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Sizzling Mongolian Beef from Pho Dakao on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Pho Dakao has been a long time favorite for Vietnamese food in the Worcester area. A long time favorite of mine, Pho has always provided interesting extensive menu of comfort food and unique dishes. As I sat down for dinner and looked over the menu I decided that I was having one of those nights where I wanted old standby’s. After reviewing the menu I decided to start with wonton soup and the summer rolls.
Wonton soup seems to be a very basic item that surprisingly few places do well. Usually it tends to be a simple broth, wontons and some other garnish. Yet Pho Dakao makes a wonton soup that is crisp, complex and uses only top quality ingredients and prepares it so it tastes fresh every time. The summer rolls are a combination of a soft rice type wrapper fresh lettuce, thinley sliced pork, shrimp and are a delightful alternative to fried spring rolls. They are complimented perfectly with the peanut sauce that accompanies them or on occasion I have been known to stray and also use the fish sauce or hoisin sauce.

For my main course I opted for the Sizzling Mongolian Beef. The Mongolian beef dish is prepared with scallions, onions, ginger, green peppers and savory brown sauce and comes out on a sizzling plate. The preparation and quality of what goes into the food at Pho is what makes it one of my favorite local restaurants. The dish while minimal in ingredients is masterfully prepared and works seamlessly to meld the flavors and ingredients into a wonderfully sensory experience.

Overall, Pho Dakao can best be described as a trusted favorite that seems to consistently serve crisp, fresh, complex flavorful meals time after time. In my dining experiences one of the hardest things to find is a restaurant that consistently produces top quality food. I have never been to Pho and had a bad experience with the food, quality or service.

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.