Eat Up Havana: This Spot Serves Happiness-Inducing Pho

Over a decade ago, former Westword food editor Mark Antonation began his food-writing career by eating his way up Federal Boulevard. Now, we’re turning our attention to another vibrant culinary corridor.

The four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street between Dartmouth and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is home to the most diverse array of international cuisine available in the metro area. From restaurants and markets to take-and-go shops and stands, food lovers of nearly any ethnicity or interest can find a place that will remind them of home or open new culinary doors. In Eat Up Havana, Antony Bruno will visit them all, one by one, week by week. Check out his previous stops.

This week, Bruno visits Pho 99

Regardless of cuisine, ingredient or technique, food has a remarkable ability to affect people in a variety of different ways, across the body, mind and soul. 

For instance, food is a strong source of nostalgia, as anyone who blinked back a tear at the childhood memory scene in Ratatouille will attest. Really good food can evoke glutenous, indulgent, even carnal reactions that challenge our discipline and restraint.  

Sometimes, either subtly or overtly, food can simply change your mood. That can go either way, of course, but a visit to Pho 99 on Aurora’s Havana Street has the potential to turn your day around for the better. 

By the time you reach this stretch of Havana, your nerves may have ground down to bare threads thanks to traffic, construction and the general soul-crushing weight of the humanity around you. But when you enter, by way of a blissfully dedicated parking lot just for customers, Pho 99 will greet you like a warm hug. 

The aroma of cilantro, spices and, of course, beefy brothiness hits like a wave the moment you walk in and find your place among the numbered tables in the clean, organized space. Surrounding you are bodies both large and small, young and old, white, brown and black, all hunched over steaming bowls of broth, noodles and meat, silently sipping and slurping in near obliviousness to anyone else. 

Fom the moment your pho of choice arrives, you understand why. These bowls carry far more than the ingredients you’ve chosen. They’re containers of mood-altering satisfaction, melting away all your worries, frustrations and angers in a wave of steam, seasoning and sauce. 

That’s a lot to ask for a little bowl of soup. But Pho 99 is up for the challenge. 

The Soup

Technically, pho is a beef and noodle soup. But that’s far too pedestrian a description for what good pho like that served here contains. Each bowl features a deeply complex, flavorful, and well-seasoned broth that traditionally takes hours to make, the depth of which you can taste in every spoonful. 

Inside comes the proteins you choose, which can be nearly any mix of meatballs, rare steak, well-done flank, brisket, tendon or tripe (there are shrimp and chicken options, as well). Also in the bowl are a light smattering of aromatics, usually just scallions and onions. That’s it. And for some, that’s enough. 

But surrounding the bowl are a range of optional additions diners can choose from based on their desires, such as sliced jalapeno, lime, basil and bean sprouts. There’s also a range of sauces, including spicy sriracha, a sweeter hoisin and an unctuous chile oil. 

It’s important to remember these are options, not a requirement. To each their own, for sure, that’s the pho way. But try it “naked” before piling everything on, because broth this next-level deserves to make its case first.  

(A note about pho bowl sizes: a small is a pretty decent-sized lunch. A large is big enough to bathe a small child. Given that you’re probably going to want to drink the broth leftover after the meat and noodles are gone, plan accordingly.) 

Beyond Pho

Pho, of course, is not the only dish worth trying here, given the vast breadth of Vietnamese cuisine. There are few things in life more satisfying than the crispy/chewy savoriness of fried rice paper wrapped around ground pork and vegetables and dipped in fish sauce (cha gio, also called Vietnamese eggrolls). The only worry about ordering these appetizers is saving room for the main course. 

For those forgoing the pho, the list of specials is long, including the standard vermicelli bowl, eggroll bowl, rice plates and more. One interesting dish that might be worth a second trip to try is the Five Spices Noodle Soup, advertised as a spicy lemongrass broth with steamed pork, several cuts of beef and a pig trotter. 

Also available (only as a takeout option) is a short list of “Vietnamese Sandwiches” known as banh mi. Choose between beef, grilled pork, and grilled chicken, or go the traditional route with ham, head cheese, pate and steamed pork. 

The Name

Open since 2007, Pho 99 has stood the test of time along Havana Street, but where does that name come from? Pho-natics Denver-wide are sure to notice that most of their favorite establishments are denoted by a number. Pho 75 is just down the road, as is Pho 89 and Pho 888. 

The numbers in Vietnamese pho establishments are both cultural and pragmatic, but in each case, it boils down to a number that has some kind of personal connection to the owner. Sometimes it’s as simple as reflecting the location’s street address, a common practice in both Vietnam and the U.S. 

Other times, the number denotes a year of significance, such as the year the owners arrived in the U.S., or historically significant years like 1975 (the fall of Saigon). Yet other times, it just comes down to lucky numbers, like 555 or 888 or — in this case — 99, which symbolizes eternal happiness, longevity and prosperity in Vietnam. 

Which is appropriate, because regardless of your state of mind when you enter Pho 99, happiness is a likely state upon exiting. Eternally may be a stretch, but it’ll at least last you through the drive home. 

Pho 99 is located at 1080 South Havana Street in Aurora and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, visit pho99aurora.com. 

All the previous Eat Up Havana stops:

• Old Town Hot Pot
• Leezakaya
• Chutney Indian Cuisine
• El Tequileno
• Milkroll
• Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ
• Watan Restaurant & Bakery
• Las Fajitas
• Mr. Tang
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings
• Yemen Grill
• Tofu House
• Sushi Katsu
• Coco Loco
• Ali Restaurant & Bakery
• Thank Sool Pocha
• Taqueria Corona
• Hanyang Wang Jokbal
• Coffee Story
• Tofu Story
• Havana Street Night Markets
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the Hot Pot)
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the BBQ)
• Pho 75
• Yong Gung
• Chopsticks A GoGo
• Angry Chicken
• L Cafe & Food Court
• Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke
• Katsu Ramen
• Dae Gee
• Snowl
• Chef Liu’s Kitchen
• Piramides Mexican Restaurant
• Nile Ethiopian
• +57 Bar & Restaurante
• Il Forno di Tutti
• Ifka Cafe
• Maandeeq Restaurant & Cafe
• La Sazon de Irene
• U&I BBQ & Karaoke Bar