Let’s face it, I live in Taco Land. There are tacos in big and small eateries, in bars and in chain restaurants. Pho, however, it more difficult to find in Northern Colorado.
A great benefit of this blog, that I didn’t foresee, is that I have eaten at places I didn’t know existed. And, I have eaten at restaurants that I had intended to try but never had the proper excuse. Yes, I started this blog, in part, as an excuse to eat food.
Saigon Xpress Vietnamese Restaurant, in a nondescript strip mall in Longmont, is a place I never would have known existed, but for TacosandPho.com. And I am so glad I went.
I feel that I need to come clean about the fact that I am a little intimidated when going to a new-to-me pho restaurant. While I am at home with tacos, chopsticks have always presented an insurmountable challenge to me, despite being a quarter Korean.
I thought Saigon Xpress, going on the name alone, was going to be a fast-food-style joint, and it is not. It’s a sit-down restaurant where diners are provided plastic chopsticks and not forks. I could have asked for one, but instead, I decided to chance it. After all, there were only two other diners at 2:30 p.m. and they were almost done, so few people would witness this debacle.
My carpal tunnel syndrome makes holding chopsticks extremely difficult, so I scooped and slurped my way through my beef pho.
When I first started eating pho, I browsed the internet and found this great article. It not only informs the reader of the long history of pho in Vietnam but it let me know that my pho-eating etiquette was good enough.
But is it?
About halfway through my bowl of beef pho at Saigon Xpress, a staff member gave me an unsolicited second napkin. I was actually quite appreciative, but I hope my attempts to use chopsticks didn’t result in any broth on the wall or noodles on the ceiling.
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The best part of the pho at Saigon Xpress was the meat. I have never had my pho beef this tender. It’s memorably good. Second, the broth is full of flavor. I do not profess to be a professional pho eater, far from it. In fact, I am most likely the exact opposite. However, I do know that broth should be the star of pho. I never adulterate it with sauce. I always put the Sriracha and Hoisin in bowls on the side and dip my meat and noodles.
Saigon Xpress is worth a stop. And at just $10 for the small bowl of pho (which is big), it won’t break the bank.
Saigon Xpress, 1225 Ken Pratt Blvd., Unit #110, Longmont, Colorado 80501
Happy #PhoFriday!
I can’t wait to try this place, I’m always on the look out for great pho, thanks!