Saturday, June 4, 2011

Pho 14 - Columbia Heights

A Vietnamese friend of mine once told me that the pho at Pho 14 is correct. Not being Vietnamese, I can't substantiate her claim, but I do know it is good. I come here fairly often, always getting the pho with eye of round, fat brisket, and delicious, sundry bits of the cow's digestive tract. Seriously, you are not really getting pho if you don't have a steaming pile of tendon swimming with the leaves of basil and noodles. The chew of the tripe and gelatinous mush of tendon just adds so much texturally to the soup. But, to each their own, I suppose.

The broth is a strength of the dish. Deep and savory, if a little heavy on the anise, it is a wonderful complement to the cornucopia of cow bits and fresh herbs in the bowl. But, the broth can be inconsistent; there have been times when I have found the broth insipid and thin. Also, I do wish they had some other herbs besides Thai basil. Maybe some fresh coriander or culantro as well? But, beggars can't be choosers. This is probably one of the better pho joints in the District, so, short of trekking to the Eden Center, make haste to Columbia Heights if you want a steaming bowl of the best of the Indochine to warm your day.