I was introduced to Vietnamese food by my sister who took me to this very location a few years back when it was called "Pho Vung Tao."  When it comes to authentic Asian foods, Americans are probably most familiar with Japanese foods such as sushi, tempura, udon, and ramen.  I don't even want to mention Chinese food, since what we know as Chinese food is probably more American than it is Chinese.

I find there's a certain stigma attached to Asian foods outside of Japan.  Of the Asian countries, Japan is looked at as the most well-developed and advanced when it comes not only to technology, but society as a whole.  Our impression of a country's culture often influences our impression of a country's cuisine.  There's a certain sophistication or refinement associated with Japanese food.  While some still find raw fish to be off-putting, it's gained acceptance and even popularity in the States.  The same cannot be said of other Asian foods, Vietnamese included.

Writing for SlowDayToday.com has inspired me to get out of the house and actually experience what's out there.  I'll admit that if life had a progress meter, I've probably only got one toe out the door, but that's not bad for a hermit like me.  Almost everything in life is more fun with other people and eating is no exception.  I assumed that most of my friends have never tried Vietnamese food before, so I thought I'd see if any of them were interested.  Not surprisingly, only one friend, big Shinsk, took me up on the offer.  He was a little hesitant after googling Vietnamese food, but that's to be expected.  The important thing is that he dipped his toes in the water, felt the chill after seeing something unpleasant show up in search, but still took the plunge.  I've only had four items on the menu so I'm still swimming in the kiddie pool myself.  Hopefully, next time our Vietnamese friend, MoD, can show us what the rest of the menu is all about.  My only experience with Vietnamese cuisine is with Pho, fried rice, and the two different types of rolls.

I'm a huge fan of the cold summer roll which is served with a sweet dipping sauce.  This cold roll can be described in one word, refreshing.  I like to think of it has as a tightly wrapped salad in rice paper which includes:

• rice noodles
• basil leaves
• shrimp
• lettuce
• Hoisin peanut dipping sauce

The other roll, cha gio in Vietnamese, is very similar to a Chinese spring roll.  Spring rolls are like egg rolls, but aren't as thick, and the shell is much thinner.  To be honest, I couldn't tell you what goes into the spring rolls at Pho #1 because the ingredients are chopped up, mixed, and then deep fried.  What I can tell you is that they're nice and crispy, and the dipping sauce isn't overly sweet.

I chose the Pho no. 1 because it was at the top of the list.  My one criticism of the restaurant is the complexity of the menu.  I would've like to have seen more pictures because all the foreign words makes it quite intimidating.  After speaking with the waitress, we learned that the difference between the different types of Pho on the menu is just the cuts of meat.  Pho no. 1 has the most types and each subsequent type is just missing a certain cut.  When our orders of Pho came out, I did notice that the noodles seemed to be stuck together in a big block shape which indicates to me that it's probably not the freshest that it could be.  I couldn't really care less though because it tasted just fine to me, and at an average of $8 a bowl, it's difficult to complain.  Pho comes out with a plate of various garnishes including:

• bean sprouts
• basil
• lime
• freshly-sliced peppers (which I believe were jalapeno)

I can't tell you how authentic the food is at Pho #1 because I have no idea what it's supposed to taste like, but quite frankly I don't care.  The only thing that matters is what my taste buds tell me, and Pho #1 passes the test.

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