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.
