Pho Hoa (Alexandra)

Friday was a cold and rainy day, and one of my coworkers said he was craving pho with hot soup. Why do I always end up eating pho at work? Just a few weeks ago I was at Pho Boi. Let's see how this place compares. I wasn't in the mood for beef, so I ordered a small chicken pho ($6.79). My coworker said he gets that every time, so I figured it would be a safe choice. As usual, we were given raw bean sprouts, basil and lime on the side. I'm not a fan of bean sprouts, especially the raw kind, but I love the refreshing flavour of fresh lime. The soup was light and clear, but still quite flavourful without being too rich. Pho Boi's soup is probably stronger in flavour, but I prefer the texture of the noodles here more. They were somewhat firmer in the beginning, so they were perfect after soaking in the hot soup for a while. It was thoughtful of the chef to account for continuous cooking in the soup. The chicken was not particularly tender, nor was it good quality meat. But then again we're talking about a $7 bowl of noodles, so we can't expect too much.

Since I was in the mood for something light, this chicken pho definitely hit the spot. But objectively speaking, it was a bit too mild and left something to be desired. There is a reason pho is mainly served with beef. The noodles and soup are relatively bland, so there should be something stronger to balance them out. If I ever come here again, I'll go for the traditional beef pho.