Adam & Eats: Pho Vietnam

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for almost nine years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree.

You might be sitting at your desk, thinking to yourself, what do old gas stations, talking fake deer heads, and homemade French bread have in common?

Well friends, I’m here to answer that question, once and for all. They are in fact tied together by delicious, vegetarian-friendly, Vietnamese food. See. Don’t you feel better now? Perhaps, you can get some rest at night now, instead of whiling away the nocturnal hours pondering that age-old question.

Located on the corner of South 22nd street and South E street, in what was once a gas station, is Pho Vietnam, or as I have as always known it, the Oriental Deli.

Please, dear readers, do not be fooled by its shabby exterior. Inside this shell of plain white lies a vast treasure trove of tasty treats. And yes, there is a talking deer head as well as a multitude of fake plants, a variety of ceramic and plastic creatures, and a couple of stained glass ceiling fans. It comes across a little cluttered and crowded. It is almost as if your kooky Aunt bought an old gas station to store her tchotchkes, forgot about it, and someone opened a restaurant there, in a good way, though. It is kind of comforting. Maybe it is the fake plants. Whatever the case may be, the place is very unique.

As some of you may know, Vietnamese cuisine was heavily influenced by the French, due to colonization, and what you get is a beautiful combination of traditional Asian and traditional French ingredients that mix together to form something new.

Take the Vietnamese sandwich, for example. You have the French cured meats, mayo, and crispy baguette stuffed with the old-school Asian favorites of radish, onion, peppers, and cilantro. What happens in your mouth is a taste of both worlds; the rich and savory French and the acidic and spicy Asian.

At the Oriental Deli, the sandwiches are out of this world. My favorite is probably the Ba Le (#71). It consists of their wonderfully crispy French bread stuffed with ham, pate, cilantro, jalapeno, and pickled onion, carrot, and radish. Every bite is a joyous occasion. The second best thing about the sandwiches, the first being their taste, is the price. All but two of the sandwiches are under $3.

Now, what about the soups? Pho Vietnam’s is excellent. Of all of their soups, I’d have to say that my favorite is the beef stew, simply because it comes with more of that delicious bread. Perhaps it is my completely Westernized upbringing, but there is something intrinsically wrong about eating soup without some kind of bread being involved. Think about it:  chicken and dumplings, tomato soup and grilled cheese, beef stew and French bread, chili and cornbread, etc. See what I mean? But, that’s just my personal preference. By all means, try the Pho there. It is quite yummy.

If you have never visited the Oriental Deli, why not go by for lunch sometime? You are sure to be pleased with this little diamond in the rough. Just be sure to take cash, because they don’t accept checks or credit cards.

So, that’s it for this week. Until next week, good eating to you and yours.

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When he’s not beating his eggs, Adam makes time to respond to e-mails that get past his hard-ass spam filter. You can try to reach him at [email protected]

Adam also has this thing called Sandwich Control.