Pho Show in Culver City

Let's face it, Vietnamese cuisine isn't exactly a highlight of the west side's culinary arsenal, but when the pho withdrawals kick in and you're in no mood to make a spur-of-the-moment exodus from West LA, then your options are quite limited. Our local go-to pho spot has been PhoReign on Sawtelle and it's not bad; the meat is flavorful and plentiful, the price is recession-friendly, and the location is perfect for us. But the broth--the most important component of solid pho--is lacking that depth of flavors you'd come to expect from good pho.

Now, I am no pho expert, but--having been to Saigon and eating countless bowls of this Vietnames staple--I know a good bowl of noodles when I scarf one down. Having known about Pho Show for some time, I convinced my wife to give it a shot and see how it compares to PhoReign and our other west side pho spot, Pho 99.

Beer goes well with pho so naturally I ordered one. Pho Show carries a Vietnamese export called "33" beer and I must say it was very good. I don't remember seeing this in Vietnam, or least I never noticed it past the hordes of Tiger and San Miguel advertisements.




My better half went with a Thai iced tea. I had a few sips and it was nice, refreshing.


For my entree, I ordered pho with rare beef, large portion. My wife ordered a small combo of rare beef, tripe, and brisket. The beef was anything but rare; in fact it was a bit tough and lacked a beefy flavor. The broth, however, was actually very nice and almost saved this place.

Rare beef. This picture taken as soon as the bowl arrived at our table. At the better pho places, the meat would still be red/pinkish (or better yet, served on the side, raw)

Rare beef, tripe, brisket. I can see faint signs of red/pink.

Sprouts and mint. What? No chilies?

The prices were very attractive. Two bowls of pho, a Thai iced tea, and one beer came out to $25 with tip. But overall it's the taste that matters most, and in that regard this place pails in comparison to PhoReign. And so needless to say, we won't be back to Pho Show.