Pho Hong — Restaurant in Burlington

I don’t know what to say about Pho Hong. Despite the glowing reviews, the food sucks. If you enjoy Asian food prepared for a Western pallet, then you might consider the dishes at Hong’s passable. That said, the ingredients are of low quality and everything (that we ordered anyway) was sloppily prepared as well as overly sweet. There is no love in this food.

Despite this, the place was churning out takeout orders and filled to capacity. Such is the Asian food scene in the predominately white (85% according to the census bureau) Burlington, VT (I guess). Leave all expectations for authenticity and food integrity at the door. The experience begged an existential question that frequently crosses my mind: Is Asian food like this catering to Western preferences, or has it simply not caught up with the times?

I believe people would enjoy authentic Vietnamese food, or even fusion food with less muted, heavy, and monotonous flavors. I realize there is a history of American Chinese food specifically being saucy, sweet, fried, and filled with meat due to early chefs pandering to the unimaginative tastes of white people. Have we not moved past this, at least in progressive cities like Burlington? Pho Hong was definitely catering to a younger crowd, and part of me hopes these people would be open to eating more than the sweet garbage I found on my plate. Anyway, I digress.

My order:

Wonton soup: Tasted like it was flavored with ramen seasoning. The wontons themselves appeared frozen and had a heavy concentration of dough at the top that was undercooked and meat that tasted like it was either rancid or had too much dried shrimp in it (hopefully it was the latter). Seafood special: Old or frozen boiled seafood stir fried with some also old or frozen vegetables then covered in black bean sauce. Edible but not good. Don’t order this dish (obviously). Spare ribs (also a “special”): Low quality meat that was poorly cooked doused in an overly sweet sauce. I really hated this dish and couldn’t eat more than one of the ribs. Lemonade: I guess this was the best thing I had. It was some kind of tea I think mixed with a bunch of sugar. I wouldn’t recommend it but it also wasn’t terrible.

When I was paying the bill at the front counter the guy checking me out asked how the food was. I replied, “I wasn’t a big fan to be honest.” He replied flatly, “Sorry.” Should I have expected more of a response? I guess not. Tomorrow the place will be filled with customers and popping out endless takeout orders. As a result of this heavy patronage the Asian food scene in Burlington will remain middling at best (don’t get me started on Hong’s...

This place is busy, but so good!!!

I came to town for a work thing and was craving pho and this place hit the spot. I missed the parking spot the first time I drove past and had to swing around the block. I'm from Texas, so driving on small new England roads during snow tripped me up. If you're a local (or local-ish), you'll probably not miss it. The lot was mostly full and street parking was slim, but definitely possible.

I tried calling in a couple of times and the line was busy. I normally quit when this happens, but the craving was strong.

I pulled up, and every table was full. There were even folks standing waiting for a table.

You know the food's gonna be good when this happens. So I didn't even mind waiting for them to take my order.

The waitstaff is hella busy. The phone never stops ringing, and the food doesn't stop flowing.

I ordered the pho tai and mango salad. I paid about 22 bucks with the tip. I didn't know about the cash discount, it would've been like 20 with cash. I got my food within 20minutes, but I think larger orders were taking about 40 for pick up.

Even with the 15 minutes driving in snow back to the hotel, the pho was delicious. The broth was super flavorful. The veg was super fresh. I was sad I didn't get jalapeños bc I like the broth to be spicy, but the dollop of sriracha did it for me.

Mango salad is on the smaller side, but hella good too.

I took a star off bc it seemed the employees were stressed and understaffed, not because of poor service.

Everything folks were eating inside looked amazing. I wish I had ordered more than one dish, but there's no way I could eat it all and not die from...

We have been to Burlington many times, from 2,000 miles away, for the fall foliage. And each time we never failed to visit Pho Hong, and each time I felt like crying happily inside savoring their Vietnamese sour soup (that’s Canh Chua in Vietnamese). All Pho Hong’s dishes are excellent, but their Canh Chua is what elevates this restaurant above all the Vietnamese restaurants in the whole US of A. And that is not a hyperbole.It’s all the more amazing that this restaurant is located in a cold corner of the country, thousands of miles from southern California, or Houston (TX) where the very best Vietnamese restaurants can be found.

How does Pho Hong get all the fresh ingredients for their Canh Chua in Vermont in October every year when we visit? I have no idea but the ingredients are there: fresh elephant ear stalks, uniquely aromatic rice paddy herb (limnophila aromatica), crunchy bean sprouts, and okra (among other fresh vegetables).

But the full list of fresh, hard to find vegetables is only the important half of the story. It is a culinary art of how Pho Hong blends these ingredients together in a clear yet savory and tangy broth that it never failed to knock my socks off in enjoyment and appreciation. It’s aromatically and sweetly tangy. The fresh vegetables and herbs are superbly timed to be added during cooking to retain their freshness and flavors. No doubt this dish reflects the owner/cook’s pride, and skills.

It’s magical. And don’t get Canh Chua for to-go if you want to try it at its best...