During one of my few days off, I decided to avail myself of a nice bowl of Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho) with some light reading.

Honestly, can anyone ask for more? Here we have beautiful authentic soup that actually gellatinized when it cooled, perfectly cooked noodles, crisp (translated:fresh) garnishes, thinly sliced beef, savoury meat balls, and nasty bits as Anthony Bourdain calls them (beef tendons). The beef tendons are optional. Regarding the gellatinizing aspect of the soup, this signifies that the soup is most likely made on the premises with actual meat and bones and not commercially available powdered bases. It makes a difference: better texture, richer flavour, and increased nutrition.

To those of you who work with me across the Ottawa river, please take a look at this bowl of Pho and compare it to the unreasonably facsimile that's served next door to Phase IV. There's a reason a bowl from that establishment leaves your mouth dry afterwards.

If you're craving something warm and soothing on a cold winter's day (yes we have those in Ottawa), take a trip to the corner of Somerset and Lebreton and look for the Vietnamese Pho house with the green sign that reads "Thu Do." It's worth it.

This just in: Here's Thu Do's new card.

Card



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