Pho Hong Vietnamese Cuisine
1930 Genesee Street, Buffalo

by Mike Niman and Laura McClusky
Gazette Culinary Critics

Entering Pho Hong on Genesee Street is like taking a short trip abroad. The sites, sounds (Vietnamese Karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights) and aroma set this restaurant apart from all others in the area.

The food is unique. Unlike other Vietnamese restaurants which have Thai or Chinese influences, Pho Hong is strictly authentic Vietnamese food. This makes it one of the healthiest places to eat on the east side as, unlike other Asian cuisines, Vietnamese food is usually fresh or steamed, as opposed to fried. The sauces at Pho Hong, for example, are light and delicately flavored — much lower in sodium than Chinese food.

In Vietnamese, "Pho," means soup, indicating that this is a soup house, although other specialties are served as well. But lets start with the soup. Here, soup is not an appetizer, it’s a main course. The bowls are huge and range in price from $3.75 to $4.75. You can, however, ask for an extra bowl and share your soup, thus leaving room to try another dish.

We started with the "Rare Beef Soup Well Done" ($3.75) which is served with a side of fresh basil and beansprouts. The translation from Vietnamese is rough. Here, "rare," means "lean." The soup has a delegate broth and is flavored with a plentiful serving of shaved beef. We also ordered Spring Rolls ($3.00 for two) which are cousins to Chinese Egg Rolls, except they are rolled in steamed rice paper instead of deep fried, and are filled with a medley of fresh crisp vegetables such as sprouts, mint and cucumber, and shrimp. Like we said, this is healthy food! It is served with a peanuty dipping sauce on the side.

We also ordered the BBQ & Shredded Pork with Vermicelli ($4.25). The meat is lean, without much fat or grease, and is cooked well done. Meat lovers be forewarned however — this is basically a vermicelli (pasta) dish with a small bed of meat as a flavoring. It’s great stuff with a sweet tangy taste, but it’s quite different from the BBQ pork most Americans expect.

The highpoint of the meal was an unexpected surprise — an Avocado Milk Shake ($2.00). To be honest, we were leery, but curious. It was delicious! Definitely avocado, but sweet and creamy as well. It’s really tough to describe, so try one yourself. You won’t be disappointed. We also tried the Jackfruit shake — sweet and tart while also creamy. Yum! The folks at Pho Hong also blend up Guanabana (Soursop), Pineapple, Durian (we don’t know either!) and Mung Bean shakes. The shakes are worth a stop on their own.

If you are looking for a cultural adventure or just some good healthy food at a reasonable price, take a trip to Pho Hong on the Genesee strip.