Located on Sepulveda Boulevard, Vietnamese and Pan-Asian restaurant Pho Show resides on prime Culver City real estate. The small patio area at the front allows for people watching, while one sips on a Thai tea or a marvelous jug of sangria. The restaurant interior was equally inviting; as warm and welcoming as the working staff’s smiles.
The Thai tea was delicious and strong, yet creamy and sweet. It had an almost burned-caramel flavor that sticks around on the tongue for a while, kind of like the coating of a carnival candy apple. It tasted gloriously decadent as a sophisticated dessert, and set the tone for the food to follow.
Naturally, the restaurant is known for its pho, the Vietnamese soup that seems to have blown up in popularity in recent years.
We tried the Filet Mignon Pho, and the wafer-thin meat was tender and perfectly cooked—and didn’t overpower the delicate flavors in the bowl. The noodles were soft without being powdery, and the broth was rich and intoxicating. The aroma alone pulls you in, and allows the taste of green onions, beansprouts, chili and other flavors to linger.
The portion served was more than generous – the bowl was cauldron-like in size. And to our surprise, the pho tasted just as good the next day, if not better, after the flavors had melded together a little more.
The Salt and Pepper Fish, while breaded, was far more delicate than one might imagine. The coating was not heavy at all; not overcooked, and the sole fish was flaky and moist. The salt, pepper and spiced seasoning was spot on – so often, these dishes can be over-seasoned and the red chili too strong, but not here.
Orange Chicken is another dish that can be done badly, with sauce that ends up like a goopy orange paste. That’s not our meal – the breaded chicken was crispy, not chewy. The sauce was perfect – tangy and sweet with the slightest bite of chili (as long as you avoid biting the accompanying red chilies). There are big chunks of orange peel mixed in the sauced, offering a beautifully bitter edge, like a good marmalade.
Our final dish was the Shaken Beef – a diced beef entree, which had a sweet Asian barbeque flavor, and was cooked so perfectly that it melted in our mouths. The vegetables proved to be crispy, and the rice fluffy.
Frankly, the quality of the food, friendly staff, and reasonable prices at Pho Show were 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