Phobar – A Restaurant Review

Chinatown, in New York City, is an Asian experience. I love going there to enjoy the marvelous culture available to me, when I’m in various cities. The sights the sounds, the food, herbs, fabrics, plants, are a delightful change from the everyday life I normally experience with the generic American franchizes, etc.

Recently, my friend, Leeann Lavin, (Garden Glamour, a garden design expert and culinary author of multiple cuisine books), invited me to join her to review a new restaurant on Mott St. in Chinatown.

I was intrigued and delighted to join her on this culinary adventure. We took an easy subway ride there and it wasn’t a very long walk to find the beautifully decorated restaurant.

The word PHo is a Vietnamese meal, which means “noodle soup”. There are many variations of phở. But the Phobar specializes in this noodle dish and include with it their traditional spices and their pride and joy, their bone broth. (Bone broth is all the rage now with the health-conscious Paleo Diet followers.)

Leeann and I started with refreshing beverages of mint tea, fresh coconut water (served in the baby coconut), and a mango soda, which were all delightful. Then we splurged on some Asian beers, which I had never experienced. I found them really good and smooth. (I’m from Texas, and beers are a common refreshment there.)

With the fried spring rolls and the fresh vegetable spring rolls, we reveled in their unique sauces. She had the fish and meat versions of food, while I tried the vegetarian and vegan dishes.

The Sauteed Brussels sprouts were unanimously celebrated as one of the best brussel sprout dishes we had ever tasted.

As she tried the bone broth noodles, which was served in the most gorgeous of presentations I’ve ever witnessed, she was instructed how to stir and combine the various parts to her meal, which made this meal, quite an experience.

My vegetarian soup was scrumptious and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. The meal was satisfying, fun, and healthy.

I did ask about MSG and if they used it in their food. (MSG is a common ingredient added to many Asian foods, restaurants foods, processed foods, and fast food restaurants foods.) They did say, they had some sauces that had it in them. They told me to always tell them that, “I’m extremely allergic to MSG, (monosodium glutamate) and ask the wait staff, to make sure my food is free of MSG, and clean for me to enjoy. I always avoid ingesting MSG and it was a good to know I can eat at this establishment and be able to eat MSG free.

There are two Phobar locations, one in the https://phobar.com/west village and one in Chinatown. They said the Chinatown restaurant had more foods on the menu. The place was really an experience and I highly recommend you pa this restaurant if you are in NYC.

By Nancy Addison CHC, AADPNancy Addison is a certified health counselor, nutritionist, chef, as well as a certified practitioner of Psychosomatic Therapy. She teaches people about living a healthier, happier life through nutrition and lifestyle. She has appeared on NBC, Fox, CBS, and in documentaries (one example- “Eating You Alive”). 

You can reach her on her website, Organic Healthy Life, or find more easy, healthy recipes in Nancy’s award-winning books, which are half cookbook. Here is her author page on Amazon. Author.to/nancyaddison

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