Pho, Pho real

"Pho?" Mr. Gastro groans... "I don't really like Pho. pho doesn't feel like a meal."

To which I can only reply, who are you, and how are you my Mr. Gastro?

Let me be fair. Mr. Gastro is in almost every way, a completely love dining partner. Not as adventurous as myself, but lets all be fair here-- I will try just about anything once, so long as it is drenched in chiles, cilantro, and lime. But he is in every respect a truly lovely dining partner, willing to eat unfamiliar food, and then discuss it ad nauseum until our jaws are tired from chewing and talking. But Pho, for some reason, falls short for him, which only confuses me, beacuse, really, what's not to like? It's noodles, it's spice, it's meat. And filling? You bet. But Mr. Gastro is, on this one very rare occasion, not game for my culinary whims, and so I grab Masha, a fellow food nerd, and book it to Pho Lemongrass in Brookline.

We are feeling particularly playful today, and so we order the quail as an appetizer, a first for both of us. It's lovely, crispy in all the right ways, with about as much real meat to it as you would expect from a bird that could fit into the palm of your hand. But it's savory and spicy in every way that I love, and reminds me, god help me, a little bit of a Vietnamese BBQ chicken wing. Except bonier. Yes. But very satisfying, and fun to eat.

And then Pho, wonderful Pho. Masha, a Pho virgin, orders hers with chicken, while I opt for mine with rare steak, tendon, brisket, and tripe. We both bury our bowls in basil, lime, bean sprouts, plum sauce, and hot chile paste, and dig in. Tripe, for me is a great discovery. Chewy, like I'd expected, and ridiculously good, and I find myself searching my bowl for more hiding under the noodles. I could go for my steak a little more on the rare side than they serve it here, but I suspect that has more to do with food safety regulations than the whims of the chef. (Can't we just be allowed to sign a waiver, and then take our chances on truly rare meat? Aren't we all adults here?) All in all, it is a really lovely way to spend an afternoon, and let me clarify...it does really take the whole afternoon. Pho is one of those dishes that surprises you. It's like a culinary excavation; You think you've found all of the wonderful, savory goodies hiding under the broth, but no, there's more. There is, it seems, always more, and so you while away an entire afternoon, slurping, sipping, chewing, uncovering, and talking, talking about family, about friends, about culture, and about food, food, food.