Your source
for gourmet
recipes and
pairings
Visit Frescolio for great
ideas this grilling season!
2-929 Corydon Ave. 204-505-1455
5-1604 St. Mary’s Rd. 204-615-3885
frescolio.ca
Open Tuesday through Sunday
enjoy the
salad days
of summer
we’re always ready
to get you road ready
1775 Portage Avenue Winnipeg
204-885-5900
www.canadiansupershop.ca
30
ciao! / aug/sep / two thousand sixteen
ciao! reviews
PHO HOANG
SIAM THAI
Neighbourhood . . . . . West End
Neighbourhood . . . . . St. Vital
Address. . . . 5-794 Sargent Ave
Address. . . . . 587 St Anne's Rd
Phone . . . . . . . . 204-415-6893
Phone . . . . . . . . 204-254-7765
Entrées . . . . . . . $8.95-$17.95
Entrées . . . . . . . . . . . $12-$26
It's clear upon entering Pho Hoang
that this buzzing West End eatery is all
about the broth.
The savoury scent that hangs in the
air is courtesy of a beef bone and oxtail
stock that has been simmering for 24
to 48 hours. The result, a clear broth
of intense depth and meaty flavour,
makes the basis for the menu at this
noodle house.
Though the origin of pho has
been debated, most sources point to
Vietnam's French colonial influence,
which brought the art culinaire predilection for meaty broths in contact
with the rice noodles of Vietnamese
street vendors. Today, the soup is
Vietnam's national dish, served with
slices of beef, rice noodles and a
bounty of fresh herbs.
At Pho Hoang, bowls are big
enough to share, delivered with a
heaping side plate of bean sprouts,
lime, Thai basil and bird's eye chiles
ready to be added to the mix. Along
with 12 variations on pho, the starring
broth is the basis for egg noodle soups
swimming with smoky barbeque pork
or tender seafood.
Though soups may be the main
attraction, the rest of the menu holds
offerings equally enjoyable. Fresh,
crunchy lotus root salad is a mix of
the iron-rich root, shredded daikon
and carrots, dressed in a pungent fish
sauce vinaigrette.
The French connection can be
spotted at dessert as well; a bàhn flan
(or crème caramel) is eggy and extra
sweet, with a buttery smooth texture.
Pho Hoang is open Sun-Mon 11
am-9 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-10 pm.
Those of us who travel with our
tastebuds are always searching for
those dishes that come direct from
the homeland—what the chef
would serve to family and friends,
or cook at home. We scour the city
for hole-in-the-wall spots; we peer
inconspicuously at other tables, to see
what those in the know are ordering.
Every so often, the dishes we have
been searching for are right there on
the menu before us.
Of course, Siam Thai carries all the
usual suspects, and stellar versions at
that. Servers shuttle plates piled with
pad thai, fried rice, and coconut milk
curries to eager customers.
But the page of chef’s specials at the
back of the menu is where the kitchen
gets to stretch its wings. “Drunken
noodles”, a Thai dish borrowed loosely
from Chinese cuisine (with a name of
mysterious origin), is a bed of wide,
flat rice noodles scattered with slices
of bell pepper, beef and flecks of chile.
The effect is a slow build, with earthy
notes giving way to lingering burn.
Bird’s eye, or Thai chiles, are ubiquitous in Thai cooking, imparting
a fiery burst of spice that keeps lips
tingling. Here they are cooked into a
chile jam, and tossed with a stir fry, the
scarlet sauce imparting a fruity sweetness and complex spice.
Authentic tastes appear also on
the lengthy dessert selection, like the
nutty, custard-like pie made from
yellow soy beans, accented with a swirl
of warm coconut milk.
Siam Thai is open Mon-Thu 11:30
am-9 pm, Fri 11:30 am-10 pm, Sat
4 pm-10 pm, and Sun 12 pm-9 pm.