Pho-Qs

A few (many, many) weeks ago, I went to have pho with Jake (@threevolts) and a few of his friends. I asked him to write a guest review for Pho-Qs since he is such a frequent patron of Pho 79 in St Paul. He gives Pho 79 a 4 out of 5 stars, which I fully support.
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Pho79 Saint Paul Review — Or: How I learned to stop worrying and doctor up my pho…

Nicky recently joined a few of us for a trip to my favorite Pho spot and was kind enough to invite me to blog about said purveyor of the revered meal-in-a-bowl. Here goes…

I am a Pho fiend. Or Phiend, as it were. Whatever the case, I adore Pho. Admittedly moreso in the winter months —especially if a cold runs me down. I should also admit that I eat Pho differently than most —that is, I doctor the hell out of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff au natural, but if given an arsenal of add-ons, I’ll fill my bowl with color and flavor. By the end of my handiwork, my broth was dark orange, bordering on brown. Everyone else at the table had “normal” looking Pho. Some might call this method bad phorm. I call it delicious.

Anyway, on to the place…

Pho79, like many of the best Pho spots, is located in a nondescript strip mall. In this case, just off 280 and Energy Park Drive in Saint Paul. It is related to the Pho79 in Uptown but only through marriage. They are separate operations run by extended family members or in-laws or something. Lynn (one of the owners) will be happy to explain the whole story if you stop by and chat her up.

Now to the Pho itself…

Many swear by the beef balls here. I do not. In fact, I don’t like them anywhere. When it comes to pho, give me the leanest beef you’ve got. That said, if you’re into options, Pho79 has you covered —including a the special, which is served in a bowl that is noticeably larger and packs the protein equivalent of a small steer.

My order is always the same at Pho79 —Number 8: rare lean beef. The broth is delightfully simple and gets even better when I add the following:

- As much basil as Lynn will give me
- As many lime wedges as Lynn will give me
- Entire plate of sprouts
- Even more basil
- A boatload of siracha (less if you’re not into the mouth on fire thing)
- A quick squirt of hoisin
- A sprinkle of sugar

and then the kicker:

Ask them for the chili oil. It’s a small glass tumbler filled with red, oily paste and a spoon. I’m not even sure if that’s what they call it, but you’ll know what I mean. This stuff is the magic ingredient. It’s not spicy at all. Rather, it packs a sort of subtle, lemongrassy flavor that just makes the whole bowl (and all that you’ve put into it) come together so nicely.

There you have it. Directions for how to turn a nice, simple bowl of pho into an orange/brownish mess you’ll slurp down until you hurt. And the best part about Pho79? If you run out of room they’ll bring you a heavy duty plastic container to take your meal home. No charge.

Finally, if you dig eggrolls, these are the best I’ve found, aside from the now-defunct Siagon Star which used to operate across from Rosedale.

Happy pho-q-ing, everyone!

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Contact:

2233 Energy Park Drive
St Paul, MN 55108-1547
651.644.2327