What the Pho?
by Benjamin Doyle
I
n winter, in Nebraska, the doldrums of winter’s days wear on
with the cold winds howling across the prairies, sending chills
to all of our bones. To come inside and take off my coat, hat and
gloves, and enjoy a bowl of soup that I love, cannot be beat. One of
my favorites is a bowl of warm and spicy pho that is full of nutrients
while filling the belly.
The last time I lived in the Big O, I discovered pho. Since then
my travels have led me to pho in cities like Chicago, Austin, and
San Francisco, where the flashing neon sign of a bowl dispersing
steam with the word “pho” into the air became a cairn that signified
my direction in life was the right one.
“The flashing neon sign of a bowl
with the word ‘pho’ became a cairn
that signified my direction in life
was the right one.”
It was in San Diego, however, that I learned to really enjoy pho. I
moved there after college, and lived there until I returned to Omaha
in 2013. From the batch of pho that my old roommate made for us
in South Park to the Sunday morning (or afternoon, it all depends
on perspective here) trip to Pho King with a friend or two, pho
became a staple of my diet for this bachelor roaming the streets of
San Diego.
After moving back to Omaha, I got a job working at Nebraska
Furniture Mart. On my break one day, I walked over to the plaza
across the way and noticed a little Vietnamese restaurant. I quickly
altered my route from the nice, friendly neighborhood fast food
24
joint, Sam and Louie’s, and followed the trail to the Vietnamese
Asian on 72nd and jones.
Because different people like different things, I should share how
I like to eat pho. The base consists of rare flank steak and small
rice noodles and topped with chopped green chives. Tripe and
tongue are other ways that people eat pho, but I prefer to stay away
from those variations (in fact, right after I moved to San Diego, I
accidentally ordered the tripe pho. I didn’t eat it again until years
later when my roommate cooked a batch for the house. But, I
digress…). It should be served with fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil,
sliced jalapeños, and cilantro stacked on a side plate. A variety of
sauces to choose from are necessary. Hoisin sauce and chili paste are
my choices. Sriracha will do if there is no chili paste available.
With that being said, here are some of my favorites;
Every city has a downtown restaurant that is swanky. Saigon
Surface on 14th Street in Omaha serves that role well. The
restaurant was quiet, but we went at around 3 p.m., so it is entirely
possible that they do good business for the lunch rush. They
certainly look like they know what they are doing. The nine-hour
simmer they give their oxtail sounds like they know what they are
doing as well.
I was happy to see that they served all the fixings. The soup was
spicy and the size was good. I gauged this one on my guest who is
incredibly picky and always hungry. He finished it, no problem, and
even gave the owner some compliments. It is downtown, so expect
to pay a bit more for your food there. Its long, backlit lines fit right
in with the sun chasing buildings that engulf it.
Saigon Restaurant is at 12100 West Center Road in Omaha. It
has been there forever. I remember this place from years ago. Yet
this seemed like my first time. For starters, they had some amazing