In praise of Pho

Working downtown has its rewards. Angelenos are truly spoiled by the vast number of authentic ethnic eateries. By authentic, I just mean real, plain & good...and, well, pretty cheap. During the winter months--and especially this winter, when we actually can feel a chill in the bone and our thin-blooded bodies shiver--there may be nothing more gratifying than heading downtown for a steaming big bowl of Pho. Pronounced, fuh, Pho is a delectable soup of lovely thin noodles and what my colleague calls "mystery meats"--tendons, tripe, and raw strips of beef that cook in the hot broth. Gingergrass in Silver Lake makes a gentrified version, smaller in scale and minus the mystery meats. Skip it and head to Pho 97 (formerly Pho 79), in the little mini-mall on Broadway that also houses Mandarin Deli (with the killer garlicky tofu salad and fresh-as-fresh-can-be dumplings. My colleague also argues that the lower the restaurant grade, the tastier the food--but luckily for the weak-stomached, present company included, Pho 97 gets an A). My Vietnamese colleague complains that Pho 97 is too expensive and the broth is not clear enough. But fear not, you will be talking to God soon. Nearly as soon as you set your tush down, one of the young owners will come by and all you need to say is "Special Fuh." In a few minutes, you'll have a huge steaming bowl of Pho with a tray of sprouts, sliced jalapeno peppers, fresh basil leaves and lime. Add this lovely freshness and put in a few squirts of fire-hot Sriracha sauce and voila, you'll be in heaven shortly. If this isn't enough for you, also order the crunchy Imperial Rolls (served with fresh lettuce, mint leaves, and a lovely dipping sauce). Wrap the crunchy fried roll in lettuce with the mint, and dip in the sauce. And all this for under 8-9 bucks a person. On a rainy day in downtown LA, there is nothing more wonderful than hopping on the Dash and making my way to Chinatown with a few colleagues and slurping a great bowl of Pho. If you're in Westminster or Monterey Park, you probably know of lots of great places to get a great bowl of Pho and I can't argue with you there. But...whatever you do...don't go too far West--the most you'll get is a gentrified, overpriced and most likely "fusion" (read: inauthentic and skimpy) version. And you won't see any tendons or tripe floating around.