Pho Huong & Mama Pizza- Edmonton, AB

Vietnamese food and pizza. What could be a odder combination than that? Something tells me Pho Huong & Mama Pizza didn't think they would make enough from Vietnamese food, so they branched out into the pizza business. Now, I've been to Pho Huong before for their Vietnamese food and found it to be quite good. So we decided to there again with a few friends. I have heard great things about their pizza but have yet to try it.

Located in one of the rougher parts of Downtown Edmonton (is that even possible?), I do not think I will ever feel safe eating at Pho Huong. But sometimes for good food, you have to brave it and take that chance.

As we entered Pho Huong, we were greeted by the daughter of the owner and promptly seated as there were very few people in the restaurant at the time. The decor at Pho Huong is nothing special; it is rather simple with pictures of their food and travels on the walls. The tables and chair were pretty standard for an Asian restaurant.

#55: 1L of juice

My friend Jerry drinks juice like it's water, so he decided to get #55 on the menu for the whole table. #55 is 1L of juice (orange or apple) for $2.99. Now I knew this was a terrible idea but I guess Jerry was hoping for freshly squeezed juice. What we actually got was a box of no name juice (see picture) that you can purchase at the grocery store for $0.99. Very disappointing but not surprising. I stuck with the tea, which was pretty standard.

Normal accoutrements fro pho

I decided on the House Special Pho; my usual order to judge every Vietnamese place by. My friends decided on similar items. When you order pho, the only thing that changes is the type of meat you enjoy. After our order was taken, we were brought the usual accoutrement of mint, bean sprouts and small chili peppers. Usually, this plate comes with limes but for some reason we were given slices of lemons. Odd.

#7: Steak & flank beef noodle soup

We were quickly brought our bowls of steaming hot soup noodles. The great thing about pho is that there are very thin slices of meat placed on top of the noodles and when you mix it in the soup, the meat is actually cooked by the broth. However, if you compare the steak & flank soup with the house special soup (above and below), you'll notice that there was approximately the same amount of steak and flank in both, leaving the first bowl with a lot less meat overall for the same price. The amount of flank was also scant, so I'd say if you want bang for your buck, definitely go for the house special.

#15: House Special Beef Noodle Soup

The broth is really what separates Pho places from one another, as the noodles and meat are pretty standard. The broth at Pho Huong had a strong beefy flavor. It was pretty delicious. I would have to say that the broth was better than Xu Hue. Each bowl of pho cost about $7.00 for the small and $7.50 for the large. For $0.50 there really is no point in getting the small. The noodles had a nice chew and the beef was fresh and most importantly, not frozen.

#4: Beef balls with beef noodle soup

I was definitely full after finishing my bowl of pho. The beef broth was one of the best I've had in Edmonton and I am definitely interested in trying their pizza. However, be warned; it's not in the safest place to go eat.

Top Pick of the Night: #15 House special beef noodle soup

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pho-Huong-Mama-Pizza/112408075494007


Rating:

4/5 Erics