206 Park Rd., West Hartford
On an idyllic late summer evening, one of us had a craving for pho, the Vietnamese meat and noodle soup. (We should say right here that we are not experts in pho, or in anything else food-related; we just like food. So if we're not accurate in our descriptions, and it bothers you, um, too bad. Write your own blog. Or just refer to Wikipedia for a more detailed definition of pho.) So we went to Pho 206, knowing nothing about it except that it was the closest Vietnamese restaurant in the area.
Walking into Pho 206 is kind of like walking into someone's living room--wood paneling, dated carpet, lots of plants (cacti, bamboo), melon-colored accent paint, and a small fish tank in the back where enormous fish fight each other for food. We should point out that we found none of this off-putting. It looks exactly as a neighborhood pho shop should look: comfortable, unpretentious, and homey.
And the food--oh, the food! We ordered shrimp fresh rolls, wrapped in cool rice paper with basil and sprouts. The accompanying spicy, smooth peanut sauce gave them heat and a delicate savory-ness that complemented the sweet freshness of the rolls. Next, we ordered beef pho, one regular and one spicy, which arrived with the usual plate of condiments: basil, sprouts, chili pepper, and lime. We added hoisin and sriracha from the tray of sauces already on the table (which included fish sauce and soy sauce as well), but the pho really needed nothing to boost its flavor. The broth was fragrant with ginger and basil, light and perfect on a cool summer evening; the tender beef and deeper notes of umami in the broth, rich, satisfying and almost indescribable, had us both thinking that this would also be the perfect dinner on a cold, dark winter night. The spicy version of this pho had all the same virtues with more intense heat that cleared our sinuses and left our noses running (in the most pleasant way possible). Next to these harmonious flavors, we almost didn't notice the rice noodles, which were perfectly cooked and added structure to the brothy mix--even though they did cause a little chopstick trouble for one of us. We were so excited about the pho that we didn't remember to take a picture of it until we were almost done with it... so, no visual aid here, sorry.
We were so enthralled with the pho that we almost forgot about our next course, but the waitress was kind enough to wrap our leftover pho for us so we could move on to our grilled pork noodle and Vietnamese chicken pancake. The pork was the star of the first dish: tender, marinated to perfection, and hitting all the right notes of salty, sweet and hot. Next to the pork, the rice vermicelli, basil, lettuce and peanuts seemed a little uninspiring, but we remedied this by adding a sweet carrot sauce, hoisin, and sriracha.
Grilled pork noodle
The pancake seemed more like a fritter than the crepe we were expecting, but was quite satisfying nonetheless, filled with seasoned chicken, sprouts, and onions. The pancake's crispy outer layer added a new dimension of texture to the meal and absorbed the carrot sauce without losing its crunch. Needless to say, we ate it all.
Chicken pancake
The restaurant is small and quiet: at one point, the only noises we heard were slurps, sniffs and low moans of pleasure from the few other diners as they enjoyed their pho. The meal was an incredible bargain, coming in at less than $40, not including tip, for five generously-portioned dishes. The service was swift and polite--our server was gracious but not servile or overbearing, and the food came out of the kitchen quickly. Given its value and convenience (safe and abundant on-street parking is also free), we'll definitely be coming back to Pho 206 soon... pho sho!
