Ok, I confess. It’s not just the pig with which I have a hang-up. Or true thin crust pizza. Or seductive wine. There’s actually another.
Surprising, right?*
Hangup #4 & #4.5: Vietnamese Pho and Spring Rolls.
My love for Vietnamese cuisine began in college when a Vietnamese friend of mine invited me to his family dinner. I barely noticed that no one spoke English to me as my friend (thankfully) directed me how to eat each delectable dish. My Vietnamese cuisine love affair quickly began with a plate of fresh spring rolls that was accompanied by peanut dipping sauce. Then came my lifelong obsession with Srichaha chili sauce, only quickly followed by the star of the show that night, Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup)**. An oversized, steaming bowl of noodle soup was brought to my table and like all pho lovers before and after me, one sip of the seductive broth and I was forever devoted to all that is Pho.
All this in one 45-minute meal.
Located in a newer (read: eerily clean) strip mall in Cotati, just off Highway 101, Mai Vietnamese Restaurant does an excellent job in furthering my pho devotion.
A dish of shelled and salted peanuts greets you when you sit down to peruse the menu and as you gaze around the 10-table room, you’ll notice antique Vietnamese guitars decorating the mustard-colored walls, white linen table cloths and pristinely cleaned condiment bottles. Sign #1 this isn’t your typical sticky strip mall Vietnamese diner. But never fear, the prices are on par with the rest.
An order of Pho Tai (beef noodle soup) and Shrimp Spring Rolls comes fully SCL recommended. The spring rolls feature plump shrimp, thin slices of pork, rice noodles and cilantro, all wrapped in fresh rice paper. These aren’t refrigerated-made-the-day-before spring rolls, a sad (and soggy) experience, all too common.
The pho comes in various sizes, from X-Small to X-Large, and showcases an excellently executed beef broth: rich and complex with hints of onion, cilantro and anise. Thinly sliced beef, rare, but quickly cooking, rests on top of a thick bed of rice noodles and a plate of exceedingly fresh accoutrements is served bowl-side (including lime, jalapenos, Vietnamese basil and crispy fresh bean sprouts).
Decorating your soup to your discretion is half the pho fun. SCL’s tried and true combo: one circle of Srichaha chili sauce, 2 circles of plum sauce, a fresh lime squeeze and liberally top with bean sprouts. Grab your chopsticks and dig into a restorative bowl of culinary goodness.
Don’t fight the love affair. It has a life of its own.
Mai Vietnamese Restaurant: 8492 Gravenstein Hwy., Cotati, Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-8pm. 707.665.9628.
*2nd confession time: I might have more than 4.5 gastronomic hang-ups. It’s true. I had to really reign that list in for the sake of (spectacular?) blogging flow. And you foodie reader, well, I trust you understand that there might be more food hang-up confessions down the road. Some might call that high maintenance. I like to think of it as wonderfully selective. And you should feel warm and fuzzy acting on my recommendations.
** And yes, I eventually graduated from Pho Ga. But only to Tai. And there was a close call with tendon involved somewhere in my NYC days. Not recommended. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
