Saturday, June 19, 2010

Pho Nam--Sunnyvale, CA

At Pho Nam today for lunch I went with the "House Special" pho, which included generous amounts of steak and brisket, both of which were tender. It was disappointing, though, that there was very little tripe and tendon (only two small pieces). The vermicelli was soft, chewy and didn't clump. The soup came in the smallest "large" bowl I'd ever had and was only barely larger than what would be considered a "regular" anywhere else.

My wife's bun (sounds like "boon") was so-so and included pork that was a little dry. My younger son's bowl included without question the toughest chicken I've ever eaten in a noodle soup. The older one had the best dish of the four of us. All of us enjoyed his grilled chicken and the rice was topped with green onions and even had a hint of broth.

My search continues for a consistently good pho restaurant north of the Santa Clara/San Jose area. Today's experience simply didn't make me want to return. I wouldn't recommend against it, though, especially considering how fast lunch arrived--fast even for a pho restaurant. So, if you have a hankering for pho and if you happen to be around El Camino and Mary in Sunnyvale, you'll easily find Pho Nam--just look out for its kitschy, A-framed roof (think Weinerschnitzel) at the end of a strip mall.

Pho Nam Restaurant844 West El Camino RealSunnyvale, CA 94087-1153(408) 737-1086