Pho 32 in Korean town

[HLing]

I never hear about this place on 32nd between 5th ave and Broadway. Maybe it's because it's a Korean restaurant that offers Vietnamese Pho and Japanese Shabu Shabu?

It doesn't matter that it's not the most authentic offering of Pho. Sure I miss the tender tendon pieces and the rare, pinkish slices of beef, but the meat slices we got were very flavorful, maybe more flavorful than some of those Vietnamese places in Chinatown. Pho32 has the most well-balanced and savory broth I've had. It tastes clear and bright, not muddy and dim. I suspect the freshness of the noodles helped a great deal. To me, the noodles are the star of the Pho here at Pho 32. Usually when I go to a Pho place in Chinatown, (or even when I went to the famed Golden Deli in LA) I half expect that musty dried noodle smell to bring down the broth. Some noodles stink more than others. It's the same thing you get when you order Pad Thai...that smell that reminds you of an old kitchen cabinet filled with old dried foods, all sharing the cramped space for air. At best the noodles are non-taste and non-texture that you don't feel any particular feeling for. Well, not so at Pho 32, for the first time I loved that rice noodle to the very last bite. They are soft but toothsome, like a good sticky rice. The broth's natural sweetness didn't come from msg as I didn't feel thirsty at all after my meal.

I'll be back.

[anil]

Pho32 is a great place after hours to get a healthy bowl of pho, and it is inexpensive plus good to prevent that hangover if next next morning is a work day :-)