Nothing will perk you up on a rainy day like a little pho and a stroll – or dash – down Argyle Street, in Uptown. During yesterday’s deluge, we headed over to the Asian strip for a bowl of the famous vietnamese soup.
Restaurants selling pho (pronounced “fa,” like the note after “me” and before “so”) have opened in various neighborhoods, but it’s pretty tough to beat Argyle. We went with the eye of round steak pho at Pho 777, 1065 W Argyle St, served in a giant steaming bowl with noodles, beansprouts, hot peppers, fresh lime and basil still on the branch.
Who has the best pho on Argyle? Some will say it’s Pho 777, and we’re not going to argue with that, although we might have a slight preference for Tien Giang, 1104 W Argyle St. Pho 888, 1137 W Argyle St, and Tank Noodle, at the corner of Broadway and Lawrence avenues, also get high marks for pho.
Whichever restaurant you try – as far as we’re concerned you can’t go wrong here – walk off the soup by browsing the Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese and other Asian businesses that form a bustling three-block village on Argyle. Some still call it “New Chinatown,” though others bristle at the label since many more Asian countries are represented.
Stop over at Ba Le (left), at the corner of Broadway and Argyle, while you’re here and grab some banh mi, the renowned Vietnamese sandwiches, to go. Five’ll get you six at Ba Le, where the bread is fresh and flaky, and the cilantro, jalapenos, pickled radishes, pate and other meats are in perfect balance.
Save Sun Wah Bar-B-Q (right), 1134 W Argyle St, for another day. You’ll find incredible ribs and roast duck and the spirit of our old friend Charlie Soo alive and well, though the former restaurant owner and Argyle’s best friend died back in 2001.
