The day I walked around the International District I probably passed by this place a few times without even realizing it. Judging from the outside, it is not a place I would typically stop to grab lunch at, but the significant other was hungry when we finished our self-guided tour and I told him to follow his nose. The nearby pizza place with Asian inspired toppings smelled good right as I said this, but ultimately his sense of smell led us to the nondescript, no frills, almost scary looking Pho Bac.Upon walking in the door I began to replay a conversation with a friend of mine about the authenticity of Vietnamese food in the International District of Seattle. Her advice at the time was to make sure you go with someone who can read the menu because you never know what might show up in your pho if you don't (her husband is Vietnamese so she has an instant safety net when dining out in that neighborhood). My liking of pho is a fairly recent discovery so I was a bit apprehensive as my palate is not as adventurous as my partner's. I thought for sure I was in trouble when I asked a question about which dish I should order to the proprietor and I was not sure what he responded with let alone what I had just ordered. Luckily, my ignorance was indeed bliss as a steaming plate of stir-fried noodles and beef was placed in front of me and I proceeded to enjoy a truly fantastic meal. The bite/slurp I had of pho was great as well, but my dish was a plate of siracha infused endorphins disguised as noodles.
Takeaway lesson: don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a restaurant by its humble presentation. Pho Bac in Seattle's International District is definitely a place I want to eat at again.
After writing this, I had an unquenchable urge to eat here again so we did tonight. The Vietnamese equivalent was playing in the background, the owner treated all of us there like she was our adopted Vietnamese mom making sure that everyone ate up, and you could overhear the vegetables being chopped as the orders came through. Super fresh! Tried the tofu pho and had low expectations since tofu has a tendency to get slimy in soup, but whatever type they use it is firm enough to not turn to soggy cubes in the bowl and I thoroughly enjoyed. They only take cash so hit up the ATM on the way in and reserve plenty of time for slurping the pho out of your soup since the lady taking your order is also back in the kitchen helping prepare your food.
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