Winter. Wind. Cold. Snow. All of these unfortunate things can be made better by a bowl of something hot. Whether it’s homemade or store bought, those of us who have to deal with the winter months know that a steaming hot bowl of soup can fix almost anything. Since the soup offered in Locke’s is almost always questionable looking and contains unidentifiable ingredients, I went in search of something more appetizing.
My friends and I had been planning on getting pho (pronounced like fuh) , Vietnamese rice noodle soup, for a while, and after an hour of searching Yelp, we found what we were looking for. Pho Grand offers authentic Vietnamese Cuisine at reasonable prices and is located on the Lower East Side.
Although it’s a bit of a hike from Manhattan College, it is well worth the trek. There are 17 different kinds of Pho, with offerings that include beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, and vegetarian options as well. Pho Grand offers gigantic portions in enormous bowls, and the soup is served with lemon, bean sprouts and basil. It is traditional to add a variety of toppings and mix-ins, including jalapeños, siracha and plum sauce.
photo by Sarah Haselhorst
I chose the jumbo shrimp and vegetable pho with chicken broth, while my friends opted for the white meat chicken and vegetable option. When it arrived to my table I knew that it would be nothing but love. I added a combination of all the sauces, jalapeños, bean sprouts, basil, and lemon. The sliced carrots, broccoli, cabbage, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms were perfectly cooked and the noodles were tender and slurpable. My favorite part was the broth and when I started getting ridiculously full I ditched the noodles and veggies.
photo by Sarah Haselhorst
Pho Grand should be on every one’s list of places they must go before leaving New York City. The service was awesome, the food was unreal, the prices are reasonable (all that goodness for $7.75), and overall I had a great time. Take your friends, take your parents, and get to Pho Grand for a bowl of noodles you will never pho get.
Location: 227c Grand St. New York, NY 10002
Hours of Operation: 10:30 am-11 pm Monday-Sunday