Asian Avenue magazine

1080 S. Havana St.
Aurora, CO. 80014
Tel: 303.344.0752

HOURS Sun - Sun 9am - 9pm

That crispness you feel in the early hours can mean only one thing: Autumn is on its way. And with the cooler temperatures comes the inevitable season of colds and flu. What’s better for keeping a body healthy with the coming of autumn, than an all-natural, slow-cooked broth with fresh vegetables, citrus and rice noodles? There is nothing better.

Pho 79 on Havana at Mississippi in Aurora is a great place for a tasty steaming bowl of Vietnamese pho [pronounced FUH] noodle soup. The soups here are prepared with the greatest attention to detail and tender loving care.

Each day starts early. The broth is cooked for hours and hours (and hours) on varying degrees of flame, under constant monitoring before it is finally ready to be served. This soup truly is good food.

Thin slices of beef (or other ingredients) are heaped into your giant bowl of noodles, onions, green onions, and spices. Over that you can pile your own combination of fresh vegetables to the mix. Fresh basil, bean sprouts, cilantro, sliced jalapenos and fresh lime wedges act as your palette to create your work of art, your own distinct version of this traditional favorite. Now twirl your
chopsticks into the mass of noodles and slurp them down.

The appetizer plate is another crowd-pleaser from the chefs at Pho 79. A wide platter of ingredients are placed on the table in front of you, including sautéed pork, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken breast, Vietnamese eggroll, sliced cucumbers, cilantro, fresh onions, bean sprouts, jalapenos, pickled vegetables and limes.

Then you’re brought out an enormous bowl of steaming water, which at first you might think you should bathe in, but don’t. This is to soften the rice paper wrappers. Placed the wet wrapper flat onto your plate (this can be tricky), and then choose your favorites, or shake it up a bit, and then roll it all up. It’s an interactive dining experience that’s both fun and delicious. Top off the meal with a Vietnamese coffee, strong and sweet over ice. What better way to end a satisfying feast?

By Derek Brou
Asian Avenue magazine