Takeout from Pho Bang 03-10-2010

Location: 157 Mott St.
Time: 7pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: One of the great things about your spouse working in Soho is that he has the easy access to cheap and tasty takeouts from Chinatown after work. Today, RB picked us up some bun dinner from Pho Bang on Mott Street. He previously ordered lunch from there, and the strong aroma of fish sauce inconvenienced his coworkers greatly. This distinct fish odor usually means delicious and more authentic Vietnamese, so I could not wait to try their food.

I had Bun Cha Gio ($5.50, spring rolls on rice vermicelli) with two small containers of fish sauce. The spring rolls were crispy with a thin skin, which made them less greasy and more delicious. The sauce was incredibly fishy as it should be, and it completely took over the entire apartment.

RB ordered his favorite, Bun Cha Ha Noi. ($5.95, Ha Noi style grilled pork on rice vermicelli) When you order this dish, everything comes in separately: a bag full of greens, and separate containers for the noodles, grilled pork and pork meatballs, and fish sauce. He assembled them meticulously and equally offended the apartment with the smell of sauce and pork. The noodles were nicely cooked and remained cold, and the pork was very tasty but greasy. They really give you a lot of greens, but he would have enjoyed more variations of greens.

Finding decent bun and pho can be quite difficult in Manhattan. Some are unnecessarily garlicy or salty, and some are just too bland and soggy mess. Pho Bang is perhaps one of the better pho and bun restaurants in Manhattan. But please make sure to eat this either at the restaurant or at home, and avoid aggravating your coworkers. Fish smell at work is never a good idea.