Hot broth journey in What's Happening

I drove to Philly this morning to go to my favorite Vietnamese Pho place on Washington Ave, but stupid me forgot that parking is extremely limited at these places on Sunday mornings. I wasn’t mentally prepare for it and after one very slow moving lap around the parking lot behind a line of other cars trying to find a spot, I decided to forfeit the mission and find somewhere else to go.

I was bummed that I drove into the city for nothing. I decided to drive around and keep an eye out for somewhere else that looked interesting. On Oregon Ave I noticed an indoor mall of Asian stores. One of the places was a Vietnamese restaurant and there was tons of parking spots. I pulled in and went to the restaurant. It was filled with about 60 people and a flow of incoming and outgoing patrons. I was the only white person. Everyone was Asian. For a second I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to be there. I scanned the restaurant once more and I saw a black guy there with his Asian friend.

Okay cool, there’s a black guy here, I thought to myself.

Ever since I moved back to the suburbs I’ve been getting Pho from the only Pho place in the area. Ironically it’s probably about the same distance as driving to Philly, but there’s less traffic and no bridge toll so my brain perceives it as an overall easier trip.

I forgot how the real Pho experience was supposed to be. For instance:

• The suburban place doesn’t offer hot tea with the meal.
• The suburban place takes a while for them to make the food (Philly places are super quick.)
• The suburban Pho comes to your table and the meat is already cooked all the way through. Philly places throw raw steak in the soup and you watch it cook in the hot broth in front of your eyes.
• The suburban place asks you what kind of utensils you want to use. What kind of savage eats Pho with a fork and a table spoon?
• The suburban place has salty MSG tasting broth that makes you feel sick when you’re done eating.
• The suburban place calls summer rolls “spring rolls” and calls spring rolls “egg rolls”

… You get the picture.

Everything was perfect. Even their brown sauce (whatever that stuff is called) was better.

I finished my very satisfying lunch and when I was going to pay I noticed they had Cafe Sua Da!

Cafe Sua Da! The most delicious beverage on the planet and the perfect drink for the drive home. I got one and it was just as good as the ones I remember drinking a few months ago when I was in VN.

I’m going to let it digest. I’m going to take a couple swigs of moonshine that my friend from Tennessee gave me and take an hour nap. I need to pack my things and head back up North later tonight to start a new work week.

It’s been a pretty decent weekend overall. I NEED to get back into the gym starting tomorrow though. It’s been over two weeks.

Last updated December 08, 2019