Food
OC NewsLocal News BlogAsk a MexicanMoxley ConfidentialArchives SearchWeekly NewsletterGet MobileHey, You!
OC RestaurantsFood BlogFind a RestaurantReviewsMenusDealsHappy HoursDining NewsletterGet MobileRestaurant Ads
Pho Thanh Lich: The Undisputed Best Pho in OC
[Hole In the Wall] Bow before your pho king-god and try the winner of our recent Final Pho tournament
After about a collective 30 or so bowls of pho consumed over three weeks in our Final Pho tournament, us wackos over at our Stick a Fork In It food blog have finally determined the best pho in Orange County: the place we picked as OC's best pho last year, Pho Thanh Lich. I don't want to say it was a blowout—there were some epic battles in Thanh Lich's journey toward its ultimately easy win in the Final Pho championship (go online for the details!)—but no Vietnamese restaurant can match its version right now, in cost, taste, broth, beef, specials. Everything.
Location Info
Map
Pho Thanh Lich
14500 Brookhurst St.
Westminster, CA 92683
Category: Restaurant > Vietnamese
Region: Westminster
|
0 user reviews
|
Write A Review |
| Save to foursquare |
|
Related Content
More About
Let's start with the soup's essential scaffold, the broth. Thanh Lich's version is brown with the drippings of beef, fragrant with star anise, teasing with cinnamon. The cuts—whether smoky brisket, fatty tendon or luscious tripe—taste as if they were just shaved off a steer. As these bits cook in the boiling soup, the flavor becomes even more concentrated—and that's before the inclusion of lime, jalapeños, Thai basil, sharp ngo gai, and all the other herbs that ratchet the broth from extraordinary to transcendent.
And that beef! Each brisket slice has a length of fat as thick and pale as the whitewalls on a Corvette; each tendon begs a slurp, each tripe slice an extra chew. Even their chicken pho, thrown on the menu as an afterthought, can give that genre's local kings, Pho Dakao and Pho Quang Trung, a great matchup.
But Thanh Lich's sixth man is actually its true star: duck soup, a huge drumstick in the center topped by bamboo shoots and vermicelli noodles. On the side are roasted duck slices; you're not supposed to throw them in the soup but rather dunk them into a bowl of electric fish sauce. It's a funky, heaping weekend special that only a couple of customers order because the pho is so damn good—and it's not even the best thing about the restaurant!
Even better than the pho, even better than the Christmas wreaths that stay up year-round, the helpful color graphics on the walls advertising specials, the whitewashed bricks that hint at its diner past in Thanh Lich's building and the complimentary cup of che that looks like cream of potato soup but is a spectacular custard-esque dessert, is the happy hour—not for alcohol, but for pho. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day, you can order Orange County's best pho for an outrageous $2.99—same stunning broth, same toothsome cuts. People: Bow before your pho king-god, and don't forget the napkins.
This column appeared in print as "What a Phonament!"
11 comments
I had my pho at this restaurant this afternoon, I was quite disappointed, portion was small, taste was lacking. I strongly disagree Mr. Arellano overpraise as " Bow before your pho king-god ".Mr. Arellano, you must be kidding.
Sherman Kuo
I ate pho at this restaurant last weekend, and I was sick all night afterwards. Draw your own conclusions.
(??? http://asicsstores.com???)**********************************************************************************Wholesale all kinds of world brand shoes,jeans,t-shirts,bikini,beach *****************************************************************************pants,handbags,wallets,sunglasses,belt,caps,watches etc*******************************************************************
Finally (48 hours) time limit to buy.
LV Muffler $ 5.99LV Bags $ 19.9 LV Wallet $ 6.55Armani Glasses $ 5.99LV Belt $ 6.9
Buy addresses---- tntn.usTips (48 hours after the special product is invalid)
Undisputed? Ubergeek's review on clownhound a couple of months ago disputed heavily. But what difference does it make? As your readers know, the best Vietnamese food in the U.S. is on the Gulf Coast and in the Washington, DC, area.
Pho thanh lich is not the best in the OC, but the OC certainly has the best Vietnamese food in the country. No contest. And yes, it destroys Nothern Virginia.
“ ======== http://www.findsoso.com/ ========
==== http://www.findsoso.com =====
Here, there's good news to tell you: The company recently
launched a number of new fashion items! ! Fashionable
and welcome everyone to come buy. If necessary, please
plut: ====== http://www.findsoso.com========== We need your support and trust!
hello everyone,im wholesale supplier online==
our website:=====（ http://www.tntn.us）=====free shippingaccept paypal credit cardlower price fast shippment with higher qualityBEST QUALITY GUARANTEE!!SAFTY & HONESTY GUARANTEE!!FAST & PROMPT DELIVERY GUARANTEE!!Air jordan(1-24)shoes $30=====Nike shox(R4,NZ,OZ,TL1,TL2,TL3) $35===Hndbags(Coach lv fendi d&g) $35===Tshirts (Polo ,ed hardy,lacoste) $16=====Jean(True Religion,ed hardy,coogi) $30=====Sunglasses(Oakey,coach,gucci,Armaini) $15===New era cap $10===Sunglass $ 15COACH_Necklace $ 27handbag $ 33AF tank woman $ 17puma slipper woman $ 30Bikini (Ed hardy,polo) $25---FREE SHIPPING,accept paypal-very good shopping -----our website:======（ http://www.tntn.us）===Believe you will love it.
★★_★★_★★___★★_★★___★★_________★★★★_★★___★★_______★★___★★★★_★★__★★_______★___★★___★★__★★__★______★__★★__★★★_★★___★★__★____★__★★_____★★__★____★★_★★__★★_★★________★★____★★___★★__★★___★___________★__★_____________★_★____0_____0____★_★_______@_______★_★_______________★___★_____v_____★_____★★_____★★__ 22:27:35★★_★★_★★___★★_★★___★★_________★★★★_★★___★★_______★★___★★★★_★★__★★_______★___★★___★★__★★__★______★__★★__★★★_★★___★★__★____★__★★_____★★__★____★★_★★__★★_★★________★★____★★___★★__★★___★___________★__★_____________★_★____0_____0____★_★_______@_______★_★___
Browse Voice Nation
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
Join
Log In
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
