Lexington, KY - The chance for authentic Vietnamese cuisine doesn't have many prospects here in Lexington, save for Pho BC, a tiny restaurant tucked into one of the strips of the Regency Centre. Deriving its name from the north Vietnamese staple, a soup called "pho," the eatery has a large dine-in and carryout menu.
Naturally, a large portion of the eating options are dedicated to pho, which is, at its base, a beef broth served with white rice noodles and side garnishes, such as bean sprouts, basil, lime, jalapenos, cilantro, and white and green onions, that the eater can add to their liking. At Pho BC restaurant, you have the choice of various beef offerings: steak, brisket, meatball, flank, tendon or tripe (or a combination of any or all of these options) with your soup. I recommend the Pho Combo; even though many may find the texture of tripe (made from portions of a cow's stomach) off putting, it's worth a taste.
Other items include rice vermicelli bowls (with grilled or fried pork, shrimp, beef, chicken, or a combination of many of these), which are served with green leaf, bean sprout, cucumber, peanut, mint, and fish or soy sauce ($7.95 -
$9.50); stir-fried plates with egg or rice noodles ($8.50 -
$9.50); and individual plates, meat served straight up with rice and either egg or wonton soup ($8.25 -
$9.25). There are also vegetarian and "health and diet food" options, as well as a handful of chef specialties -
such as salted fried squid, a Vietnamese steamed rice roll and Vietnamese beef stew.
For appetizers, my guest and I had an order of fried egg rolls (two for $3.25) and "chicken on stick" (exactly what the name implies, thin strips of chicken skewered on a stick; four for $5.95). They also offer pork or shrimp salad rolls, fried chicken wings or jumbo shrimp, and cheese wontons (which they were out of). If we had known how gargantuan the entrÈe portions were, however, we probably would have forgone the appetizers.
For dinner, my guest ordered the large pho combo ($8.95, but a smaller portion is available for $6.95), and I had the House Special Crispy Egg Noodle ($14.25, a chef's specialty). Simply put, the pho at this restaurant is an orgiastic feast for the senses that requires a lot of time to eat; the broth alone is worthy of the highest praise. The crispy egg noodle meal was more visually pleasing than appetizing -
a mÈlange of beef steak, pork and shrimp with basil and vegetables topped with a brown sauce served over a bird's nest of fried egg noodles that was kind of difficult to negotiate. My meal came with a side of envy as I watched my guest slurp up the pho.
Our bill, which included two appetizers, two entrees, a soda, an avocado smoothie (which our server was most impressed we tried, and greatly enjoyed) and a Vietnamese coffee, came to $44.58 -
and probably rivaled anything the streets of Hanoi has to offer. Make it a point to go try this restaurant's staple. For first time eaters, or those intimidated by foreign foods, a picture of the dish accompanies many options on the menu, which is very considerate of the owners.