On a cold rainy day, or whenever I am feeling under the weather, I like to eat soup. Now when I am not in the mood for Tom Yum soup I like to indulge in Pho. Pho is a Vietnamese soup which typically consists of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meet. It’s a simple dish but when it is prepared correctly, it has a complex taste. Now there are a plethora of different ways that Pho can be made and often you cannot expect two places to have Pho that tastes the same. Traditional pho does not contain seafood or pork, but most resturants these days do offer shrimp and pork as a meet option. Typically I like to go with beef instead.
So I recently decided that I wanted some pho so I decided to go Tram’s kitchen in Lawrenceville. Tram’s is a place that I do frequently visit and every time I go, it is the same two people that are working. I really appreciate this cause it is reassuring to know that I can expect my pho to taste the same every time I visit.
Tram’s itself can be described as a “hole in the wall” type of place but I believe that just adds to the quality of the Pho. It is a very small restaurant and has only about eight to ten tables. I normally go at about 11 o’clock and am able to beat the lunch rush.
When I go, I get the pho Hanoi soup with beef, an order of fresh spring rolls, and Vietnamese coffee. The pho always blows me away because of the amazing flavors within the broth. It is a beautiful blend of herbs and the soup always comes out nice and hot and warms me up. The fresh spring rolls are made out of vegetables, rice paper, and shrimp and shredded pork. Most of the time when I get fresh spring rolls, there is often no pork but surprisingly they taste delicious, especially dipped in the peanut sauce that comes with it.As for the Vietnamese iced coffee, for those of you who are not familiar, it is simply French pressed coffee with sweet and condensed milk. It tastes amazing as it is not too sweet and also not too strong and it pairs perfectly with a nice,hot bowl of pho.
Now if you aren’t a big fan of pho, Tram’s Kitchen also offers regular noodle dishes, and rice dishes. Overall, Tram’s is my favorite place to get pho in Pittsburgh so far.
