Pho Minh

4917 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

We went to this place on Saturday for lunch. I was starving, no surprise there. So we thought we would try something new. We heard of this place through word-of-mouth, but would have never known it existed otherwise. They do not advertise, nor does there storefront shout “COME EAT HERE!” Nonetheless, I have never eaten Vietnamese and this place was apparently some of the best.

We were greeted by the extremely nice 3’-2” Vietnamese owners who appeared as though they possess some ridiculous Kung Fu skills but only use them on unruly Americans. We kept our composure and were seated. The place is tiny. With the exception of a few Vietnamese pieces on the walls, the decorations are neutral. Very simple but nice.

Stacy recommended I get the chicken Pho. I had no idea what chicken Pho meant but chicken, Pho, how could one resist? The dish came out within ten minutes in a bowl the size of Heinz Field. As the aromas wafted the room, I checked out this so-called chicken Pho. Broth, noodles, bean sprouts, chicken, cilantro, so on and so forth.

Stacy dowsed hers in Sriracha hot sauce and dug in like a pro. I followed suit. Little did I know that the Sriracha hot sauce makes a pansy like me cry like a schoolgirl. I toughed it out.

As the meal progressed, we glanced at the table to our left which was full of Vietnamese teenagers. You know the feeling you get when a group of teenagers speaking a foreign language look at you then laugh, like you are doing something completely idiotic? Yea, that happened. Maybe it was because the Sriracha made the mucus and tears flow freely, or maybe it was because we were eating broth soup with chopsticks. After the teenyboppers had their fun and left, we noticed the owner eat a bowl of Pho. He scooped the broth and noodles into a spoon then ate from the spoon, not the chopsticks. It all made perfect sense.

Minus the minor embarrassment of being an uncultured Westerner,  Pho Minh is delicious. A lot better than Campbell’s chicken noodle soup that’s for sure. The total was $14 plus tip. Not too many Burghers have tried Vietnamese cuisine so give it a shot.

PHO MINH SCORE = 81