Phở Như Vũ - That's Vietnamese for "Noodle Soup"

Honestly, I have no idea what it means, I just know that Phở Như Vũ is the (relatively) new Vietnamese restaurant in Bear, Delaware. I find some sense of irony that it is sandwiched in between a China Buffet and a Hibachi grill. The first thing that struck me walking in was that there were many Asian costumers in the building, something you'll never see inside of a China House #1. Sir Forksalot and I grabbed a table next to the window, and the perky waitress promptly brought us a pot of tea.




The menu isn't very Americanized. Read: For those ignorant of Vietnamese cusine like yours truly, you'll need to rely on your waitress and fellow diners to point you in the right direction. At the incouragment of the couple next to us, we tried #5 Grilled Beef Wrapped with Grape Leaves $5.95 for an appetizer. The #5 is served with a sweet and sour dip that is very similair (if not just a slightly more watery version) of the dip served at Tasti Thai. The grape leaves are covered with crunchy peanut bits. The beef is saturated with flavor, and surprisingly tender. The production is an interesting combination and reminds me very much of the greek dolmades. I enjoyed the way the delicate sweetness of the peanuts contrasted with the more robust flavor of the beef.


For our main entrees, we shared #20 Grilled Chicken & Eggroll $7.95 and #31 Steak & Brisket Pho. I also had a #89 Strawberry Pearl Smoothie.



I tried the Steak & Brisket Pho first. A huge bowl of Pho was placed infront of me, the broth steaming into my nostrils was full of the smell of fresh herbs and vegtables. It smelled fresh and delicious. I promptly slurped up a noodle so long that the end flew up and hit me in the eye. This is how I learned that the cilantro was indeed very fresh, by the burning sensation in my eye. The soup was surprisingly mellow in flavor, especially when compared to the intense smell. It was easy to imagine eating the soup on a cold winter day with the warmth of the broth and cilantro to warm you up. Sir Forksalot complained that the meat was too fatty, although it did have a good taste. He especially enjoyed the flavor of the broth.

Sir Forksalot had #20 Grilled Chicken and Springroll bowl first. First thing that struck him was the visual appeal of the presentation. He was unprepared for the vermicelli to be cold, however. The bowl is very generous and served with slices of crunchy carrots, beansprouts and cucumbers along with cilantro, red onion slices, and several chunks of marinated chicken breast. The marinade was sweet and the chicken tender. Though all of the flavors in both dishes were very good, they were subtle to the point of being bland. However we both agreed that the waitress may have steered us in this direction because we were obviously new to Vietnamese food. The portions were on the humungus side of big, and we had plenty of leftovers. However I still set some stomach space aside for dessert, in the form of #90 the Flan. While not the best I've had, it was pleasently smooth. Another fine surprise came with the check. The total for two entrees, appitizer, dessert, and fancy drink? $26.85.



All in all, a very pleasent introdution to Vietnamese dining.