Viet Yum

There is a debate among foodistas over the authenticity of Portland's pho, the long-simmered, delicate yet intensely flavored soup of Vietnam. Usually served with vermicelli, rice or egg noodles in a large bowl, it can contain any combination of meat parts (flank, brisket, chicken, tripe, pork blood, you name it) and comes with a platter of seasonings meant to be incorporated in the soup.

Salad rolls (Goi Cuon).

But the key to great pho is the broth, and many a Vietnamese cook has staked his or her reputation on the quality and nuance of their particular version. Not being an aficionado of the preparation, all I know is that nothing tastes better when you've got a cold or just need warming up or, indeed, if you simply want an inexpensive solution for lunch or dinner. The combination of cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander pods, fennel seeds, star anise and cardamom wafts up from the bowl, and suddenly the universe feels like a calmer, more sensible place.

Noodles with vegetables and meat skewers (Bun Tom Thit Nurong).

Our favorite used to be a place on Fremont, but, as often happens, when it changed hands the quality wasn't the same. Fortunately we were introduced to Pho Oregon on NE 82nd and it has become our default when we need a pho fix. I've also grown fond of some of their non-pho offerings, particularly the Bun Tom Thit Nurong or vermicelli noodles with char-grilled skewers of shrimp, pork and vegetable, a hearty combination of vegetables and meats that, when the little bowl of dressing is poured over it, becomes like a warm Asian pasta salad.

Curried Coconut Noodle Soup with Chicken (Bun Ga Ca Ri).

Something I'm going to order soon is the bowl of curried coconut milk soup with chicken called Bun Ga Ca Ri. I had a taste of it recently and the slightly sweet, milky broth that infused the vegetables and meat was heavenly. And if you can get your table-mates to share some of the saw-leaf herb called ngo gai that comes with their pho, you'll feel like singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

Details: Pho Oregon, 2518 NE 82nd Ave. Phone 503-262-8816.

Noodle-Lovers' Nirvana

It seems so natural. Our favorite people introduce us to our favorite places.

Like several years ago when our friend Joel Weinstein heard we'd never had the Vietnamese soup called phở. Instead of shaking his head in disbelief or scoffing at our ignorance, he immediately took it upon himself to shepherd us through the jungle of beef tendon and bible tripe on the menu and watched as our eyes widened at our first slurp of its deeply simmered perfection.

Ever since, when I've heard whispers of amazing noodles at little joints secreted away in some pocket of the city, I put on my best Indiana Jones and go searching for the holy grail of the perfect bowl of phở. So when an adventurous friend who loves good Vietnamese soup as much as I do wanted to meet for lunch, I suggested Ha & VL, a spot I'd read about on my brother's blog and that was touted by the Oregonian's Karen Brooks last September as "the find of the summer."

Located in the courtyard parking lot of Wing Ming Plaza, which has to be the best name for an Asian strip mall on the planet, on SE 82nd Ave., this tiny jewel reflects the cheery brightness of Ha Luu (top photo), the smiling face behind the counter and the genius behind the stunning concoctions on the menu.

There is also a broad selection of banh mi on the menu, the tasty Vietnamese sandwiches of stuffed, airy French baguettes, but the cognoscenti who frequent this spot are drawn by Ha's soups. At $7 a bowl, these are priced a little higher than at other phở outlets, but only one is on offer each day, with two on Sunday, reflecting her insistence that each one must be served as fresh as possible and never held over till the next day. The schedule is:

• Monday: Shrimpcake Noodle Soup
• Tuesday: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup
• Wednesday: Pepper Pork Ball Noodle Soup
• Thursday: Crabflake Noodle Soup
• Friday: Pnompenh Noodle Soup
• Saturday: Spicy Beef and Peppery Porkball Noodle Soup
• Sunday: Chicken Noodle Soup; Shredded Noodle Soup

You can take my word for it, this bright spot is not to be missed. And it might just become one of your favorite places. I know Joel would have loved it.

Details: Ha & VL, 2738 SE 82nd Ave., #103. Phone 503-772-0103.

Portland's Pho Palace

Within a couple of days after we met our new neighbors, they brought over bags of Vietnamese sandwiches, called Banh Mi, savory pastries (petit chaud) and a few Banh Bao or steamed buns. We, of course, were happy to provide beverages, so we sat in the back yard and talked food, drank beer, and made plans to go to their favorite Vietnamese spots, Pho Oregon, on NE 82nd across from Madison High School, and Portland's best kept banh mi hideout, Lanvin, cleverly hidden on the back side of the building.

As is usual with the best-laid plans, it took awhile for us to actually get there. When he was growing up, C's family had driven in from Camas every Sunday after church to have their lunch at Pho Oregon along with the Vietnamese families who'd flock there for sustenance after the long church service. They'd order their beef noodle soup with the meat on the side, then add it to the boiling hot broth to cook. A sprinkle of lime juice, some ngo gai (eryngium foetidum or saw-leaf herb), maybe some hot chili sauce or plum sauce, and you were good to go.

From our experience, the pho is some of the best we've had in Portland. The deep, flavorful broth takes all day to make and can include star anise, cinnamon, charred ginger and cloves and is right up there with Airborne as our favorite cure for a cold. Pho Oregon also has lots of other dishes that we're anxious to try, including grilled chicken on noodles (left). There are also several sides you can add to flavor your broth or noodles, including green onions in what tastes like chicken fat infused with star anise, and sweet onions marinated in a very light rice vinegar (right).

At $4.50 for a huge (serving size) bowl of soup with noodles, we say you can't possibly go wrong. Add egg rolls or salad rolls and a Vietnamese-style iced coffee and you're still well under $10 per person, and you'll come out a happy, very well-fed camper.

Details: Pho Oregon, 2518 NE Sandy Blvd. Phone 503-262-8816.