Pho Saigon

Dear Food Diary,

Today I went to my favorite Asian restaurant in the Fredericksburg area, Pho Siagon.  No matter how many times I go there it never dissapoints.  If you've never tried Vietnamese food, you're in for a treat when you visit Pho Siagon, located on Courthouse Rd by the Salem Church Library.  The people there are so welcoming and friendly.  I took my brother today for the first time, he said he felt like he was visiting family.  The atmosphere was just that inviting.  All the food is heavenly at Pho Saigon, from the delicious fried won ton to the amazingly inexpensive braised quail they serve as an appetizer.  However, if you go there, and you must go there, you have to try the pho.  Pho is a rice noodle soup and you have a choice between any number of a variety of ingredients with which to fill it.  Personally I prefer to the steak (pho tai) over, lets say the tripe (pho sach).  For those of you that don't know, tripe is stomach.  Yes, if you want authenticity, this restaurant is the real deal.  And there is adventurous eating to be had.  When you get your bowl of pho there's a couple of things you should know.  The first question is "What size should I get?"  The answer is this: If you want to feed yourself get the large, the smallest size they have.  If you want to feed your family, get the saigon.  If you want to feed all of Fredericksburg get the super saigon.  The portions are generous but the soup is so delightful you'll be glad if you have some to take home.  The second question was posed to my by my brother "What do I do with all this extra stuff they gave me?"  My answer was, whatever you want.  Served with your soup will be a plate of ingredients you can use to add flavor to your soup.  This plate will contain sprigs of Thai basil, jalapenos, lime, bean sprouts, and fish sauce among other things.  (Don't let your brothers talk you into eating the whole pile of jalapenos.  I speak from experience.)  These are all condiments for you to use as they suit you.  Taste them, if you like it, add it to the broth.  If you don't, then don't.  If you like it a lot, add more.  It's pretty simple, and very yummy.

Thanks for reading my food blog.  I'm the girl who ate fredericksburg, hoping to bump in to you at Pho Saigon.  Who knows?  I might be there again tomorrow.  Don't judge me.