Pho Hollywood Cahuenga
If you’re looking to try some authentic pho in Los Angeles, then look no further than Pho Hollywood! This restaurant has all of the classic components of pho including fresh beef broth, rice noodles, herbs and spices, and is made to order.
Pho is a Vietnamese soup that originated in Vietnam over 1000 years ago! It was later adapted by Chinese chefs and now we have it here in America as pho bros! At Pho Hollywood, they take their time making sure everything is just right so you get the best experience possible.
Authentic pho can be hard to find outside of Asia, but this version does not taste like fake “pho-style” soups people make at home with bouillon cubes and packets of chicken or meat stock.
At Pho Hollywood, they use natural ingredients suchas vegetablesand seasonings liketo give your body the most effective flavor and health benefits.
Popular pho dishes
One of my favorite things to order in pho is the veggie spring rolls. They are vegetarian, but they look very authentic.
I’ve also had some great salads with vegetables like broccoli or spinach mixed into rice or noodles and chicken broth as an option. These are both good alternatives if you are looking for more nutritious foods than just meat and potatoes!
Another popular dish in pho restaurants is the Vietnamese noodle soup called bún. It can either be white (mixed rice) or yellow (mixed rice and pasta). Either one is fine, but it really depends on what your preference is.
Something I will never order is beef phở.
The restaurant
If you’re looking to try some authentic pho (or want to know more about it), then look no further than Pho Hollywood!
Pho is probably one of the most well-known dishes in America, but not everyone knows how to make it or even what pho actually is!
Most people associate pho with chicken noodle soup, but that's only part of what pho is!
Pho is Vietnamese cuisine made from meat or vegetable broth, rice noodles, and typically fresh herbs and spices.
The term "phở" means “Vietnamese food," so anything that doesn't include these ingredients isn't really pho!
At Pho Hollywood, they take their pho very seriously and do things like add basil oil and sriracha mayonnaise to taste! They also use quality meats such as flank steak, pork belly, and bone marrow for extra flavor.
The atmosphere
There’s nothing quite like having a good pho in an authentic setting where people are eating out and talking about food, culture, and life.
Atmosphere is everything when it comes to great pho. A well-rounded broth that contains rice noodles, meat, mushrooms, and herbs will always be better than one with only miscellaneous seasonings, but not necessarily of higher quality.
Having fresh greens such as basil or mint can give your pho some flavor and nutritional value. If you don’t like either one, then don’t worry about it! Most places will let you order just white tea if you want that instead.
Pho is also supposed to have little toppings such as bean sprouts, roasted peanuts, and fried shallots. Some restaurants may even ask you what kind of sauce you wanted with yours (most likely nuoc mam)!
All these things add to the overall experience of pho and help make it more interesting for someone who doesn’t eat pork. It also helps create that community feeling which is so important when eating out.
Drink specials
With their famous Vietnamese soup, pho is known for having fresh herbs and spices that vary from restaurant to restaurant. Most have basil, mint, coriander, cilantro, rice noodles, chicken or beef broth, and meat (usually sliced thin strips of raw hamburger or grilled steak).
Some add pickled vegetables like carrots or radishes, and some mix in sriracha sauce which is a hot pepper condiment. Some restaurants even offer wasabi, an edible plant root that tastes similar to horseradish!
Since most people order both the broth and the meat, many pho places also offer discounts or free drinks while serving either one. This is very common at lunch time when most people are hungry!”
Topic and sentence structure: How to make pho at home
Understand what kind of roll-ups you need to make pho sandwiches easy. Then, learn how to cook the toppings and prepare the broths to match your favorite place.
More than anything, know that pho is a delicious dish that does not require too much effort to make.
What to order
One of our favorite pho destinations is definitely Pho Hollywood! They are known for having some of the best Vietnamese soup in Los Angeles! If you’re new to this cuisine, then they probably already have something similar that you enjoy, so we will discuss what makes their broth unique and why it is worth trying them out.
Their classic veggie pho has fresh basil, carrots, cucumbers, green onions, and cilantro. We recommend starting with one bowl since most people is not hungry enough to eat all four toppings and a whole serving of pho can easily weigh over $7-8 alone depending on how much bread you add onto it!
They also offer chicken or beef noodle boba which are mixed fruit balls made off rice flour and sweetened using coconut sugar. These are great ways to start exploring different types of boba!
Something important to know about boba is that there are no rules when it comes to the amount you put into each ball. Some places may ask you to start with a small size and work your way up while others may just tell you “just pour as much as you want”! Either way, do not feel obligated to use a ton because these things cost money and someone else prepared them for you.
Also, boba can sometimes have extra ingredients such as tapioca starch powder, cinnamon, chocolate chips, etc.
Tips for eating pho
One of our favorite dishes at Pho Hollywood is their Crispy Chicken with Lemongrass, Basil, and Ginger. While most people order this dish when they go to Pho Hollywood, you can actually make it anywhere there are rice noodles and chicken!
The hardest part about making this recipe is finding crispy fried chicken pieces. Most grocery stores have some kind of cooked chicken that is already sliced into strips or small nuggets, but it’s not necessarily breaded and seasoned properly.
Too often these chicken strips are just dried out and flavorless. Luckily, sites like The Foodie Pencil got creative and made our own crispy chicken bits in the form of chicken thighs.
Popular pho combinations
While most people know what pho is, few are familiar with some of the popular ways to make it. Some like to add fresh herbs such as mint or basil, others use rice noodles instead of cellophane noodles, and many include spicy toppings such as dried chili peppers or sriracha!
A lot of restaurants have their own special way they make pho, so if you’re ever struggling to find an ideal recipe, ask them how theirs is made!
We do not recommend using cream in the broth as this may contain raw egg which could be harmful for those who are pregnant or have a known food allergy. Using chicken stock instead will give your pho just as good of taste without the added fat.
Photo opportunity
On Sunday, September 9th, I was in downtown Los Angeles for an event at The Theater at the Ace Hotel. It was my birthday so of course I wanted to do something special!
I always like to try new pho restaurants when I travel so during the event I got some Vietnamese food and then walked around the area to take some pictures. Since it was close to sunset, I decided to head down to the beach.
We crossed over the highway onto Sunset Boulevard where there is a famous street vendor that sells delicious Asian snacks and drinks. A few things I noticed about him while he was working were how organized his tables are and how many people flock to his booth to grab what he has.
He also had very catchy signage which helped draw customers into his shop. He painted his cart bright colors and used fun decorations to gain attention. All of this coordinated well with the surroundings and made for great photo opportunities.
After taking some photos outside his store, I asked if he would be willing to make me some Vietnamese noodle soup and dessert since it was my birthday.