A lot of people are surprised when it comes up, but I did not have very many exotic food experiences growing up. And by that I mean, *certain* members of my family were picky. To be fair, us kids were on rotating schedules of sports that changed with the season. So, it was just easier to name our dinner nights exciting names like Friday Pizza Night and Wednesday Spaghetti Night or Taco Tuesday to compensate. By the time I started traveling in earnest after finishing my bachelor’s, I avoided Chinese food like the plague because I thought it was all like Panda Express, and I couldn’t have told the difference between Pad Thai and an Indian curry. Fortunately, some patient souls and now-good friends have since introduced me to the wonders that exist beyond Little Caesar’s $5 pizzas. But, up until a few weeks ago, I had yet to try any Vietnamese food in Strasbourg. Or anywhere. Fortunately, one of my co-workers at my new work took it upon herself to correct this gaping hole in my life by informing me of Pho Asia in Strasbourg.
Strasbourg is a city that is full of both amazing classic Alsatian dining and international cuisine, you just have to know where to look
My friend, French-born to Vietnamese parents, guaranteed that I couldn’t go wrong with PHO Asia. Given that she measures every Vietnamese restaurant she tries against her parents’ cooking, I decided to forego my usual research (except to show my foodie boyfriend the 4.6 star rating they have on Google). On a whim one Saturday afternoon after we’d woken up late and weren’t in the mood to cook or do dishes, we shuffled into the center to try Vietnamese food for the first time.
Located just two minutes from Place Kleber, passing through Homme de Fer, PHO Asia is tucked onto one of those side streets that you can easily imagine coming alive at night
In the daylight, it’s a little grunge and a little narrow, but the vibe is local.
The restaurant is small and cozy, seating about 15 people max inside, so be sure to come early or call ahead if you plan to come during lunchtime. (There is also outdoor seating for about ten people when the weather is nice and there’s not a pandemic.)
We got lucky and arrived just before the tables really filled up, getting seated near the window and next to a couple that didn’t speak one word to one another throughout the duration of their meal. (Not that we were eavesdropping- but can you even call it that if there’s nothing to listen to?!)
As I said, we’d gotten a late start to our day so we were Hungry. We started off with a round of drink orders and spring rolls before perusing the menu a bit. We already knew what we were going to order because my friend had given two recommendations, but it’s always exciting to know all your options.
Our recommended mains were a Pho soup and Bo Bun
All in all, a fantastic first Vietnamese food experience. While I love that it was a great Vietnamese food experience in Strasbourg, it does kind of give me an itch to visit Vietnam one day 😉
PHO Asia
Visit their website in English: https://pho-asia.eatbu.com/?lang=en
Address: 31 Rue du Fosse Des Tanneurs, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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