11.246 Beef Pho

11.246

7 (Mon) August 2020

Beef Pho

2.0

at Pho Ngon

-Seongsu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with Mom

Pho Ngon is a Vietnamese restaurant.  Specializes in pho, as well as other mainstream casual Vietnamese dishes.

Located directly across the office – the closest external eating venue.

I am so gratified by the very existence of the place, that the non-expat, non-affluent neighborhood in which the office is located – actually, gentrification is a growing thing here, but that’s another story – offers food that isn’t Korean, Koreanized Chinese, Koreanized Japanese, maybe Koreanized American or Koreanized Italian.  It shows that mainstream Korean culture is becoming more diverse.

Alas, the pho was rather blah.  Bland broth, no depth, no flavor.  Beef was stringy and crumbly.  The aromatics, such as onions, scallions, and chilis, were too thick and too much.  The noodles were okay.

Between now and retirement, I’m sure that I’ll have occasion to eat here again, and I won’t refuse, but I won’t be looking forward to it.

Suddenly, I’ve come to relish cilantro – one day I could barely tolerate it, and now I can’t get enough.

(For more details about the food, see WHAT)

(For more details about the venue, see WHERE IN KOREA)

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