap. Delicious. Love the lemon grass or basil they put in it. I was so disappointed when I tried it here in Korea. Figured it would even be better here as we are closer to Vietnam. Nope. Koreans have a way of destroying any other culture's food -- from coffee to pizza, from Indian to Mexican, if a Korean is cooking, good luck. |
you should consider the fact that countries like Canada/US are more multicultural and ethnically diverse than Korea. The Vietnamese restaurant you speak of is likely run by Vietnamese people.
Do you think a Korean meal prepared by Indians is going to taste better (or as good as) one made by a Korean? |
Haha, this reminds me when I got here to Korea. I was like "Yay! Vietnamese food!" Then I was like, "Are there any Vietnamese people working here?" I was disappointed that there were no Vietnamese people working at ANY of the pho resturants I went to, and like when I spoke Vietnamese (to see if they at least know the vietnamese pronounciation of the food) they were puzzled and confused....
Sad day when I can't even order my native food in my native language..... =( |
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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| I avoid all the Vietnamese cuisine restaurants in Korea cuz I've just been disappointed again and again. When I do have a craving for pho' however, there's a chain restaurant called Haosen (I think). There's one in the mall above Yongsan Station. That is the best one I've found so far and is passable (albeit still Koreanized). |
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nosmallplans
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: noksapyeong
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| KYC wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
,
However, ask a Vietnamese person eating there, and they'll say how all the Pho places in the US suck and none of them compare to Vietnam.
. |
I'm Vietnamese and have been to Vietnam twice. The pho in Vietnam sucks. I've eaten at very popular pho joints in Vietnam and thought it was just whatever. I prefer the pho that my mother or sister makes. |
I get the feeling that pho is a lot like jjajangmyun in that sense. Jjajangmyun in the 'States is greasy and meaty and generally fantastic. Jjajangmyun in Korea is oily, flat, and lacking in anything worth eating. In the 'States it's something special while in Korea it's something you order in for.
That said when I'm feeling my fatty side I really like a large bowl of pho with a Vietnamese BBQ pork sandwich. Finish it off with some 'ca phe sua da' and that is the perfect summer lunch.
(My Vietnamese/Chinese girlfriend just sent me a can of Cafe du Monde and a press pot, OMFG gonna make iced coffee tonight!)
| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
| Maybe it sucks because we aren't in Vietnam! |
Not true. There's an awesome Vietnamese restaurant in Ottawa. Cheap. Delicious. Love the lemon grass or basil they put in it. I was so disappointed when I tried it here in Korea. Figured it would even be better here as we are closer to Vietnam. Nope. Koreans have a way of destroying any other culture's food -- from coffee to pizza, from Indian to Mexican, if a Korean is cooking, good luck. |
Everyone has a habit of destroying everyone elses food. Can you honestly think of a nationality that doesn't attempt to nationalize foreign food?
Perhaps you've never experienced the chow mein in an American cafeteria or Mongolian BBQ or Benihana. |
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mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Perhaps you've never experienced the chow mein in an American cafeteria or Mongolian BBQ or Benihana. |
Wrong. The U.S. is one of the few places in the world where every ingredient is readily available, the chefs are typically of genuine ethnicity, and the result of fusion is often an improvement on the original (hence: chop suey, chow mein, better burgers, better fries, better pizza, Indian that doesn't make you dash for the crapper, etc.).
Koreans are not creative enough to come up with a fusion food that's better than the original. Their culture does not foster creativity. They do a decent job of imitating things once in a while (see: Hyundai Genesis, wood brick pizza, Daiso dollar stores), but that's about the extent of it. I've lived here forever and have yet to find one "fusion" dish that I like better than the original.
It's funny you mention Benihana. Inarguably, the ultimate sashimi is bluefin tuna which Japan must import from the U.S.
Word. |
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nosmallplans
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: noksapyeong
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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| mack the knife wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Perhaps you've never experienced the chow mein in an American cafeteria or Mongolian BBQ or Benihana. |
Wrong. The U.S. is one of the few places in the world where every ingredient is readily available, the chefs are typically of genuine ethnicity, and the result of fusion is often an improvement on the original (hence: chop suey, chow mein, better burgers, better fries, better pizza, Indian that doesn't make you dash for the crapper, etc.).
Koreans are not creative enough to come up with a fusion food that's better than the original. Their culture does not foster creativity. They do a decent job of imitating things once in a while (see: Hyundai Genesis, wood brick pizza, Daiso dollar stores), but that's about the extent of it. I've lived here forever and have yet to find one "fusion" dish that I like better than the original.
It's funny you mention Benihana. Inarguably, the ultimate sashimi is bluefin tuna which Japan must import from the U.S.
Word. |
Are you serious? Chop suey and chow mein an improvement on the original?
I can't take anything you say seriously anymore.
Chop suey?!
Goddamnit. |
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mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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I've been to China and eaten their food, and I've eaten great Chinese food back in the States. Nothing, but nothing, compares to a dish of (hot or cold) chop suey when you have the hunger. If you don't know what I mean, then you don't know what I mean. It can't be taught. |
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