Community Spotlight: Phở Golden

Pronounced “fuh,” Phở is a Vietnamese dish many would ignorantly call soup. This delicacy of southeast Asia is so much more than soup, as anyone who has sampled its bountiful flavors can attest. Phở, a broth with rice noodles and your choice of meats, is spiced differently than anything you would expect from something like Chinese food. This excellent dish originated in Vietnam in the early 20th century, when the French arrived and introduced the concept of using cattle for food rather than just as beasts of burden. It is now a common and well-traveled dish, and well-loved by Vietnamese and Americans alike.

Where can you get some? It is just your luck, Phở Golden just opened its doors to the Golden community about a month ago, and since then, it has been the talk of the town. This lovely little restaurant exhibits a great deal of quality and variety in its offerings, with many different types of phở you can choose, along with excellent sides such as Flan and drinks such as Chai with tapioca. This restaurant is bringing a taste of southeast Asia that is entirely different from the flavors of China we know and love.

When you walk in to Phở Golden, the first thing that strikes you is the tasteful and artistic decorations. The owners successfully gave the dining room a contemporary feel while keeping it laid-back and comfortable. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm, and gives you the sense that you could have a deep conversation with a friend and no one would be the wiser.

Phở Golden gives you the impression that you just stepped into another world, but it’s never overbearing. The flavors are not American, but at the same time you feel like you could just as easily be sitting in your own home sipping a hot bowl of phở as enjoying a good meal in a restaurant. It’s hard to explain the feeling you get from enjoying this excellent fare, aside from saying it will take you to your happy place. To put it another way, this is comfort food. Phở Golden does all this without breaking the bank, too. The average meal will set you back a modest $12, depending on your choice of meat.

If you are in the mood to experience the flavors of what our parents would have called ‘The Orient,’ then stop on over to Phở Golden.