Is there anything a bowl of PHO can't fix?

Today was one of those days. It was one of those inexplicably blah days where the weather isn’t quite right, energy is a little off, and productivity is at an all time low. So when J, my boyfriend, arrived home from law school with the same out-of-sorts-attitude the answer was clear: a warm bowl of noodles for the soul.

We moved to San Diego one month ago and have frequented the Asian area of Clairemont for Pho weekly and I’m happy to report it does the trick every time. I’m in a much better place now than I was a mere three pre-pho hours ago. The avenue of Eastern strip malls also specializes in dumplings, dim-sum, Korean BBQ, and, if you’re sucker for any reason to be festive, a big red Chinese firecracker decoration for the Chinese New Year…

Are you celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Tiger? It’s not too late- still one week to go! And there is a party in downtown San Diego this weekend.

This post is also an homage to my brother M, who turned me (and the equally, if not more so, obsessed J) on to Pho and still makes the best Pho I know.

Unlike ‘Number One Pho’ in Cleveland, OH (my hometown) who first seated us, then announced they were “out of Pho”, and proceeded to serve us stir-fry on a Friday night in Fall some years ago.