Lately, I've been exploring new foods. This means I've been cooking more (say what?) and had an increased desire to try different things.
When I have food questions or am feeling brave I have two people I call.
The Ludwigs.
They are good friends of ours and they love food. They cook beautiful, amazing meals. They go to restaurants all the time and travel and eat the food unique to that region.
I admire their palate, their skills, their adventures. I'm not going to say I'm jealous of their life...but I'm a little jealous.
If you want to see what I mean, they have both a gorgeous tumblr blog and a beautiful Instagram account (they were one of the accounts I recommended in my InstaLove post) where they share their food journey. They are also on Twitter and post interesting food related tweets and pictures. I will say this though: do not check them out when you are hungry. It will make everything in your fridge pale in comparison. You've been warned.
One thing they have posted about is their love of phó. When they have shared pictures of phó in the past all I could think was, "Looks like soup. What's the big deal? And who has soup without bread. What a waste."
Well, I was wrong.
Good Lord was I wrong.
I decided I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I was ready to step out of my little Minnesotan box of meat and potatoes (and casseroles) and try something new. I only momentarily wondered if I should bring my own bread. I didn't.
I met Melissa at Quang Restaurant in Minneapolis to go on this grand adventure.
I'll admit the menu was a little overwhelming, but that's why I had a pro with me. The first thing I learned was that 'phó' is pronounced 'fuh.' That is why every time I say 'phó' I need to say, in my head, "duh it's phu" because otherwise I say 'ph-O'.
We decided to share two different types of phó. Melissa explained that the 'Pho Tai/Sliced Beef Pho' was the most traditional and basic so we should get that, as an introduction. Then she shared that her personal favorite is 'Mi Hoanh Thanh/Pork and Shrimp Wonton with Roast Pork Egg Noodle.' Since I like everything she just said (beef, shrimp, pork, wontons, noodles), I was on board.
Plus, we started with some egg rolls so I wasn't thinking too much about the lack of bread.
The food was out in less than ten minutes. Seriously, the fastest service ever. And what they set down before us looked glorious.
This wasn't your mom's Campbell soup, that's for sure.
I'm not a food blogger. I really don't know how to describe food. Or flavors. My list of descriptive words is pretty much limited to: good, bad, salty, sweet, filling. Because of my less than vast vocabulary to describe one of the best meals ever, I'll leave you with this:
It was freakin' awesome. And I can't wait to go back for more. Anyone want to join me?
And what do you know, I didn't even miss my bread.
{P.S. If you love my food writing (because what's not to love), stay tuned. Some adventures from my kitchen that I recently discovered I could actually cook in will be on the blog on Monday!}
xo Sara