Search for pho (pronounced “fuh”) in Vancouver these days and you’ll see a map full of pushpins. The Vietnamese staple has become a thing in Vancouver. Perhaps the cool, overcast and rainy days lead us to take solace in these large, tasty bowls of soup.
I know I do, and right now my favorite refuge is Pho Vi Van. For me, Pho Vi Van is like a pho spa.
Upon arrival, I am quietly led to the table while soothing instrumental music and the streamlike sound of a water feature fill the room. The booths are encased in long threads of bamboo, adding to the vibe.
Then the soup arrives — a large bowl of warm aromatic broth, rice noodles, protein (if you order nonveggie), and vegetables, accompanied by fresh herbs, sliced jalapeno peppers, and crisp bean sprouts. Here are the soups I have tried on my visits to Pho Vi Van.
• N2 Mi Hoanh Thanh (wonton egg noodle soup). I was initially against ordering wonton soup in Vietnamese restaurants. It didn’t seem like real Vietnamese food. But my friend Barbara posted an amazing picture of her daughter slurping wonton soup with egg noodles at Saigon Restaurant and I knew I had to try the Vietnamese version of wonton soup. The wonton egg noodle soup at Pho Vi Van is worthy of obsession — aromatic chicken stock, thick curly egg noodles, pork wontons, topped with fresh chopped scallions and black pepper. The chicken broth (like all the broths at Pho Vi Van) is a complex alchemy of salt and aromatics. I like the wontons because the noodle encasing the tender, seasoned pork meatballs is a bit thicker than at other pho places. It doesn’t slip off like a cheap pillow case — it clings tightly to the meat and billows through the soup like a mermaid’s tail. This was my favorite soup until I tried the spicy beef soup.
• S1 Bun Bo Hue. This spicy beef soup is found under the Special Entrees section of the menu and it is the king of all soups. The beef broth is light and spicy (spiked with spicy chili oil near the end of the cooking process) and citrus-y (due to the bits of fresh lemongrass cooked into it and floating on the top of the bowl). There are special thick round rice noodles (the shape of spaghetti noodles) whirled around thin pieces of meaty sliced shank beef and chewy pork patties. This soup is simply garnished with sliced onions and scallions. I sometimes add a bit of fresh Thai basil from the plate of garnishes served on the side, but this soup does not require extra garnishes or sauces.
• V3 Pho Chay (vegetarian pho with tofu, broccoli, celery, carrot, and mushroom). Vegetarian pho is not a traditional Vietnamese dish and sometimes seems a weak afterthought compared to other pho offerings. Not here. The vegetarian broth is so rich and luscious that my friend and I were convinced that this most be chicken broth. How could a vegetarian broth be so rich and complex? I had to find out. On one visit, Pho Vi Van’s owner was at the cash register and she confirmed that it was a vegetarian broth. I asked her how she could get a vegetarian broth to taste so rich. She told me that she uses a lot of vegetables and fruit (apple and pear) and cooked them for a very long time. I unsuccessfully tried to catch up with her again because I have so many questions about her magical soups and her soothing restaurant. But, she is like a pho fairy, a soup-making chimera. She makes her magical soup, appears occasionally, and then is gone.
Have some pho faves to share with me? Email me at foodcouverusa@gmail.com or message me on my Facebook page (@foodCouverUSA). Help me continue my quest for the pho of all phos.
