Pho Hot, Little River Turnpike in Annandale - Excellent Pho House in Little River Shopping Center

[Marty L.]

Come to think of it, it has been a long time since I've had a truly great bowl of Pho anywhere (December 16th, 2007, to be exact). Need.

Pho Hot. Annandale.

[DonRocks]

Pho Hot. Annandale.

I PMd Marty about ten minutes after he wrote this, basically saying "I don't believe it." I had actively avoided Pho Hot because it looked like just another commercial Pho house serving flavorless soups from a powdered mix.

He wrote me back and assured me that wasn't the case, and he was right: The large bowl of #1 ($7.50) I had at Pho Hot is not only the best bowl of Pho I've had in a long time; it may be the best bowl of Pho I've ever had. This is it. I've found it. Pho Hot is the first Pho house that gets its own thread.

And, the sour prognosis for area Hu Tieu may be overturned as well, as I spotted one on the menu.

You've got to try this place!

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Marty L.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence and for taking me up on it, Don -- really glad you liked it! (I was as surprised as you to find such a great pho house in such a glitzy, mall-bound package.)

I PMd Marty about ten minutes after he wrote this, basically saying "I don't believe it." I had actively avoided Pho Hot because it looked like just another commercial Pho house serving flavorless soups from a powdered mix.

He wrote me back and assured me that wasn't the case, and he was right: The large bowl of #1 ($7.50) I had at Pho Hot is not only the best bowl of Pho I've had in a long time; it may be the best bowl of Pho I've ever had. This is it. I've found it. Pho Hot is the first Pho house that gets its own thread.

And, the sour prognosis for area Hu Tieu may be overturned as well, as I spotted one on the menu.

You've got to try this place!

Cheers,

Rocks.

[plunk]

I have limited Pho experience, but Pho Hot is my favorite in the area so far. The clear broth is full of flavor without being too salty (a complaint I have about some other Pho places). The tendon has a great beefy flavor and a pleasant mouthfeel. The "add-ons" are clean and fresh, and, if I'm not mistaken, include saw tooth. The pho here was kind of a tipping point for me, as I never had real hankerin's for the stuff before. Now, I feel like I have to have a bowl every couple of weeks or so.

[DanielK]

Interestingly enough, my IT support guy is Vietnamese, lives 2 miles from Pho Hot, but says it's not on their regular rotation. He thinks there are much better places in the area (besides his mom's kitchen), and that he goes to Pho 75 in Annandale far more often.

[Scott Johnston]

We stopped in HOT PHO last night for a quick dinner. First off, the place is large, clean and well decorated. The staff was attentive and eager to please. We started off with Shrimp Spring rolls and tofu spring rolls (which I generally see called summer rolls). Very tasty and a great deal at $3.50 per order. While I have had better, these hit the spot. We then tried two orders of PHO. I had a number 2, Slices of well-done brisket, well done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon and bible tripe. The soup was wonderful, the broth has been well described before on this tread, but I would add that it had a nice clove tone to it. A regular portion was hard to finish. My lovely companion had eye of round steak and well done flank. I suspect that they got the order wrong and gave her fat brisket instead of the flank. Regardless, and fatty meat aside, she finished off the bowl.

Great place to check out! Thanks for the posting a heads up!

[jaimetown]

Had lunch at PHO HOT today and I was happy. Being a Pho 75 regular (Falls Church) I haven't really ventured out in a while but this thread got me curious. Ordered the well done brisket and eye of round steak, and the quality of meat was very good. Lots of noodles in the bowl, and the basil was very fresh too. As for the broth, it was excellent - while Pho 75 has a deeper, richer flavor, the broth here was satisfying with its clarity. Thinking of it in wine terms, you could taste the components (beef bone, star anise etc) in a pure, unmuddled way. I'll be back.

[pizza man]

I like the sawgrass leaves. I wish they gave me it at Pho 75

[Escoffier]

Pho 75 in Annandale far more often.

Not disagreeing with you, Daniel, but the closest Pho 75 to Annandale is in Falls Church in the Loehmann's Plaza shopping center almost at 495.

[DanielK]

Not disagreeing with you, Daniel, but the closest Pho 75 to Annandale is in Falls Church in the Loehmann's Plaza shopping center almost at 495.

Yes, that was fingers faster than brain. He lives in Annandale, near Pho Hot, and drives past it to Falls Church to go to Pho 75 there.

[FunnyJohn]

Yes, that was fingers faster than brain. He lives in Annandale, near Pho Hot, and drives past it to Falls Church to go to Pho 75 there.

Actually the Pho 75 is across Graham Road from Loehmanns -- its Pho 50 that's actually part of Loehmanns

ETA: My wife and I tried Pho Hot the other day. I liked it alot and agree that the broth is more tasty than most Pho available elsewhere that I have sampled. My wife prefers Pho 75 and although she's not Vietnamese she's Malaysian if that matters.

[monsterriffs]

Ding ding ding - we have a winner. This truly is the best bowl of pho I have had in years and the entire establishment screams "I'm a champ." From the glistening, CLEAN interior and the individually wrapped chopsticks and spoons to the rich, star-anisey broth, I'm going to have a very difficult time justifying going to Pho 75 anymore.

Only drawback? It's too far, unlike Pho 75's Rosslyn location, which is generally a hop, skip, and a jump away for me. I dearly wish that Pho Hot would open up closer to the city, because I'm pretty sure they would be flush with cash.

[dgreen]

Saw a Pho Hot magazine ad and they apparently have a Centreville location. Anyone been to that one?

[dgreen]

Went to the Centreville location yesterday. As others have mentioned, the broth is awesome. I thought the meat was a little blah, but not horrible. It wasn't super packed, but they were keeping busy at lunch. With such a high Asian population out here, they should have no trouble. Combining large portions (even when ordering the regular size) with low cost and good tastes generally works well.

I forgot to ask if they do carry out. Anyone know? Also, anyone try the Bubble Tea?

[DonRocks]

Went to the Centreville location yesterday. As others have mentioned, the broth is awesome. I thought the meat was a little blah, but not horrible. It wasn't super packed, but they were keeping busy at lunch. With such a high Asian population out here, they should have no trouble. Combining large portions (even when ordering the regular size) with low cost and good tastes generally works well.

I forgot to ask if they do carry out. Anyone know? Also, anyone try the Bubble Tea?

I've never seen a Pho house that won't do carryout for a 50-cent upcharge.

[pizza man]

Went to the Centreville location yesterday... Also, anyone try the Bubble Tea?

I've never been to the Centreville store. The Annandale one has the crummy powdered bubble tea, I forget the brand name, my kids like it, I don;t .

[DonRocks]

A large bowl of #1 (the works) last night was just as good as the one I had before. And the Vietnamese Beef Stew with Egg Noodles has a broth that's even deeper and richer than the Pho - not necessarily better, but definitely more unctuous. A plate of fried chicken wings is hot, crispy, garlicky, and worth ordering, but the draw here for me remains the soups - from what I see, Pho Hot is in a class by itself in Northern Virginia.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[TheMatt]

A large bowl of #1 (the works) last night was just as good as the one I had before. And the Vietnamese Beef Stew with Egg Noodles has a broth that's even deeper and richer than the Pho - not necessarily better, but definitely more unctuous. A plate of fried chicken wings is hot, crispy, garlicky, and worth ordering, but the draw here for me remains the soups - from what I see, Pho Hot is in a class by itself in Northern Virginia.

No, no. You got that wrong. You get the Banh Mi Bo Kho. No noodles or anything to distract from the stew. Just some nice bread to dip...mmm...

Also, $20 Tuesday sounds great to me...although I'm not sure how to spend $20 at Pho Hot?!

[pizza man]

p.s. $20 tuesday anyone? they serve beer!

Count me in!

[pizza man]

A large bowl of #1 (the works) last night was just as good as the one I had before. And the Vietnamese Beef Stew with Egg Noodles has a broth that's even deeper and richer than the Pho - not necessarily better, but definitely more unctuous. A plate of fried chicken wings is hot, crispy, garlicky, and worth ordering, but the draw here for me remains the soups - from what I see, Pho Hot is in a class by itself in Northern Virginia.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Oh, one more thing. Did they give you the sawgrass? The last couple of times I have been there it was absent.

[ulrath]

I live in Centreville and will be near this location tonight.

Any recommendations on what a first time Pho-orderer and his wife should try?

[dgreen]

I live in Centreville and will be near this location tonight.

Any recommendations on what a first time Pho-orderer and his wife should try?

I was in the same situation as you this past Sunday. Wife and I (and kids) went to the Centreville location and tried pho for the first time. Looking over the menu, we just played it safe and ordered the #11 Chin Nam. It's the pho with well done brisket (chin) and flank (nam). For our first time, we avoided the tendon and tripe. They have a couple seafood options too.

[TheMatt]

Any recommendations on what a first time Pho-orderer and his wife should try?

There is also my old standby, Pho Ga. What can I say...I like chicken soup! (Also, I recommend a mix of light and dark meat. All dark gets you a lot of gristle, and all light not a lot of flavor. Both is just right.)

[goodeats]

There is also my old standby, Pho Ga. <snip> All dark gets you a lot of gristle, and all light not a lot of flavor.

My last bowl was all white meat (they ran out of dark) and it was really dry. Not my favorite experience, but at least broth was good. I still think the beef bowls are the way to go for the 1st time, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what to order...

[TheMatt]

My last bowl was all white meat (they ran out of dark) and it was really dry. Not my favorite experience, but at least broth was good. I still think the beef bowls are the way to go for the 1st time, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what to order...

Huh. Maybe I've had good luck with the white meat and bad luck with the dark. Usually I do all dark, but, as I said, lots of gristle.

Of course, I do banh mi bo kho over pho about 4:1 at Pho Hot. You just don't find it many places. (Although I do wish the beef in the bo kho was a bit smaller. It's often beyond my chopstick skills...and there are no knives to be found...)

[Marty L.]

Oh, one more thing. Did they give you the sawgrass? The last couple of times I have been there it was absent.

When that happens, they'll give you the sawgrass if you ask for it. And by the way, the short ribs on rice are really good, too.

[cheezepowder]

FYI, they also have a vegetarian rice noodle soup and other vegetarian dishes (which works out well for when you're dining with a vegetarian and want pho).

[ulrath]

Went today after I picked up the veggies from my CSA.

I got carry out. I got a #11, the chicken wings (per rock's rec) and the summer rolls.

All were quite good. The soup travelled well and both the wings and rolls were crisp and flavorfull. I can see adding this to the rotation.

[deangold]

second trip today at breakfast/lunch. 2 complaints. Rachael Ray was on the TV thankfully without sound. Second was that only one leaf of wilted sawtooth herb was delivered. First time I ate here, I didn't get the love. My broth was beefy with herbs, but dense with the density almost of consume. Now I am a believer. The broth today was simply the finest I have ever had and that includes many a joint in Westminster of Socal's Orange County. Perfection. so good that it needed only the meerest drops of fish sauce, sriacha & the thick purple stuff (hoisin? some other type of bean sauce? roofing paste? more for something to do as it cooled rather than to give definition to the typically blander broth that meer mortal Pho Parlors offer. Very good noodles, perfect tendon, too little tripe, nicely crunchy onions with a bite, flank and eye of round. Life is good. Even brown sawtooth herb couldn't spoil this breakfast of champions!

[sturm]

I'm headed to Pho Hot tonight for dinner. I called to find out what time they close and based on the answer, 11:30, I'm concerned we had a communication issue. Anyone know what time they really close? This is Annandale...

[PollyG]

I'm headed to Pho Hot tonight for dinner. I called to find out what time they close and based on the answer, 11:30, I'm concerned we had a communication issue. Anyone know what time they really close? This is Annandale...

It is possible they are open until 11:30 pm. They are certainly open fairly late. They are absolutely, positively, NOT a lunch-only operation.

[PollyG]

Oh, one more thing. Did they give you the sawgrass? The last couple of times I have been there it was absent.

You are going to have to ask for the sawgrass or sawtooth leaf. Some of the waitstaff have language issues so you may need to be more descriptive. When you ask for it, you get a pretty generous portion. The only time I got it without asking was on our first trip back in 2006.

[sturm]

It is possible they are open until 11:30 pm. They are certainly open fairly late. They are absolutely, positively, NOT a lunch-only operation.

Great, thanks.

[TheMatt]

You are going to have to ask for the sawgrass or sawtooth leaf. Some of the waitstaff have language issues so you may need to be more descriptive. When you ask for it, you get a pretty generous portion. The only time I got it without asking was on our first trip back in 2006.

Sawtooth herb = ngò gai in Vietnamese, in case you need that name. (Although I grew up calling it culantro.)

[JimRice]

I hit Pho Hot this weekend with Barbara. It was good, better than most pho places out there, but I thought the broth had too much cinnamon in it. It did have a lot of meat in it (meatball+brisket) compared to other places. Barbara's grilled pork with noodles were good, although they give you way too many noodles in the bowl. The imperial spring roll and the fresh summer roll were both excellent. And I'll definitely have to get back to try the wings.

[Marty L.]

I love Pho Hot, but think the wings are nothing special.

I hit Pho Hot this weekend with Barbara. It was good, better than most pho places out there, but I thought the broth had too much cinnamon in it. It did have a lot of meat in it (meatball+brisket) compared to other places. Barbara's grilled pork with noodles were good, although they give you way too many noodles in the bowl. The imperial spring roll and the fresh summer roll were both excellent. And I'll definitely have to get back to try the wings.

[Ericandblueboy]

Had lunch there today. I could not finish a large bowl. Their large bowl has more meat and noodle than other shops (but also a little more expensive than others). I ordered the imperial rolls but they're sitting in a take-out container in my car right now. The pho soup is tasty and it's easily as good as Pho Golden Cow.

[ulrath]

I've gone to the Centreville location about 4 times now. Last time I got something with the meatballs which I did not like as much as some of the other meats. Its still a great deal. 1 Large bowl for take out feeds my wife and I with enough leftover for 1 lunch the next day.

For those that were curious, the Indian place a few doors down has potential. Rasoi of India. I did carryout. I got Goat Korma, Chicken Biryani and Garlic Nan. The Korma and Biryani were fairly good but the star was the garlic nan. By far the best garlic nan that I have had. Better than Minerva, Harvest of India, Rangoli.... I would go back for the Garlic Nana alone.

[Bob Wells]

I've gone to the Centreville location about 4 times now. Last time I got something with the meatballs which I did not like as much as some of the other meats. Its still a great deal. 1 Large bowl for take out feeds my wife and I with enough leftover for 1 lunch the next day.

For those that were curious, the Indian place a few doors down has potential. Rasoi of India. I did carryout. I got Goat Korma, Chicken Biryani and Garlic Nan. The Korma and Biryani were fairly good but the star was the garlic nan. By far the best garlic nan that I have had. Better than Minerva, Harvest of India, Rangoli.... I would go back for the Garlic Nana alone.

Speaking of western Fairfax pho, I had a super bowl from Pho 98 in Chantilly the other night.

Twinsmommy got her usual -- eye of round (no 16, IIRC). I went with the eye of round and well-done brisket (no 11, IIRC). The eye of round was as good as usual, but the brisket was outstanding. When Twinsmommy saw it she got quite jealous. I gave her a (small) taste.

Next time I'll add some bible tripe to the mix. Who among us doesn't enjoy ordering bible tripe (never mind eating it in a delicious bowl of pho)?

[hmmboy]

Pho Hot. Annandale.

Headed over tonite - 16 minutes from Glen Echo. I do not pretend to be a pho connoisseur but the #3 I had tonite was the best bowl of pho I've ever tasted. Opening with some yummy summer rolls and crispy wings, this was simply a perfect meal. Can't wait to return.

[dgreen]

Tim Carman reports:

Nguyen hopes to open one, if not more, pho parlors in the District, but in order to make the economics work in the pricey neighborhoods where he’d like to drop anchor, Nguyen plans to make the Vietnamese noodle-soup experience more gourmet.

[monsterriffs]

Nguyen hopes to open one, if not more, pho parlors in the District, but in order to make the economics work in the pricey neighborhoods where hed like to drop anchor, Nguyen plans to make the Vietnamese noodle-soup experience more gourmet.

I'm tempted to call this a fail, but I'm aware of the nuances at play here. Quite frankly, Pho 14 suffers from these pretentions. While their ingredients are top notch and very fresh, the soup recipe is middling-to-good, and it should not take 20+ minutes to get a bowl of pho. The charm of a true pho joint is that you get a great bowl of food in a bare bones atmosphere within 5 to 10 minutes of ordering. I am reluctant to see this experience go "gourmet" - particularly Pho Hot - because good pho doesn't require these sorts of aspirations.

[pizza man]

I would agree with the post above, except that I've been pleased with both Pho Hot and Present. If anybody can pull it off, I believe this is the team.

[monsterriffs]

I would agree with the post above, except that I've been pleased with both Pho Hot and Present. If anybody can pull it off, I believe this is the team.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. It would be nice to have GOOD pho in the city limits.

[Soup]

I went there a few times when they were open. The pho was good not great and the service really bad. After a few tries, I stopped going. However, last Friday after reading so many positive reviews I decided to give it another try.

My wife and I had garden roll, Grilled beef over rice and Pho with tai, gan sach (beef, tripe and tendons). First the garden rolls, without hyperbole, it was the worst garden roll I ever had at any vietnamese place. It had these weard fried strips that was seasoned with something. I couldn't tell what the seasoning was but it had the texture of sand. As for the fried strips, I asked the server what it was. She said tofu. It was unlike any tofu I ever had. It had the consistancy and look of pigs ear. The rolls were unedible. A bad way to start the meal.

For the pho, it was good but not great. The broth was fine but it came out too cold. It did not have enough heat to wilt the sprouts. The toppings were fine and the broth was good but I fail to see all the great comments about the stock. I believe golden cow and pho 75 has a superior product.

For the grilled beef over rice, it was spectacular. By far one of the best versions I've had. Lots of fried shallots and lots of fresh scallions. The Beef was very flavorful. definitely the go to dish.

Over all, I'm sorry I went back after my origional assessment. It is the closest pho to my house but I will continue to make the trek to golden cow and pho 75. I just don't get all the accolades of this place on this board.

Soup

[jstevens75]

Just had Pho 75 today for lunch, and all I can say is that pho hot blows them out of the water. Next time it will be the drive to annandale no matter what. Pho 75 had 1/2 the amount of food including maybe at best 5 fatty thin (paper) slices of beef...just plain boring. Not a Pho expert, but Pho Hot was excellent.

[jaimetown]

I'm with Soup - I still prefer Pho 75 to Pho Hot. The quantity is huge at Pho Hot (and Pho 75 is just right IMO) when I order a large bowl, and the quality of the noodles is slightly better than Pho 75, but the broth at Pho 75 is still superior.

Plus on several occasions, I've felt I got a mild case of the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome after dining at Pho Hot. Just one man's view.

[Sundae in the Park]

I'm with Soup - I still prefer Pho 75 to Pho Hot. The quantity is huge at Pho Hot (and Pho 75 is just right IMO) when I order a large bowl, and the quality of the noodles is slightly better than Pho 75, but the broth at Pho 75 is still superior.

Plus on several occasions, I've felt I got a mild case of the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome after dining at Pho Hot. Just one man's view.

Me three. It's a lot of pho, but that doesn't do you any good if you get the MSG shakes halfway through. I still drive out to Pho 75 when I get sick.

[DonRocks]

Saw a Pho Hot magazine ad and they apparently have a Centreville location. Anyone been to that one?

I never did go, but it closed.

[zoramargolis]

"phee, phooey, pho, phum

I smell da blut from a hyuman beeink

be he alife odder be he det

I'll make frum him a corn bif sannawitch"

a recollection from Nize Baby by Milt Gross, a dialect book from the 1920's made up of dialogue from various characters ln a tenement on the Lower East Side. One, a mother, is trying to get her "nize baby" to eat by telling him various "fractured fairy tales"--the one I am remembering was obviously Jack and the Beanstalk.