by Michael Jones. This weekend we went to the soft opening of Dan Cho’s new restaurant, Pho Chi Minh. Both of us are huge fans of Paulie’s pizza, also owned by Dan, so when we heard about this new concept we were extremely excited to try it. We ordered a lot of food during the soft opening: two bowls of Pho, one order of Szechuan fried rice, fried spring rolls, and two Vietnamese iced coffees, one black and one sweet. Last year we traveled throughout Vietnam and one of the things we missed most after we left was the coffee. The coffee in Vietnam is strong, but also extremely smooth and buttery. Dan is sourcing the coffee, and the drip apparatus directly from Vietnam’s largest coffee chain, Trung Nguyen. The coffee reminded me of the wonderful coffee we had in Vietnam and the taste was dark, rich, and buttery. It's a great cup of coffee (3900 won). The Pho was also outstanding and both of us ordered the #1, the Pho Dac Biet (9900 won for the regular size). The broth was very rich and slightly spicy. The chunks of meat were tender and the noodles were the perfect texture. We are not Pho experts, but we went to some great Pho restaurants in Vietnam and Pho Chi Minh did not disappoint us. There are some other Pho places in Seoul that we also really like, but this was one of the few times that we enjoyed all three major ingredients at once: the meat, broth, and the noodles. The Pho was great, but the Szechuan fried rice really blew us away. We love Chinese style fried rice and the Szechuan style was mouthwatering. It was spicy, like all dishes inspired by Szechuan cuisine should be, and it was extremely flavorful and moist from the wok. Our first experience at Pho Chi Minh was great, so we went back with friends on Sunday. I was eager to try another dish that really gets my blood flowing, beef and broccoli. When foreigners think of American food, two meals usually come to mind: pizza and hamburgers. What a lot of people tend to forget is America’s obsession with American Chinese food. I spent a large portion of my childhood dinners sitting in front of Chinese takeout containers. Nine times out of ten, my container was filled with chicken and broccoli or beef and broccoli. Although I really enjoyed the Pho at Pho Chi Minh, I was really excited when Dan told me about their beef and broccoli served with rice. So on our second visit, we both ordered the beef and broccoli and we were blown away by the taste and overwhelmed by nostalgia. The sauce was thick, creamy, and perfect. The chunks of beef were large and tender, but the broccoli was my favorite part. The broccoli was perfectly cooked and added a fantastic crunch to the tender pork. These contrasting textures make the dish special. It reminded me of home, but the quality at Pho Chi Minh is definitely better than the places our families went to. The fried rice that was served with it was also wonderful, but Dan told me that in the future it will probably be served with white rice. Either way, I will be back often to eat this dish and all the other wonderful food at Pho Chi Minh. Directions
Go to Gwanghwamun Station - Line 5 (purple) Take exit 3 and make a u-turn Immediately turn right at the next road and walk straight Walk until you see the Korean archaeological site Then the building will be on your right Walk through the doors and go to the fifth floor. You'll see Pho Chi Minh on the corner on the right. Enjoy
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by Michael Jones I think pizza is the ultimate food. I might be a bit biased, but most people would probably agree with me. I love all the styles: New York, Neapolitan, Chicago, etc. When it comes to pizza, what I care most about are the quality of the ingredients and the passion of the people making the pizza. Having spent my childhood in New York, I was raised on great pizza. I grew up eating delicious pizzas covered in fresh sauce, shredded buffalo mozzarella, and perfectly cooked dough. So when I moved to Seoul last year, the first restaurant I wanted to find was a great pizza place. Fortunately, I found a great place in the Express Bus Terminal called the Slice House. I love the pizza there, so when I found out that the owner was opening another shop near Gyeongbokgung, called Paulie’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, I was excited to try it. I went on the night of their grand opening and I was not disappointed. I went with one of my best friends and my girlfriend. The first thing we ordered was a large cheese pizza, which is 17 inches. We also ordered some beer and I was pleasantly surprised by the options. They have a great selection of craft brews. I went with the Chocolate Hazelnut Porter by Heretic brewing and it was outstanding. My girlfriend got a Weihenstephaner and my friend got a beer by Smuttynose brewery. The drinks were great. One beverage on the drink menu excited me even more than the beer, root beer on tap! I’m a root beer fanatic and since moving to Seoul I’ve only found Dad’s Root Beer and that was only at one restaurant. Unfortunately, they didn’t have it on opening night, but it should be there next month. It’s being shipped from the United States, so the delay is understandable. But enough with the drinks, let’s talk pizza. The pizza was fantastic, just as I expected. The cheese was slightly burnt in places, I could really taste the sauce, and the crust was the perfect balance between hard and soft. Needless to say, we devoured the pizza. So what would any sensible pizza lover do in this situation? We ordered a second pizza. This time we ordered a small, which is 13 inches, godfather pizza. This pizza was covered in meat and a spicy pizza sauce. I usually tend to be a purist when it comes to pizza and stick with minimal toppings, but I’m glad I didn’t. The godfather might be the best pizza I’ve had since moving to Seoul. What really made the pizza, however, was the house-made ranch that they recommended to dip it in. As I said earlier, I’m a minimalist when it comes to my pizza, so I was doubtful about how it would taste, but it was phenomenal. The combination of mozzarella, spicy sauce, the fat from the meat, and fresh ranch dressing was like a punch to the taste buds. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that blown away by a slice of pizza. I could go on and on about how good the pizza is, but you should try it for yourself. I really admire the passion the owner has for the pizza making craft and this passion shines through in the taste of the pizza. If you love pizza, Paulie's Pizzeria deserves a visit.
DIRECTIONS Go to Gwanghwamun Station - Line 5 (purple) Take exit 3 and make a u-turn Immediately turn right at the next road and walk straight Walk until you see the Korean archaeological site Then the building will be on your right Walk through the doors and go to the second floor Enjoy the pizza |
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