Pho with meatballs and beef flank at the Vietnam Grill
We all have our food obsessions. For some it's something sweet like chocolate chip cookies or French pastries. To others it's a fresh baguette or a rack of savory pork ribs. When we travel we seek out these comfort foods. We scour the restaurant listings and reviews looking for something that feeds our craving. We compare city to city and restaurant to restaurant. You know that you've become a foodie when someone talks about a city they are planning to visit and the first thought that comes to your mind is "they have really great pizza (New York or Chicago, your choice)."
One of my many food obsessions is something that ironically, I didn't try until only a few years back. I was in Columbus, Ohio at a seminar, and we visited the North Market. For those of you in Ohio or planning a trip to the area, I would highly recommend the North Market. It's part fresh market, part gourmet market with delightful food stands mixed in throughout. That day I chose a very nice Cassoulet from one of the food vendors. As I was walking back to the other end of the market, I noticed a growing line at one of the stands. When you are into food, a growing line at a food stand plays like a siren going off in your head. I instantly regretted getting the Cassoulet.
After a closer look, I saw that the line was for a little Vietnamese stand known for its Pho. As I would discover a couple of months later (when I talked my wife and kids into a day trip to the North Market), Pho is a Vietnamese street food consisting of a rich broth, rice noodles, fresh herbs, fresh lime, fresh bean sprouts, and either meatballs, chicken, beef or a combination of one or two. Some Pho restaurants (and I'd assume street vendors) utilize leftover cuts of meat in their noodle bowls. I've had Pho with tripe (Cleveland) and beef tendon (Boston).
Pho is made or unmade by its rich broth. The broth is a stock featuring beef of chicken bones, charred onion, charred ginger, and a special spice mix. While I'm positive every restaurant has their own spice mix, some of the more common spices are Saigon cinnamon, star anise, roasted ginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed, and clove. The spices are usually tied up in a cheese cloth allowing the broth to remain clear.
After several hours, the meat is added to the broth (flank steak, brisket, chicken) and eventually the rice noodles. Pho is served with a variety of garnishes. These include chili peppers, lime, onions, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and sometimes cilantro. Finally, the dish is served with several sauces to add to the broth. These are commonly a hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and a chili sauce like Siracha. The result is a delicious bowl of noodles in a make your own style. Personally, I prefer my Pho with lime, a little bean sprout, a healthy bunch of Thai basil, and Siracha.
Having been a few months since my last Pho experience (lunch after the Boston Marathon) I was excited to hear that Missoula had a Vietnamese restaurant. Located on N. Higgins, the Vietnam Grill is a small family run business. It is not uncommon to be greeted and served by the teenage children while mom and dad cook in the back. The set-up reminds one of a simpler times when mom and pop restaurants got their designation for a reason.
The Vietnam Grill is not a fancy place, but it's comfortable. The people are friendly, and there is plenty of people watching to be had as couples, students, runners, and bikers navigate one of Missoula's busiest stretched of road. The menu at Vietnam Grill is extensive. In addition to traditional Vietnamese fare, the restaurant also delves into traditional favorites from other Asian countries. I've been told that this is common practice in Missoula. Unfortunately, most restaurant owners fall into this mentality. Because of the city's small ethnic populations, restaurant owners don't want to risk being too narrow in their choices.
Kimchi at the Vietnam Grill
A little while later the main course arrived and my youngest and I tucked into a bowl of steaming Pho. To mine I added a little cilantro, fresh chili pepper, bean sprouts, and Siracha. While it may not have been the greatest bowl of Pho I've ever had, it's like other great pleasures in life, even when it's not great it's still really good.
After dinner we took a stroll down Higgins to walk off a little of our Pho bellies (couldn't resist). Overall, Vietnam Grill is inexpensive casual dinning with a decent bowl of Pho.
Interior Photo of the Vietnam Grill
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