[Paris] Le Kok

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Le Kok

Add: 129 bis ave Choisy, 75013 Paris
Tel: 01 45 84 10 48
Hours: 9am~12am (closed on Tue)
Price: €7.10~7.80/bowl of pho
Tasted on: Mar 2013

A few weeks ago…

Friend: “I’m visiting Paris for a few days!”
Me: ” Cool, what do you plan on doing here?”
Friend: “Eat pho!”
Me: “…???”

Now that’s an answer I did not expect, especially from a friend visiting from Asia. And his pho destination in Paris? Not Pho 14, which is probably the most famous pho joint in Paris, but its next door neighbor Le Kok.

A real attraction at Le Kok, other than the delicious pho (more on this later), is the free “bones” you can get instantly upon being seated. And by “bones”, I mean the meat-laden bones that are cooked for hours to make the pho broth, so you can imagine how tender they must be by the time they are served to your table. Usually the waitress will ask if you want these, but if not, don’t be shy to request.

And don’t forget to dip the meat in this addicting brown sauce.

As for the pho, first timers can order the soupe tonkinoise speciale 特別牛肉粉, which comes in grande (€7.80) and petite (€7.30) sizes. It’s served with a little bit of everything: half-cooked beef briskets, beef meat balls, beef tendons, and beef tripes. The broth is clear but rich in flavor, the brisket exceedingly tender, and the rice noodles are perfectly textured. Squeeze in a little bit of lemon juice and add the chili if you so desire.

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[Shanghai] Pho Real

Pho Real

Add: 166 Fumin Lu, near Changle Lu 富民路166号, 近长乐路
Tel: 5403 8110
Hours: 10- 2am (kitchen closes at 10pm)
Price: 30~36 RMB/appetizer, 42~68 RMB/pho or cold vermicelli
Visited: Jan 2011

You can’t miss Pho Real when you walk down Fumin Lu. This small Vietnamese eatery shines bright in the dark night,  its catchy name and hip decor – all those wicker baskets filling the ceiling – easily attract passerby. On a cold and extremely windy Thursday evening, I decided to give the food a try. Unfortunately, I did not make a reservation and even though there were empty seats inside the restaurant, the waitstaff insisted that I must wait OUTDOOR until my fellow diner arrives, even after I assured them that he’ll be here in 5 minutes. The manager/owner was there too, and did not try to remedy the situation. Not a good start.

When I was eventually granted a seat, I decided to brush aside the ridiculous service for now and focus on the food. Our appetizer, summer rolls with roasted duck and foie gras (42 RMB), wasn’t too bad. It was mostly lettuce, and the slivers of duck meat and foie gras almost got lost between the greens, but the whole thing was still quite enjoyable after being dipped in the accompanying fish sauce.

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