unPHOgettable

Pho.

A hot, steaming bowl warms the soul. It's the perfect dish for a rainy day such as yesterday.

When I get the craving, I typically head to my go-to favorite: Pho Thanh Long Restaurant in Santa Clara.

When I'm in downtown San Jose, I frequent Dalat. It serves a variety of Vietnamese delicacies, but I go for the pho.

But where does one go in South San Jose?

The hunt was on.

Via Yelp, my husband found a pho restaurant on Capitol Expressway. It had solid reviews, so we decided to give it a go.

We arrived to find a large, square dining room. Nearly every table was taken with a mix of professionals and everyday locals. I took this as a good sign.

We were immediately seated and it wasn't long before we had made our selections off the menu. Chicken pho for me. A combination beef pho for my husband.

Then we waited. And waited.

For context, it was 1 p.m. We were hungry, especially after inhaling the collective, seductive aroma of steaming bowls of pho.

Ten minutes elapsed (the equivalent of a decade in most Vietnamese restaurants). Five guests who arrived after us were served before us.

So my husband decided that we needed to get up and leave. I disagreed. I was sure someone would come to take our order soon. The pho sure smelled good and I'm sure it tasted just as great.

But minutes later when our situation didn't improve, we left the restaurant (which will remain nameless Pho Y #1).

Luckily, I had spotted another pho restaurant right across Capitol Expressway. Beef Noodle No 1.

There, we were seated right away. So far, so good.

In less than a minute, a server came to our table to take our order. We hadn't even put down our menus! Chicken pho for me. The special for my husband.

In a few minutes, we were enjoying our steaming bowls of pho. Rice noodles, generous slices of skinless chicken, basil, been sprouts and pepper in a savory broth (pictured). It hit the spot. Especially the broth. I could drink that stuff every day.

Total tab: $13 for two people. Not bad for a tasty, filling lunch and excellent service.

Sudden Cravings Returns

Took a brief hiatus.

There was good reason.

I packed a bag or two and hit the road for a few months. Flew to Hawaii, Greece and back to Hawaii again.

With every trip home to Hawaii, I found a new favorite place to dine. Like Therapy. The sports bar, not the counseling sessions.

I also revisited some old favorites. Like Leonard's Bakery.

But Greece is where I left my heart. I did not know good Greek food until I visited Greece - traveling from urban Athens to romantic Santorini. My two-week culinary immersion deserves its own series of dedicated posts. There are a plethora of pictures and tales that I cannot wait to share.

But first, given that it is a new year, I'd be remiss if I didn't share some family traditions. For us, it's about the soup. Two, in particular. Ozoni and pig feet soup.

We believe that a bowl of ozoni soup, made with mochi and vegetables and prepared as the first meal of the first day of the new year, brings good luck. Time will tell if this is true. So far, so good.

Pig feet soup is an Okinawan tradition. When homemade, it's healthy and tasty. I'm talking slices of shiitake mushrooms, knots of konbu, pieces of daikon radish and fall-off-the-bone pork. My folks say it'll bring me good health. Can't be mad about that.

So by consuming both on January 1, I hope that I'm covered for the year. Bring on 2010!