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.
Previous stops:
Pho 75 is the last of the Seoul Hospitality Group establishments along this stretch of Havana, and the one most removed from the otherwise Korean-centric theme of its sister restaurants.
Pho is a simple dish that carries with it a surprising amount of confusion. For starters, there’s a constant need to educate on the correct pronunciation, which is “fuh,” not “foe.” (For that matter, the correct Vietnamese spelling is phở.)
There’s also some debate over the dish's origins. Fortunately, one of the core values of Seoul Hospitality Group restaurants is education. Many of its other establishments feature a digital display or poster providing some insight and history behind the dishes and ingredients served. At Tofu Story, for instance, that translates to a treatise on the different types of kimchi served at different times of the year for different occasions at Tofu Story. At Pho 75, the entire first page of the menu is dedicated to a history of pho. (Short version: It’s either based on the French beef stew pot-au-fu, or a Chinese beef and noodle dish with a similar name, or a combination of both.)
A window offering a glimpse into how it's all made is a hallmark of Seoul Hospitality Group restaurants.
Antony Bruno
Beyond the staff wearing branded T-shirts that let you know you’re in a Seoul Hospitality Group establishment, these little touches create a subtle branding exercise that suggests this company has a broader vision and plan that goes beyond merely serving food.
So about that food…
Of all the economies-of-scale advantages that restaurants under a common ownership umbrella enjoy — such as cost savings for basics like napkins or deals from maintenance providers — Pho 75 enjoys an additional perk.According to COO Rose Lee, the beef broth that serves as the base for its pho is made from bones and other beef trimmings acquired from Seoul Hot Pot & BBQ just a few doors down. That’s not only a smart way to economically maximize product, but also a culinarily effective way to maximize flavor. And it works.
The menu at Pho 75 is not that different from what you’d find at any Vietnamese pho joint. Of course, it offers several iterations of pho, including all the meat staples — meatball, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, steak, short rib — as well as seafood, chicken and veggie options. All come in small, medium and large sizes. A small feels like a reasonable meal. A large is… a lot.
Pho 75 makes its beefy broth using bones and trimmings from sister restaurant Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot.
Antony Bruno
(A little research shows that vermicelli came to be used as an easy/cheat descriptor for the thin rice noodles, given their similar shapes. But they’re made with totally different ingredients. Italian vermicelli are made from water and semolina. Bún, or “rice vermicelli,” are made from rice flour and water. Ironically, it’s likely few outside of Italy could pick out Italian vermicelli in a lineup with other pastas, so why that’s a more recognizable descriptor than bún is one of the many enduring mysteries of how Asian food was introduced and evolved in this country. Continuing that side note: Given that the literal translation of vermicelli is “little worms,” it’s hard to understand why that’s a more acceptable term than bún, which pretty much just means “rice noodles.” But then many Asian restaurants also list squid as “calamari” so…)
The Pho 75 appetizers are also in line with menus at similar establishments. There are spring rolls (gỏi cuốn) with various fillings, all wrapped in soft, thin rice paper. The egg rolls (chả giò), on the other hand, are deep-fried to a gloriously chewy/crunchy consistency. And for those who want it, there are three simple versions of banh mi (listed simply as “sandwiches” on the menu) of grilled beef, chicken or pork.
But the menu also includes a few outliers that are less typical at other pho restaurants, such as an “Asian Food” page with such Chinese and Thai dishes as sesame or orange chicken, lo mein and pad thai.
Add to all this the glorious tradition that is Vietnamese iced coffee — an addictive blend of strong espresso dripped onto sweet condensed milk poured over ice — and Vietnamese fruit-forward smoothies, and Pho 75 is a well-rounded pho joint that caters to nearly every expectation.
There may be only a few surprises, but you'll also find few flaws.
Pho 75 is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at 2050 South Havana Street in Aurora. Find more information at pho75havana.com.
