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Bun with Beef Tenderloin from Pho Dakao on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Vietnamese food contains a startling amount of vegetables. At least to one who never willingly finished her vegetables and grew up on the All-American diet of pizza, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks. As a member of Worcester Foodies, I have the opportunity to try a wide variety of cuisine at excellent local restaurants, and I am grabbing this opportunity with both hands! At Pho Dakao, the dish to order is obviously the Pho. Of course I must go against the grain, so I ordered something I had never seen before. The dish is called Bun with beef tenderloin. I was presented with a large bowl full of ingredients separated from each other that I could mix together to create a perfect balance according to my taste. The ingredients included vermicelli, bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, mint leaves, and basil. Sitting atop this were delicious pieces of beef tenderloin sprinkled with roasted peanuts. The beef was tender and delicious, and it was tough to not eat it all first! There was a side of their house sauce, which I highly recommend! It was pink, and I am unsure what is in it, but it went great with the spring rolls (they are phenomenal and not too big) so I poured it all over. Being able to mix the ingredients for each bite kept each element fresh and the flavors strong-the vegetables did not get soggy and I could choose the amount of herbs I wanted with each bite. Being able to mix and match with the ingredients was great for me as I had some control and was not overwhelmed by the sweet flavors of Vietnamese cuisine. My first time with Pho Dakao was positive-fresh ingredients, well-cooked, great presentation, and good sized portions. Although Pho is their signature dish, it’s good to know that if you are not in the mood for soup, the other dishes are excellent as well!

Tai Nam Gan Sach from Pho Dakao on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

99% of restaurants have “safe” options in their menu, food everyone will recognize that is prepared and served in a familiar way. This being my first time experiencing Vietnamese food, I wanted nothing to do with safe. What can I say, I must be an adrenaline junkie.

Having skipped lunch, I jumped at the chance to order an appetizer and was intrigued when I saw the Vietnamese Crepe. In all my crepe experience (which is extensive and gluttonous) I had never run across this variety. Described as “a mixture of shrimp, pork, and bean sprout folded into a rice powder pancake,” I had no way of knowing if this dish was authentically Vietnamese and still have my doubts. It was slightly underwhelming in taste and overwhelming in portion. Though not unpleasant, it simply lacked flavor and was easily large enough to be a main course. It would also have benefited from more pork and shrimp, but is a fantastic choice if you have a unique and passionate love of bean sprouts and are looking for a socially acceptable way to order a garden’s worth.

I went with the recommendation of a fellow foodie who is well versed in Vietnamese cuisine (read: if a pretty girl recommends it, I will eat it) and ordered Pho for my main course. Sticking to my “nothing safe” plan, I ordered the Tai Nam Gan Sach: Rare Steak, Well-Done Flank, Tendon and Tripe. It was wonderful. The sweetness of the broth combined perfectly with the saltiness of the different meats, and though I’m not usually a fan of onions they accented the dish beautifully. After further recommendations I began adding several of the table sauces to the dish without knowing what they were (call me Evel Knievel) and firmly cemented my very positive opinion of Vietnamese food.

While I may try a different appetizer next time, there will most assuredly be a next time for Pho Dakao and its relaxed, unassumingly kitschy atmosphere.