Pho 26
By Hien Huynh, Jan 14th, 2010 | In Dining
It feels like it's been ages since I've had the chance to try out a new Pho restaurant in Shanghai. Pho 26 is the new one on the scene, coming to us originally from Hong Kong. After checking out a few positive reviews of their HK outlets online, I was anticipating some good things from their first Mainland expansion.
Location-wise they've lucked out on Wujiang Lu, right behind Marks & Spencer. They're almost right next to another Pho restaurant, Pho Sizzling, and from what I understand, Pho Sizzling is pretty popular with the lunch-time crowd -- maybe Pho 26 can steal some of that sizzle.
But anyways, let’s get down to business: Pho 26 has a rather messy and confusing menu, with some items appearing a few times with different prices. It seems like a bit of a rush job. One would think it would make life easier for the waitresses if they numerated the items on the menu, but she seemed happy enough to write out the full names of my order. Aside from the regular pho staples, they've got a bunch of fusion-esque variations available. What's a tomato base soup pho? Or a curry base pho? Wouldn't that just be a Tomato Noodle Soup?
I got the standard, most un-daring basic bowl of Pho, which is of course the standard jumping off point. It briskly arrived to my table and on first whiff smelled pretty good. I felt a surge or remembrance when that intricate and layered aroma hit my nostrils. As I sipped the broth, a surge of disappointment quelled my initial pleasure. It was just really, really sweet tasting.
But apart from the broth being too sweet for my tastes, it wasn't too bad. I've had worse. The noodles weren't too bad. I felt, however, that there's also room for improvement in the quality of the beef balls. They tasted kind of like supermarket-bought hot pot beef balls. And I had to ask for the basil. That should be a given.
So... mixed. I'm feeling mixed about Pho 26. It seems like an alright option if you're looking for a satisfying lunch but would disappoint if you're looking for a truly genuine rendition of the dish.
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urgent, Jan 14th, 2010
what is wrong with all these pho places opening here? there's like 20 opening in the past year and none of them can get the basics right? where's the basil yo!cara.stadler, Jan 17th, 2010
Go to Pho Real, also Pho number one is good but the quality of the meat is worse, and though they offer more side dishes they are not executed with as much time and precision as Pho Real.chabuduo, Jan 20th, 2010
Looking for Pho in Shanghai, it's best to approach it from the 'seeking the least worst' angle rather than looking for the best. Still, seeking out Pho is always fun. #phomissionPlease sign in or register to comment