Restaurant Review: Pho 88 Noodles and Grill - Washington DC

Pho is One of my Favorite Foods

 

It's true. Pho is a bowl of everything good as long as I order it my way. Locally, I like the fact that when it comes to the table it's the broth and noodles and can basically customize it to your liking. I skip the onions and lemongrass, or cilantro, and just stick to broth, noodles, meats and a little lime, along with a healthy squirt of hoisin and Siracha. Of course in writing this article I realized I have NEVER reviewed my most favorite Pho joint and I will have to rectify that very soon. Sneak preview or spoiler alert. . . It's Que Huong in Madison Heights.

When we found a Pho place in DC in Chinatown, it seemed like a good idea for a quick lunch. Due to the time of day, between sessions at the conference, it was really empty, with only a couple of other patrons sitting for lunch. This was not a reflection on the food, however, as it was tasty and fresh.

Because I have Pho on a regular basis, I tried something new which consisted of skewers of shrimp, with cold rice noodles and a salad, that could be topped with crushed peanuts. The spicy fish sauce was a pleasant balance between hot and sweet, and the seafood was very fresh and crisp. I really couldn't go wrong with this as a light lunch offering.

One of my friends ordered a chicken noodle soup dish. I wouldn't really descibe this as pho as it was more of a noodle soup without the spice but she said it was very good. My other friend ordered tiger wrapped shrimp that consisted of a wonton sort of wrapper fried around the shrimp with a dipping sauce which she enjoyed. As she never had Vietnamese food before this was an adventure for her and she was surprised at how good it was.

Eating anywhere in Chinatown in DC is a fun experience but this was a cut above some of the other place with a little more variety and lighter options than traditional Chinese. If you are in DC definitely stop here.