Oakland, CA: Pho Ao Sen
Bo Kho – Vietnamese Beef Stew served with rice noodles
Bo Kho – Vietnamese beef stew served with rice noodles
Banh Tam Bi – Vietnamese rice noodles dressed with coconut milk and fish sauce
Banh Tam Bi – Vietnamese rice noodles dressed with coconut milk and fish sauce
Che Thai and Cafe Sua Da
Wah. It’s been a whole year since my last post. But no worries – just because I haven’t posted doesn’t mean I haven’t been documenting my noodle adventures! So I have quite a bit of catching up to do. Today I want to share with the world a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant that my friend introduced me to nestled in the colorful city of Oakland called Pho Ao Sen. When I want really good Vietnamese food I head South to San Jose but it’s a 45 min to 1 hour drive from the city. So unless you’ve got a desperate craving (which I sometimes have) for Vietnamese food, the drive isn’t so appealing. Now that I’ve been introduced to Pho Ao Sen, it’s only a hop and a skip away from where I live so I can quickly satiate my Vietnamese kick whenever I get it.
The two dishes that I’ve tried so far are Bo Kho and Banh Tam Bi. Bo Kho is a beef stew made with tender beef chuck roast, tendon and carrots. After hours of cooking, the beef and tendons become very tender and creates this naturally thick and yummy soup. There is a menagerie of spices that go into this dish like lemongrass, garlic, star of anise and cloves to name a few, so you can imagine the complexity of flavors you get with every bite. On top of that, it’s garnished with green onions, cilantro and thin slices of onion. And then served with a side of bean sprouts, sliced jalapeno peppers, a wedge of lemon or lime, basil and other veggies (depending on the restaurant). Pho Ao Sen serves their Bo Kho with dandelion greens which is a rare treat! Depending on your mood you normally have the option of noodles or French bread. I’m always in the mood for noodles of course. : )
The next dish that is superb and not found on too many menus is the Banh Tam Bi. This is a thick rice noodle appetizer that’s topped with Bi (shredded pork skin tossed in garlic and toasted rice powder), bean sprouts, basil, green onions sauteed in oil and fried shallots and a side of coconut milk and fish sauce that you pour over the noodles. The trick is to combine everything like a salad and make sure your noodles are well coated with the two sauces. To be honest, when this dish was described to me I couldn’t wrap it around my head…i thought to myself…coconut milk and fish sauce together over noodles? The two didn’t mix in my mind but when I tasted my first bite…I was hooked. You gotta try it IF you like coconut, as many people don’t dig it too much.
And then there’s dessert! I’ve only tried one of their yummy dessert drinks and it’s been tough for me to try their other drinks because this one is just that yummy that I’ve ordered it again and again! Che Thai is the Vietnamese version of a Thai dessert drink that has slivers of toddy palm, jackfruit and a couple of different kinds of jelly all floating in sweetened coconut milk and crushed ice. To die for. And don’t forget to grab a classic cafe sua da. They make it nice and strong here so don’t plan on falling asleep that night. A nice detail is that they serve your drinks in to go cups so you don’t even have to ask! Love.
I love Vietnamese food because most dishes are accompanied with raw green vegetables and many of their dishes don’t require a ridiculous amount of oil (in my opinion, that’s why most Vietnamese women are so svelte and slender). I also consider Vietnamese cuisine to be one of the first “fusion” foods. You’ll find that many dishes have a strong Chinese and/or French influence like Gha Chua Ngot (Sweet & Sour Pork), Banh Seo which is a crispy crepe like concoction filled with bean sprouts, pork and shrimp…and even Pho..have you ever heard of a French stock called Pot au Feu? With a few exceptions, the ingredients are very similar to the ingredients in Pho. I think I can chow down Vietnamese food every day for a whole month (maybe longer) because it’s do dang yummy. The End…until the next adventure.
Pho Ao Sen
200 International Blvd
Oakland, CA 94606
Neighborhood: East Oakland
(510) 839-6821