907 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 627-8883
We were in Philadelphia one fine Sunday morning for the Philadelphia Flower Show. Philly is a manageable hour-and-a-half ride from our New Jersey burb, but it is a world away. . . it's got its own hometown vibe and flavor, with lots of soul.
Of course, Philadelphia is one of the major historical cities of the country (Liberty Bell, Constitutional Law Center, Ben Franklin's stompin' grounds) and there is plenty of that to see. There are plenty of different neighborhoods, each with their own personality.
Philadelphia is known as the city of murals. Here's one I took a shot of while we were sitting in traffic.
The Phila Flower Show is held at the Philadelphia Convention Center, right smack downtown. Chinatown is super close by, and there are many places for noshin.' We like going to Xe Lua for their cheap and tasty pho.
Goi cuon (shrimp rolls) with peanut sauce. Always a great refreshing starter.
Hu Tieu Do Bien (serafood noodle soup). This was a large bowl with a very hefty serving of assorted seafood, much more than you'd expect from most pho places. The broth was light yet flavorful.
Pho Xe Lua Dac Biet (special Xe Lua beef rice noodle soup). DJKung loves the pho broth here because of their well-balanced seasoning. Also, it's not as greasy as in other places.
Muc Rang Muoi (salt baked squid). I could have sworn that this was fried, not baked. Anyway, the squid was superfresh and perfectly fried and crispy.
Of course, DJKung had to have his Cafe Sua (French coffee with condensed milk). It's strong espresso-like coffee which the french press drips down into a cup with sweet and creamy condensed milk. So it's like the concentrated coffee and concentrated milk, together.
There are a lot more items in the menu, but we never seem to stray from the basics: pho, fried squid and some spring rolls. They're just dang good!
