Food Porn VIII

“Go With the Pho”

“Neddie, have a noodle.”

So says the villainous Hercules Grytpype-Thynne to our hapless hero, Ned Seagoon, in the Goon Show’s China Story. This line actually pops up in many of the GS scripts, and in some of the Greig family banter as well. It’s one of my favourites because I love noodles. I had no idea how much I love them until I discovered pho.

Pronounced “pha” (I think), it’s a Vietnamese minestrone, a gorgeous collection of meat, scallions, crispy-fried onions and rice noodles served in a stunningly simple broth alongside a plate of bean sprouts, sweet basil, lime and sliced jalapeno peppers. I use the lime and basil, squirt in a fair amount of sriracha chili sauce, and leave the sprouts to Ter. I always order it when trying out a new Vietnamese restaurant; like the bacon/cheese at a burger joint, noodles are my yardstick.

Restaurants come and go so fast that it’s best not to get attached to any one dish, though it can also be said that noodles are alive and well in Victoria. Over the years I’ve had good noodles and not-so-good noodles, but I may have had the best noodles so far last Saturday, at the Green Leaf Bistro near City Hall. I ordered the plain beef brisket and OMG was it good; so good that I want to go back and try something (everything) else. Ter’s standard is lemongrass chicken and the Green Leaf delivered there, too. We’ve been forced to expand our territory due to fire, new management, renovations, relocations, you name it, our regular haunts have suffered it. I tend to stick with a place I like, so it’s been good to try other versions of the staple, though it’s a bit like Goldilocks in search of “just right”. One was too spicy, one was too bland, one skimped on the beef, but the Green Leaf checked every box.

What a relief. I’ve been noodle-free for almost a month and I generally can’t go more than two weeks without them. Truly. A tub-sized bowl will fuel me up for a fortnight; after that, I start thinking, hmmm, could go for noodles today. Not so long ago, such a craving could only be sated by Chinese chow mein, so I rarely craved them. Now, on practically every corner,  I can choose between Thai and Vietnamese, where rice noodles rule supreme.

What the pho? Here, have a noodle!