My job as the Mayor of HeidiTown took me to Black Hawk this morning, so it was the perfect excuse for lunch pho. I’ve always wanted to try the pho spots close to Pacific Ocean Marketplace in Broomfield (there are a few). Since Pho 79 is in the same parking lot, I went there.
The restaurant is in a strip mall and is larger than it appears from the outside. My pho, the #6, rare steak and brisket, came out fast.
This adventure into pho discovery has been eye-opening. Every bowl of pho is different, even though I tend to get the same meat combination. Of course, every restaurant is different too. This one seemed fairly busy for a Monday lunchtime.
Pho 79 has three sizes of pho and I’ve learned my lesson. I got the small, which is still a good size, and $10.75.
The broth here is clear and light. I squeezed a little lime into the broth, and even after stirring it around, I could taste the brightness of the lime juice. Everything about this pho tasted fresh, even the scallions had a nice crunch.
While I have had some pho that seemed perfect for a winter’s day, this felt like summery pho. It was sixty degrees out, so it worked! That being said, the broth isn’t as strong as some pho I’ve slurped. That’s why I write that every pho is different.
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This restaurant is conveniently located several doors down from Pacific Ocean Marketplace. I am surprised that it’s taken me this long to write about it. It’s one of the largest Asian grocery store chains in the Rocky Mountain region. By the way, the store in Aurora is probably double the size of the one in Broomfield. There is an entire aisle there, on both sides, dedicated to noodles.
I admit I am a bit intimidated when I go to this grocery store. Despite having an Asian mother, I didn’t investigate Asian grocery stores until I was around 40. Five years later, I am still a bit out of my depth when I visit.
The store has all the standard sections, deli, seafood department, vegetable department, etc., but for many of us, the products on display are a little different. Okay, sometimes they are a lot different. For instance, there are ducks hanging in the deli (I think it’s Peking duck but I am not brave enough to ask). Someday, I will buy one.
I can’t just “run in” because I have to look at all the things. I especially love sauces, so this area takes up a lot of my time.
Occasionally, I will get something from the deli. I haven’t gotten a pork bun yet but they look incredible. Today, I did get some frozen pho meatballs (pork and beef) and a bunch of vegetables for a stir fry. I also bought two kinds of noodles.
I am having a bit of a crisis about noodles. I had the best noodles at Kujira Ramen in Fort Collins, and lately, I’ve been loving ramen noodles more than pho noodles. To work this out I will have to explore more ramen and pho places, and by explore I mean eat.
I am unsure of how my home-cooked noodles will taste, I will keep you posted.
In the past, I went nuts in the candy aisle of Pacific Ocean Marketplace. I am actually not big on sweets, but Ryan is. As it turns out, most Asian candy isn’t nearly as sweet as candies made here in the United States, and therefore that was a bit of a fail. I now know he’s not crazy about ginger-flavored candies.
Overall, Pacific Ocean Marketplace is pretty awesome, and if you enjoy cooking Asian food, or in my case, trying to cook Asian food, you should go.
Pho 79, 6650 West 120th Ave., Unit 4 & 5, Broomfield, Colorado 80020
Pacific Ocean Marketplace, 6600 West 120th Ave., Broomfield, Colorado 80020
Pacific Ocean Marketplace on Facebook
Now, don’t you want some Asian noodles? I know where you should go!
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