"Pho"gettaboudit

The food at Thái Son is unequivocally excellent. This very affordable Vietnamese restaurant is somewhat tucked away from the hustling and bustling crowds of Canal Street. There are other Vietnamese restaurants in Little Italy and Chinatown, but this one is my pick for the best Pho (pronounced "fuh"). There is always a crowd here, even midday. You will love the food and keep coming back for more... “fuh”gettaboudit!

In Vietnam, the day starts pretty early, before their morning exercises, and work day – people opt for pho. Pho is a noodle soup, a breakfast soup, but can be eaten at anytime. As the national soup of Vietnam, Pho was born in the North, and consists of both influences of the Chinese (rice noodles and spices) and the French (popularity of red meat). The Vietnamese used these and their native influences to make pho their own. It worked its way South in the mid 1950’s when North and South were still divided. South Vietnam adapted the dish and made it their own. Northern style pho is very simple with less meat, where as the Southern style pho is more complex and contains an abundance of ingredients - this is the version that made its way to America in the 1970’s. People believe that pho was derived from “pot au feu” a French beef stew. In general the cuisine is filled with Chinese, French, Malaysian and Indian influences.

The foundation to this noodle soup is the broth which bubbles away for hours. It includes beef soup bones, onions, ginger, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, fish sauce, rock sugar. When the order comes in, a bowl is filled with heated rice noodles, cooked beef slices and then slices of raw beef, topped with basil/coriander, onion – when the broth is ladled over top; it magically releases the fragrance of the herbs and quickly turns the raw beef to rare. Other items added to enhance the enjoyment of this hearty soup are bean sprouts, basil/mint and lime wedges. One can season the broth to your liking with red chili for heat and color, fish sauce to round off the flavor of the broth and finally a generous squeeze of lime. All you need is a set of chopsticks and a Chinese style spoon – then you can begin to slurp away…by the way – slurping is totally acceptable!

On my regular visits here with friends, we always order Goi Cuon and Cha Gio to start:

Goi Cuon translates to mixed salad roll – they are rice paper filled lettuce, carrots, mint scallions, rice vermicelli, pork and shrimp – and are served cold with a dipping sauce called nuoc leo. Nuoc leo is light peanut sauce made with chili, garlic, hoisin sauce, sugar, peanuts, tamarind water or chicken stock.

These are also known as Summer Rolls, and are a great light meal or in our case - a great appetizer...

Cha Gio are spring rolls wrapped in rice paper, deep fried until crispyand golden brown. The filling consists of ground meat, mushrooms, carrots, jicama and served lettuce, mint leaves, and a dipping sauce called nuoc cham. Nuoc cham is a dipping sauce made with garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. The best way to eat cha gio is to wrap them in the lettuce leaf, this prevents you from cutting the roof of your mouth. You will come across different variations offered as a filling for cha gio, and that is the beauty of it.

The dipping sauces are used interchangeably and eaten with everything. Nothing is etched in stone, there is no right way or wrong way of enjoying these really delicious dishes at Thái Son!

Thái Son
89 Baxter Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 732-2822

How to Eat Soup Dumplings ...

There is certain rawness, and an “it is what it is” attitude in Chinatown. Its crowded streets are strewn with produce and seafood markets buzzing with client. Street vendors are practically at every turn of a corner with an assortment of unknown fruits and vegetables at ridiculously low prices. There are numerous local restaurants hanging whole boiled chickens, crispy ducks, roasted pig and other barbequed items in their windows for sale. Chinese markets with boxes spilling onto the sidewalk with dried delicacies such as mushrooms, shrimps and oysters. Many street peddlers whispering Gucci, Louis, and Prada as you pass in trying to sell you a knock-off. These are just some of the local elements of Chinatown…but tucked away in the heart of Chinatown is Joe's Shanghai. This bustling restaurant is always crowded!

Shanghai has a huge array, but few dishes to call its own. Like any city with significant access to other areas, they have absorbed foods and cooking styles of the entire country. There are specialties for sure, but not that many. Some favorites are Lion’s Head Casserole, Drunken Chicken or Drunken Shrimp, Salt Cured Chicken, and Preserved Mustard Green, Winter Melon Soup, Fish Head Casserole and cold appetizer dishes such as Jelly Fish, Braised Sliced Beef, and Aromatic Cold Fish. You will find many types cold appetizers, casseroles and braised dishes on the menu at Joe’s Shanghai. The Shanghainese enjoy many of their foods slow-cooked in soy sauce; and they call this preparation style red-cooking. They also adore steamed dumplings called Soup Dumplings, and this is why I have been going to Joe’s for years.

Joe’s Shanghai in my opinion is known best for their soup dumplings, xiao long bao. I think the staff would be shocked if you didn't start with these with your meal.

They offer two variations, crab and pork meat or just pork. They arrive in a hot bamboo steamer, all 8 juicy beauties resting on top of Chinese cabbage (napa) to prevent them from sticking and possibly for aesthetic reasons – let’s face it; they are not much to look at, resembling a beggar’s purse, these plump dumplings are stuffed with a meatball that is swimming in a rich and succulent broth just waiting for you. This broth is made from chicken, pork, cured ham and other seasonings, cooked for over 2 hours. Then it is combined with agar agar, or gelatin, and once cooled it is cut into cubes (aspic) of concentrated gelatinous broth. As the dumplings are filled with the pork/pork & crabmeat mixture, this aspic is also incorporated, and as the dumpling steams and cooks to perfection, this little cube melts and cradles the meat that is nestled in its doughy purse – and voila you have soupy dumplings!

Eating these dumplings take some practice, and I have come up with my very own method – I have never burned my tongue since…

1) Pick up a soupy dumpling with the tongs and gently place on your Chinese spoon
2) Pierce the dough and let the soup drain onto the spoon
3) Take the dumpling and place it on your plate
4) Spoon a tiny bit of the soy/ginger/black vinegar sauce over it
5) Pick it up with your chopsticks and take a bite until it is all consumed
6) Then take in the broth that you have reserved on the spoon (sort of a chaser for your dumpling)

Savor all the flavors that are exploding in your mouth - intense, and notice how it's a bit sticky.... mmmm!!

This is what keeps me coming back for more! Dig in for another – you can’t just eat one!
Also...if you are feeling a bit adventurous - try the Jellyfish ... it's full of texture and crunch ...

Joe's Shanghai
19 Pell Street
New York, NY 10013
212-233-8888