Pho is complicated stuff. It's a Vietnamese soup/stew comprised of clear broth, rice noodles, meat, onions and various aromatic herbs. Don't let that simple description fool you; there's a lot going on in a good pho. And the pho at Les Givral's on Washington is great.
First, a note on atmosphere. Les Givral's is eclectic. There's just no other way to put it. Take, for example, this thing built around the doorway separating the dining room from the counter:
I don't know what this is, but it's there and it works. That's kind of how the food is too.
I don't know what exactly goes into the broth that the pho is built on. It smells slightly like nutmeg. The soup is served with a large plate of extras, some that I recognized: basil, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, bean sprouts. I decided to go for it and chucked a bit of everything into the bowl. What resulted was a beautifully synchronous chaos. Any given bite might be spicy, or sour, or savory, but together it was all very tasty.
Pho is also surprisingly filling. I ate a little over half the bowl before I felt full. My only complaint is that the sliced chicken that they use in their pho is a little hard to eat. Shredded chicken -- the kind used on the sandwiches -- might be easier to eat with a spoon. That minor complaint aside, you're not going to find such a satisfying and nutritious meal for $6.45 anywhere else in the city.
My husband had a sandwich with barbecued pork. Like the pho, the sandwiches are packed with fresh ingredients (carrot, cucumber, hot peppers) and are very affordable ($2.75 ... I'm not kidding). However, they're a little dry for my American/must-have-mayonnaise taste, so I'd rather stick with the pho.
Les Givrals is a must-do if you're on Washington Avenue around lunchtime. Word to the wise: if you're going for lunch, go early. We arrived at 11:40, walked up to the counter, and had the food delivered to our table fresh and hot in ten minutes. When we left at 12:30, the line for food was literally winding out the door. People are starting to catch onto this little gem of a place.
