After the first pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, most didn’t make
it through their first cruel New England winter. But if Squanto had had the
foresight to feed them pho instead of maize, I wager at least 90% of them would
have survived. Then again, if Columbus had asked for directions, they might
have actually found Vietnam as well as the Indies…
Nowadays, few people die in Boston during the frigid frost, and I attribute most of that to Pho Pasteur. At Pho Pasteur, a measly $7 buys you a gigantic (size small) steaming bowl of beef noodle soup (Pho, duh) with tripe, tendon, and rare steak. Brisket and well-done flank steak are other options, and every permutation is available depending on what you want in your bowl. A few drops of Sriracha and this almost-two-meal bowl warms you to the core. I was almost sweating despite the arctic air conditioner and anyone who knows me knows that the sun is more likely to rise in the west.
If you love cows or want to watch your girlish figure, the Pho Chay is the same-priced vegetarian answer with soft tofu in a veggie broth. Sriracha is still a must, but for once, the vegetarian option is not inferior.
So skip the line at Gourmet Dumpling House if you lack the patience and save your money if you’re not feeling My Thai. If you’re low on time and high on hunger before catching the latest flick, duck into Pho Pasteur for a cheap bowl of Chinatown chow.
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