Pho is one of the D.C. region’s great soup options. (Photo by YuJie

By DCist contributor Emelyn Rude

Dish of the week: Pho (duh)
Where to find it: Pho 75, Pho Viet, Nam Viet, Four Sisters Grill, Pho 88, Pho 14, Pho Junkies, etc

I don’t think there’s a soul in the world who can honestly say a bad word about pho, the beloved noodle soup of Vietnam. It’s simultaneously light yet filling, aromatic yet spicy, and, above all, immensely satisfying and delicious no matter what time of day or what time of year you slurp it down.

Pho has been a favorite of the D.C. area for a while now, so much so that it’s easy for locals to overlook it as we constantly scope out the latest trend in the city’s dining scene. But, like a true friend, it’s a dish that’s there whenever we come back to it, especially as the days get colder and the entire District is in need of a warm pick-me-up.

The dish itself starts with a bowl of broth, typically made from boiling beef with a luscious blend of ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. Then noodles, known as bánh phở in Vietnamese, are added, along with thin strips of meat and heaping handfuls of fresh herbs like basil, mint, coriander, and cilantro.

From there, pho-lovers can go to town, customizing their portions with fresh chilies, bean sprouts, onions, lime juice, or hoisin sauce. Last but certainly not least comes a generous squirt of explosive red Sriracha, the perfect finishing touch to a sublime bowl of noodle soup.

Pho first arrived in the District’s dining scene in 1975 with waves of refugees arriving in the area after Saigon fell during the Vietnam War. The epicenter of Vietnamese immigrant life at this time was the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, and many great restaurants offering tasty pho options still exist in the area. Perhaps the most well-known is Pho 75 (1721 Wilson Blvd. Arlington), a bright and always packed establishment with incredible pho at affordable prices. Just short drive away is Nam Viet (1127 N. Hudson St. Arlington), one of the original restaurants in an area once considered “Little Saigon.” The menu there, just like that at nearby Four Sisters Grill (3035 Clarendon Blvd.) includes Pho Bo, beef noodle soup, and Pho Ga—chicken noodle soup—among other options.

Escalating rents has since pushed out the majority of Vietnamese-owned establishments in Arlington and most business owners have set up shop again at the Eden Center (6751 Wilson Blvd) in Falls Church. The shopping mall is today considered the center of the local Vietnamese community, with plenty of awesome pho and generous hospitality to match.

For those not willing to trek out to the burbs, the District proper has come a long way when it comes to finding this excellent soup, also called “Vietnamese penicillin.” Pho 88 (608 H St. NW) in Chinatown has a long menu of various beef based soups while all three of Pho 14’s locales (1436 Park Rd. NW, 1769 Columbia Rd. NW, 4201 Connecticut Ave. NW) offer a “create your pho” menu, which allows diners to mix and match broths, meats, and toppings.

For vegetarians trying to get in on this noodle action, Pho Viet (3513 14th St. NW) serves what is hands down some of the best vegetable pho in the city. Any kind of its lemongrass pho is also definitely worth a visit as well.

There’s also Fry Brothers, where pho dipping sauce offers a taste of the dish without the broth

Delicious pho is also increasingly available on a fleet of food trucks roaming the District. Pho Junkies is one of the perennial favorites, but they face tough competition from other quality trucks, like Pho Wheels and What the Pho. Apparently the best accompaniment to a bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup is a really bad pho puns.