Do you know pho?
If you don’t, restaurateur James Ho can fill you in.
The new owner of PB Pho & Grill at 1007 Garnet Ave. set up shop about a month ago selling pho (pronounced “fuh”) a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles and a few herbs and meat, primarily either beef or chicken.
Since then, Ho’s been turning lots of new customers on to Vietnamese cuisine and culture.
“A lot of Americans don’t know about pho,” said Ho, a San Francisco Bay area transplant who noted that, in Vietnam, pho is a mainstay at almost every meal, often serving as a meal in itself.
“The food is not oily, not fattening,” said Ho of pho, adding, “It’s very lean and clean food. It doesn’t feel heavy. You feel good about (eating) it.”
“We do everything starting from scratch,” said Ho of his cuisine in his hybrid-decor Vietnamese restaurant that is a salute to both East and West. The décor is both contemporary, like a sports bar with TVs, and classic featuring beach art and murals with pictures of local landmarks as well as historic sites in Vietnam.
Mattie, a young female customer in PB Pho & Grill one recent afternoon to check it out, gave the food a big thumbs up.
“I like the texture,” she said, picking through her soup with chopsticks. “I love the crunch.”
Ho advertises his establishment as authentic Vietnamese at an affordable price.
“I try to keep the prices low and make everyone happy,” he noted.
PB Pho’s menu is also extensive. It includes Vietnamese egg and shrimp rolls, chicken wings (a crowd pleaser frequently selling out), fried rice dishes, numerous Vietnamese sandwiches, and specialty and cold drinks like an avocado smoothie and Vietnamese iced coffee.
The house specialty for pho is filet mignon. PB Pho’s signature noodle soups are served with beef cuts, chicken or shrimp, complemented with fresh bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges and sliced jalapenos on the side.
Food at PB Pho is also MSG and gluten-free. The eatery also offers a kids menu.
Ho has lots of both locals and tourists at his restaurant location, which most recently was a shoe store.
“Mostly, people keep coming back,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of repeat customers since I opened. Several local people come in here almost every day.”
The pho restaurant also has an attractive outdoor patio.
“I like this location,” said Ho pointing out, “It’s just two blocks to Crystal Pier.”
Ho is big on cleanliness.
“We maintain the atmosphere, ambiance,” he said noting they cleanse periodically to ensure there are not even any crumbs on the floor.
There are two other Vietnamese restaurants in PB presently, both a considerable distance from PB Pho & Grill.
Ho said everything on his menu is served fresh all day. Somewhat surprisingly, Tuesday has turned out to be the biggest weekday, while Sunday is a big day for beach crowds with “people coming in all day,” said Ho.
Anything new upcoming at PB Pho & Grill?
“Authentic Vietnamese dessert is coming before long,” noted Ho, who added, “We treat all our customers like family members, bring everyone together for an entire meal.”