Miss Pho Saigon--Fremont (Vietnamese cuisine)

As someone who has traveled to Vietnam back in 2002, I consider myself somewhat in the know when it comes to Vietnamese food. Of course, there are some things that will never be the same. But as far as pho and bun goes, the VN food I've had back in the states is pretty comparable. Although I'm still looking for a restaurant that serves central Vietnamese food. That's one type of VN food that still eludes me.

And even though I never had one piece of fried chicken while in Vietnam, I do love this particular restaurant for its fried chicken. Never mind that they have savory broths and fresh veggies and meats for their pho and rice plates. Perhaps it's because I have yet to find a place that makes fried chicken that's both crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Perhaps it's because I can satisfy my cravings for fried chicken and noodles at the same time.

All I know is, if I have a hankering for some down home fried chicken and/or rice noodles, I go to Miss Pho Saigon at 3241 Walnut Avenue, between Paseo Padre and Liberty Street, in Fremont.

Let's talk about the fried chicken for a minute. I'm not too picky about what part of the chicken I'm eating; as long as it's crispy on the outside with moist meat on the inside. At Pho Saigon, they use the whole wing, including that little extra piece that most people cut off and throw away. I love this aspect. One, because I hate waste and two, because the batter on this extra part gets super crispy and it's fun to gnaw on. The wings always come with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce and they are always finger-licking good.

The fried spring rolls are definitely a winner here as well. I'm not sure what's inside, but it taste like a combo of vermicelli noodles, cooked carrots and some other ingredients I can't make out since they're soft and meld together very enjoyably. 



During this most recent visit, I got the shrimp and pork bun as my entree. The great thing about bun, is it enables you to enjoy noodles on a hot day, since you eat it with a sweet fish sauce rather than a hot broth. The noodles here are always soft and cooked till al dente and the seasonings on their meats and seafood is very tasty.

My pick for a local Vietnamese restaurant. Good food, fast service, excellent fried chicken.