I’m working on my Hong Kong post!

In the meantime we had an appointment in Simsbury CT today.  After the appointment we decided to hit our favorite Vietnamese place for lunch.  I just wanted to tell people about this spot and the tasty delights that are housed within its walls.

I’ve never been to Vietnam, but I’d like to go.  Closest I’ve come is Laos where the French influence still resides throughout the country.

Pho 68 is a place we go to whenever we are close to West Hartford.  It neighbors a gym and rests above a new age church.  You could easily miss this place.

Maybe not.

Once inside you’re greeted to the relaxing flow of a fountain and bamboo decor.  I actually really like the atmosphere in here.  It smells good, big tables and most diners in here don’t look like the impatient american: and that’s a good thing.

I have two go to’s here.  1st is the Bahn Mi Thit Nuong.  It’s like a little beef sandwich with cilantro/coriander, grilled beef, carrot shreds and lettuce.  The baguette is excellent and tender with a crispness that is hard to replicate.  I’ve seen these in Laos but never tried one.  They are incredible here.

Bahn Mi.

Next is the Pho with beef.  It’s a really fragrant soup with rice noodles, white onion, scallion, cilantro, and thin sliced beef.  You get a heaping plate of basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and jalapeños to add to the bowl.  It’s a great soup, helped with my cold.

Not the best pics but it’s not fancy!  The beef is better the more rare it is (in my opinion) so when you push it down into the brothy depths it cooks, so don’t fear if you prefer well cooked meat, just push it into the bottom of the bowl and it will emerge grey and to your liking a few moments later.

My dining partners had the Pho with chicken….. delicious.  And the child sized bowl of beef Pho, also a hit.  They split a spring roll with chicken and some sort of pork floss which is very finely shredded pork,  They loved that as well.

One waiter working today, he did a great job, was friendly, but you need to ask for what you want.  I think you could also get up and pay your bill at the counter if needed.

If you’re near here, go eat some of their food, It’s a treat.  Hope you like it.