Pho An, Pho House in White Oak Shopping Center in Silver Spring - Closed

[DonRocks]

White Oak Shopping Center now has seven independently owned eateries clustered into one little section, nominally Italian (Pizza Castle), Mexican (Pansa Llena), Carribbean (Caribbean Eatery), Greek (Chef Theo's), Chinese (Hunan Manor), Indian (Bombay), and now Vietnamese (Pho An).

Pho An opened several weeks ago, and I'm sorry to say that a large #4 ($6.75), with the works, was served with a thin broth without much depth of flavor. It isn't my place to say whether or not this broth was made with a starter mix because I don't know, but I really doctored it up with plum sauce, fish sauce, and lime (was not in the mood for Sriracha). Four vermicelli dishes and four rice dishes are also on the menu, which, along with the restaurant's business cards, lists Pho An as being on "New Hamd Shire Ave." Why, oh why don't new restaurants pay someone twenty dollars to go through and correct their typos?

In the interest of full disclosure, my dining companion loved her large bowl of #17 made with white-meat chicken, adding that it was "nice and hot." Glad you liked it, mom!

Cheers,
Rocks.

[DonRocks]

I stopped into Pho An in White Oak yesterday to get a carryout order of Pho for my mom (Large #19, $7.75), and what I saw evoked a memory from my childhood.

In school, a new student just showed up one day in the middle of the school year, and he sat right in back of me. He was Asian, and very "different looking" than the few other Asians we had in the class. He wasn't put together as well as the other students in terms of clothing, having a haircut, etc., and he was also very quiet because he didn't speak any English.

At some point, we took a test, and needed a sharp #2 pencil. He didn't have one, so I offered him one of mine. Later that day, he handed me my pencil back, and said, with a titanic amount of struggle, "What-ta Yoo Name?" He was trying to make his first friend.

I didn't know anything at all about the "Vietnamese Boat People" or refugees, and *I* was the one who got tongue-tied. "Don," I answered, then uncomfortably turned back around, not really knowing what else to say. His name was Hanh, and I don't remember what became of him after that year.

Yesterday, one of the gentlemen sitting at the owner's table at Pho An was wearing a T-shirt with an American Flag on it. At the register, Pho An's business cards had an American flag on them. These two things suddenly made me remember it was the actual 4th of July, so I picked up the business card in front of the display. Someone had written on it with a blue ink pen: "We Love America." It was for all the customers to see. I replaced it, and took one that was behind it.

I then thought to myself how fitting it was to be here on July 4th, but also became somewhat sad. If Pho An was displaying all of this patriotism because they WANTED to, then that's great! But if they were doing it because they thought they NEEDED to, well, then we all still have some work to do. And I owe it to Mr. Hạnh never to forget that.

Cheers,

Rocks

[kdhayes]

I stopped into Pho An in White Oak yesterday to get a carryout order of Pho for my mom (Large #19, $7.75), and what I saw evoked a memory from my childhood.

In school, a new student just showed up one day in the middle of the school year, and he sat right in back of me. He was Asian, and very "different looking" than the few other Asians we had in the class. He wasn't put together as well as the other students in terms of clothing, having a haircut, etc., and he was also very quiet because he didn't speak any English.

At some point, we took a test, and needed a sharp #2 pencil. He didn't have one, so I offered him one of mine. Later that day, he handed me my pencil back, and said, with a titanic amount of struggle, "What-ta Yoo Name?" He was trying to make his first friend.

I didn't know anything at all about the "Vietnamese Boat People" or refugees, and *I* was the one who got tongue-tied. "Don," I answered, then uncomfortably turned back around, not really knowing what else to say. His name was Hanh, and I don't remember what became of him after that year.

Yesterday, one of the gentlemen sitting at the owner's table at Pho An was wearing a T-shirt with an American Flag on it. At the register, Pho An's business cards had an American flag on them. These two things suddenly made me remember it was the actual 4th of July, so I picked up the business card in front of the display. Someone had written on it with a blue ink pen: "We Love America." It was for all the customers to see. I replaced it, and took one that was behind it.

I then thought to myself how fitting it was to be here on July 4th, but also became somewhat sad. If Pho An was displaying all of this patriotism because they WANTED to, then that's great! But if they were doing it because they thought they NEEDED to, well, then we all still have some work to do. And I owe it to Mr. Hạnh never to forget that.

Cheers,

Rocks

Nice post Don, just one of the reasons I find you fascinating.

[cheezepowder]

I stopped into Pho An in White Oak yesterday to get a carryout order of Pho for my mom (Large #19, $7.75), and what I saw evoked a memory from my childhood.

In school, a new student just showed up one day in the middle of the school year, and he sat right in back of me. He was Asian, and very "different looking" than the few other Asians we had in the class. He wasn't put together as well as the other students in terms of clothing, having a haircut, etc., and he was also very quiet because he didn't speak any English.

At some point, we took a test, and needed a sharp #2 pencil. He didn't have one, so I offered him one of mine. Later that day, he handed me my pencil back, and said, with a titanic amount of struggle, "What-ta Yoo Name?" He was trying to make his first friend.

I didn't know anything at all about the "Vietnamese Boat People" or refugees, and *I* was the one who got tongue-tied. "Don," I answered, then uncomfortably turned back around, not really knowing what else to say. His name was Hanh, and I don't remember what became of him after that year.

Yesterday, one of the gentlemen sitting at the owner's table at Pho An was wearing a T-shirt with an American Flag on it. At the register, Pho An's business cards had an American flag on them. These two things suddenly made me remember it was the actual 4th of July, so I picked up the business card in front of the display. Someone had written on it with a blue ink pen: "We Love America." It was for all the customers to see. I replaced it, and took one that was behind it.

I then thought to myself how fitting it was to be here on July 4th, but also became somewhat sad. If Pho An was displaying all of this patriotism because they WANTED to, then that's great! But if they were doing it because they thought they NEEDED to, well, then we all still have some work to do. And I owe it to Mr. Hạnh never to forget that.

Cheers,

Rocks

Pho An in the White Oak Shopping Center closed and is Pho Hung & Grill (website).  The cashier said this place has different owners from Pho An.