The best Pho'cking soup!

I'm so excited about writing this blog. As you all know I love Asian cuisine, it is my all time favorite and I've loved this specific restaurant for years. With a recent move placing me super close to said restaurant I have now become a junkie, extinguishing my cravings at all hours of the day and literally making my kids sick of spicy noodles and spring rolls. Café Thuy Van is located at 5600 National Turnpike Louisville KY 40214 its pretty easy to miss and even after finding it you do a double check to be sure your in the right location. I know I'm usually pretty excited about food, any food but there is something special about this place. Each dish that I've had has been excellent and the waitresses/waiters and owner are polite and fast.

My favorite dish of all time has to be the Shrimp Pho, super simple yet fresh in ways I cant describe, filling and warming to the whole body and soul. I usually order the spring rolls first which are vermicelli noodles, basil, shrimp and bean sprouts wrapped in sticky rice paper and you dip them in a tangy peanut sauce. Yes I'm writing this from memory, I can taste it right now. The Pho however is a noodle dish served in a huge deep bowl and filled with rice noodles, shrimp, thinly sliced onions, chicken broth or some sort of delicious broth. On the side you also receive a plate of fresh basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, and a lime wedge. I dump all my fresh vegetables into my hot steaming broth immediately and let the heat soften my basil and bean sprouts. OMG the bean sprouts! Its like crunching on the coldest most refreshing water imaginable. I know that sounds weird but that's what I mean they snap in your mouth and are so cleansing on the palate. Sometimes I accidently eat all of them before I get a chance to dump them in the soup and I'm left asking for extras. Once all the flavors marinate and its cool enough to consume, I dig in. Most times I start by adding some hot chili pepper oil always sitting on the table and a little hoisin sauce and using my chopsticks to pull up some noodles from the steamy broth cooling it off before shoveling it in my mouth. The spoon that accompanies the soup is a great addition you can use it to slurp up some broth while you use your chopsticks to pull up noodles and bean sprouts. The experience is addicting, if your a texture person you may enjoy the crunch from the vegetables and the soft noodles, you also have spice from the jalapeno peppers and the wonderful plump shrimp that are cooked perfectly and are fitting with the soup. I know most order the beef meatball and tendon with tripe but I love shrimp and I think they go better in the broth and veges. This restaurant is also locally acclaimed receiving numerous awards by numerous magazine on taste and quality. You also never know who you may run into there, once a group of news reporters were having lunch, you may bump into me at a corner table satisfying yet another craving. Hope to see you there!