Pho Bac

Decided to try this place to be able to compare it to Pho Hoa. Well, I didn't like the ambiance 
and the color scheme of the restau. I most especially did not like the presentation of the menu. The prices may be cheaper, but I think I'll be sticking to Pho Hoa for now.

Cambodia (Hu tieu nam vang) Php173

Price was inclusive of vat and they did not charge any service charge. Soup was tasty. Lots of different meat cuts in the soup. The noodles were a big problem. It was very obvious that they had been boiled and had been sitting at the counter (refrigerator) for a long time.

Pho Hoa

Had Vietnamese again. This time in Pho Hoa, Alabang Town Center branch. This are what we had:

Goi Tom Buoi (Pomelo Shrimp Salad) Php 155

This was more generous in serving than what I recently had in Hue. This one however is more simple with only cucumber, carrots, crushed peanuts, pomelo and shrimps with a light dressing, very typically Vietnamese. Hue's salad however had a lot of other herbs in the salad (cilantro among many others I think)which made its taste unique.

Chien Dau Hu (Tofu Steak with Mushroom and Red Pepper Sauce) Php 155

What I liked about this was that they were able to keep the outside of the tofu crisp and crunchy while keeping the inside soft but not mushy. I love tofu that is fried that way! The sauce was a bit too spicy for me but it was very pleasant with the simple taste of the tofu.

Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) Php 205 for the large serving

Simple. Tastes best when you add some lemon juice, chilies and basil leaves. This one had thinly sliced preboiled beef and a few slices of fish balls. Good and filling.

Hue ("hwa")

Ate there at lunch. It wasn't too crowded. Great and cool interiors. I love the lamp effect they had on the ceiling. Service was good too.
One constant problem throughout the meal though was the flies. We were eating inside where it was obviously air-conditioned and yet they had a flies buzzing around. I got so fed up I ended up asking for a candle to keep them away....That's bad for business...

Goi Nuei (Pomelo Salad) Php 165

"A refreshing salad of surimi crab tossed with slices of pomelo, peanuts and cilantro." I found this refreshing. It's dressing was a sweetened vinaigerette sauce.

Banh Mi Bo Kho (Spicy Beef Stew) Php 225

"A Vietnamese interpretation of the classic French beef stew. Beef short ribs stewed with cinammon and star anise. Served with French bread slices." Was not spicy at all. I enjoyed this one very much because it was not 'malitid'

Tom Tuong Ot (Chilli Shrimps) Php 240

"Garlicky stir fried shrimps generally seasoned wiht black pepper and fresh chillis."
This was nicely done. The shrimps were butterflied and cooked just right, they weren't hard. Best part of all they'd been shelled already and so it was really able to absorb the sauce.

Ca Chung Tuong Php 225(Steamed Garoupa)
(leftmost)
"Garoupa fillet steamed with salted black beans, shiitake and woodear mushrooms." This was a little bland for me. You'd have to take a bite of the fish WITH the mushroom in every bite to give taste. They did however serve this with bagoong sauce and hot sauce which I both found not to be complimentary, for me anyway...

Da Hu Noi Naum (Stuffed Tofu) Php 175

"Deep fired tofu cutlets stuffed with assorted mushrooms and herbs simmered in tomato sauce." This would have tob e my favorite among everything that we ate there. The starchiness that tofu can sometimes have was totally masked.

Goi Cuon (Summer Roll)

Summer rolls are unfried wraps with pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli, and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper. This was served with a peanut sauce or vinegar to dip in. I didn't wuite like this was one. The "rawness" of the vermicellin noodles was unsettling for me. Without the peanut sauce, I found this to be bland.

Lychee Crush Php 65

Great and refreshing lychee shake with lychee bits and lots of finely crushed iced. Perfect for a steamy day. Best part, it's cheap!