So, after a particularly hellaciously busy week at work, it was with great delight that we revived a little work tradition today and initiated the newly minted Pho Phriday get together.
A little back story:Drew, who was my office mate for many months in my first year at the company, had lived in Seattle and been introduced to the fantastical flavors of Vietnamese Pho (pronounced "fuh" as in "duh with an f" for you super-linguists (okay, for the super linguists we have to pull out all the crazy stuff: [fɤ˧˩˧] And to be correct, Pho is also written Phở which is just way more alt characters than I can keep in my head at the moment.
They actually have help seminars on why Phở is called Phở but, basically, no one really knows for sure, and it is just a noodle soup. A lovely, long simmered concoction of flavors that this particular restaurant takes 12 hours to reach, filled with long yummy noodles, your choice of meat (or not), and a giant heaping side plate of Thai basil, sprouts, and limes, among other things.
So, that first winter, Drew is raving about how much he would love a bowl of Phở, and he, Steve, and I took a Friday lunch to hit up a place another 10 minutes or so on the other side of the office.
Both Drew and Steve have left the company over the years but both have recently returned, so I inquired about the possibility of a Phở reunion, especially since I recently spied the opening of a brand new Phở place in Highlands Ranch.
Now that I work from home, getting to our previous Phở place would take me more than half an hour each way, but this one is less than 10 minutes from me and 10 minutes from the office. Perfect!
Provided, of course, that their Phở was up to par. And it most certainly was. We met up ahead of the regular lunch hour, Drew, me, Destiny who just started three weeks ago and is learning the ropes, Steve, his wife and our co-worker Kayla, and their little two year old daughter Callie, who opted instead for just a bowl of noodles with chicken.
1 2 3 Phở : Clever!
This is a SMALL. The large, you can swim in. And that bowl is not shallow. I ordered the #1, which is the steak strips they drop in to cook at the last minute: so tender! Also note this establishment includes giant hunks of jalapeno (seen just under the limes, far right) on the side plate. My kind of people!
Steve and Drew show off the medium size bowls.
It's a combination of spoon and chopstick work.
This is what I looked like at the end of lunch.
We decided Phirst Phở Phriday had a nice ring to it, which would also get us back for more in just two weeks.
And the day is so gorgeous, good lunch with friends just made it spectacular
I still pinch myself, on a daily basis, that I get to live HERE.
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