It’s been over five years since we reviewed Vietnamese and Pan-Asian restaurant Pho Show, located on Sepulveda Blvd. conveniently close to the CCN office. It seems, therefore, like an appropriate venue to reignite this publication’s food reviews section.
It’s gratifying to learn that Pho Show remains as warm and welcoming as it was half a decade ago. The small patio area at the front still offers a great spot to sip drinks and people watch, while waiting for the great food to arrive.
The speciality is the pho; last time around we had the Filet Mignon Pho – this time we decided to go for the Fish Rice Noodle Soup. We were not disappointed.
A generous amount of flakey white fish sits atop a huge bowl of broth and noodles, assembled by the customer so the ratio is left up to you. Similarly, as is usually the case with pho, the beansprouts, chili and basil are added at your pleasure, as are the hoisin and chili sauces.
The trick with pho is to get the balance just right – to leave the chili slices in just long enough that the bite is enough for your personal palette, to get the basil infused with the broth. There are few dishes which rely on personal responsibility quite so much. But Pho Show provides you with the ideal base ingredients, and their pho is a comforting, aromatic delight.
Maybe it’s because we ordered immediately after they opened during a midweek lunch time, but the noodles were a little hard and brittle. That’s unusual for a pho dish where you want them to be soft and soaking in the broth. But overall, the cauldron-esque bowl was wonderful.
It’s also great to know that the Salt & Pepper Fish (appetizer), Orange Chicken (main course) and Shaken Beef (special) that we had last time are still on the menu. We said it before and we’ll say it again, the quality of the food, friendly staff, and reasonable prices at Pho Show are very impressive. If Asian cuisine is on your radar, we highly recommend Pho Show for a pleasant and enjoyable dining experience.
Pho Show restaurant is located at 4349 Sepulveda Blvd., just south of Culver Boulevard in Culver City. Call 310-398-5200