One restaurant that has been on our “List” for a while now is Baoguette/Pho Sure in the West Village. CT had been a number of times in the past and was long overdue for a return visit. I have been to a couple of the Baoguette locations over the years and really enjoyed their banh mi. Believe it or not, I had never had pho before. While there is an on-going debate on whether NYC has good pho, I value CT’s opinion and she said it was pretty good there. Ramen has become quite the craze over the past couple of years, maybe pho will phollow?
It was a chilly and rainy night, which was perfect weather for pho. What made it even better is that our friend KR joined us with her friend W.
We shared a couple of appetizers to start.
Jicama Summer Rolls ($8). They had Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, basil and peanut sauce. They were crisp and refreshing, but could have used a bit more sausage and shrimp.
Short Rib On Lemongrass Skewers($12) with hoisin sauce and peanuts. The beef had some good grilled flavor but was a little tough to eat. The long strips off meat weren’t the easiest to eat, but we were all friends, so etiquette be damned.
CT and I were feeling extra ambitious so we shared a banh mi and two bowls of pho.
We only got the banh mi in addition to the pho because this was the only location that you could get the Pork Chop & Fried Egg banh mi ($8.25). It came with the standard pickled daikon & carrots, cilantro, and cucumbers. At the other locations, they usually ask how spicy you want your sandwich. Here they did not. It could have used some extra spice. Fortunately there was a big bottle of Sriracha on the table. Oddly enough, the egg was the most prevalent flavor I got when eating this. I’ll stick to a regular Baoguette next time.
The restaurant offers two types of pho, so we shared one of each.
Pho Real ($8)- pho beef noodle soup with rare beef. Sorry for the lack of perspective, but it was a HUGE bowl of soup. There was a lot of noodles and fresh herbs mixed in. The broth was delicious. Light, yet super “beefy.” The beef slices weren’t as rare as advertised, but still tasty and added some heft to the dish.
Pho Sure ($8)- pho beef noodle soup with rare beef, brisket, shin. This was the clear winner as it had a variety of meat, which wasn’t as overcooked as the first bowl. I would definitely order this version next time. One bowl is more than enough for an entire meal for one.
Both bowls came with a side of veggies including bean sprouts, Thai basil, and a slice of lime to add if you wish.
All in all, I was quite happy with our meal at Baoguette/Pho Sure. It was a great introduction to pho. Prices were super reasonable considering the neighborhood they were in. I will have to try to get back there soon before the weather warms up too much.
T.C. says
Pho Sure is the way I’d go with pho bowl ordering.
Fried egg and pork chop banh mi? You have my attention!
ML says
MY FAVE! Next time definitely get the rice cake and chinese sausage app – it’s amazing. I love the pork chop & fried egg baoguette — I always ask for extra jalapenos on the side. The classic is also great. I also like how they serve the spring rolls with herbs and lettuce leaves just like Vietnam.
TT says
well let’s plan on a visit soon!
Sherm says
Only two varieties of pho? Maybe it’s our bigger Vietnamese population, but down here in Philly every pho spot has at least 15+ varieties. The beef varieties (I’m pretty sure) share the same basic broth, with different cuts/combinations of cuts mixed in. The chicken variety (which FF has written about in the past) is a light-colored, almost creamy broth with none of the beefy funk of standard pho. Never been much of a fan of the chicken, something about sinewy beef in my dark, complex pho broth just does it for me.
TT says
Yup, unfortunately in Manhattan we are lacking for a plethora of good Vietnamese restaurants. I haven’t yet been out to Queens where Yvo has blogged about a couple different places for good pho in the past.
T.C. says
Chinatown in the city has a bunch of Viet places with variety pho choices but I don’t have to travel out of Queens for it.
I’ve only done Chinatown pho twice in the past and it was only okay.
Feisty Foodie says
I would give this a try if it were “in the area” (the only reason I tried ChaPa’s)… It does look pretty good though, the pho. I sort of wish I could stop being a pho snob… when are you guys coming to Queens for pho? 🙂
hungry says
Even though I’ve eaten a lot of pho in my life, I’m still not sure what is considered excellent pho. I need someone to show me a place that would remind them of their monther’s or grandmother’s pho.
CT says
H- I’ve had pho on the streets on Vietnam and that was by far some of the most delicious tasting stuff I’ve ever had. Sitting on a little plastic step stool in the middle of the sidewalk while someone ladles boiling broth from a back alley vat of pho… what an experience! And while this isn’t quite that good…I also don’t get the fear of food poisoning that came with the street food. (Though I don’t regret eating it even for a second, afterall I only got food poisoning on the 2nd visit there, I actually thought I might die on that trip.) All that said, I still think this pho is pretty awesome and will happily go back with anyone who wants to try it. I’m also a big fan of everything else I’ve ever had here.
hungry says
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! A pho expert! Sign me up!