Hu'o'ng Vietnamese Restaurant

1270 MORSE ROAD
COLUMBUS, OHIO 43229

Oh Oh Oh! Our pho quest has ended! This is about to become the most boring blog ever, because WE FOUND THE BEST PHO ON THE PLANET! I am so serious. I was talking about coming back before I even finished my first bite. Fortunately, now that I am moving to Jersey/Philly I will have a new adventure of a "Philly Pho Quest", because the search is over for Columbus!

So, for all of my 4 followers, I mean 3 followers out there, I just want you to know that this place is absolutely HEAVENLY! Liss had the beef - WONDERFUL! Ryan and I both had chicken - FABULOUS! And THEN.... We saw something on someones table. And we asked what it was. It's actually called "Bun Heo Hay Bo Nuong Cha Gio", aka, number 15. Get the number 15! It is flipping the yummiest food ever. There is lettuce and cukes and carrots and vietnamese cabbage all looking pretty like a fancy french-fry, with noodles on top, then beef, and some sort of peanuty topping, with crushed egg rolls to finish it off. We shared it of course, and STILL had leftovers. Everything was served in HUGE bowls, with fresh garnishes and excellent service! This was redeeming pho for Ryan by the way. He had some really bad pho the first time he ever tried it, so if this hadn't been spectacular, he probably would have never eaten it again.

Prices were: $6.65 for the chicken (Pho Ga) and 7.65 for the beef (Pho Bo), three completely yummy egg rolls for $2.95, and that completely wonderful concoction called #15 cost $9. It was worth every penny! Houng's is the only place where I will take anyone to try Pho for the first time. I am taking my husband there. I am taking my daughter Jen there. I am taking my adopted daughters Ashley and Amanda there. I am taking my friends Barb and Lori there. Anyone else want to come?

Here's their blogspot: http://huongvr.blogspot.com/

Overall Grade: FIVE STARS, A+, Can't get better than this!

Fortune Cookie: "You are talented with your hands"

Sunflower Chinese Restaurant

January 20, 2010

Sunflower Chinese Restaurant

7370 Sawmill Road

Columbus, Ohio

Really, there is a good reason we ended up at a Chinese restaurant for Vietnamese food. We had an errand to run on that end of town, on Sawmill, so we thought we'd Google "Asian Cuisine" instead of Pho to see what we came up with. After all, Lotus Leaf was not on my pho radar through any traditional pho search. We found Sunflower, which was barely 1/2 mile from our destination, browsed the menu online and found our "noodles, Vietnamese style".

I have to hand it to the Chinese: At least they attempted to make a decent bowl of the stuff. Even though it was sub-par (per Melissa, as in "thanks for the sub-par pho mom"), the pho at Sunflower was STILL better than Mi Li.

This pho was a little weird. For starters, they started with a beef broth base. It was good, but not quite the traditional broth we're used to. They did use rice noodles, but they used the wide ones. There were a few bean sprouts, and both types of onions already in the broth. The biggest problem was the beef. It was thinly sliced and plentiful, but not thinly sliced enough to finish "cooking" as it is supposed to do, therefore, we never were able to eat the beef. The plate of garnishes was almost complete, just lacking the basil. The bowls were HUGE, and cost just $7.99.

We had Chinese egg rolls for an appetizer, but there was an extensive Chinese menu to choose from. OH, and I must mention the smell when you first walk in the door.... There are fish tanks there in the front room. Fish tanks smell fishy. Pee-You! I think it goes without saying: the fish is fresh. The restaurant itself doesn't stink, but it wasn't exactly a good impression.

Overall grade: D

Fortune Cookie: Your spirit of adventure leads you down an exciting new path.