This might be the only restaurant of my acquaintance where I’ve spent the same amount of time waiting to get in as I have consuming the main attraction.
Vietnamese noodle soup has that kind of pull.
Is there a better, more versatile soup? Long-simmered beef broth, fragrant with star anise and cinnamon, crammed with thin rice noodles and scattered with cilantro and scallions, can be customized nearly 20 ways with various cuts and assortments of meat. My most recent order was No. 7, thick with thinly shaved eye-round steak, well-done flank and softly crunchy beef tripe. The only other thing you have to think about is what size you want, “regular” — almost enough for two diners — or large. Whatever your choice, the bowl becomes a feast when it’s trailed by a plate of Thai basil, crisp bean sprouts, jalapeño slices and lime wedges, plus sweet-spicy bean sauce and hot red chili sauce parked on the table: a party of garnishes.
The sleeper on the menu is some of the headiest chicken soup in memory washed back with young coconut juice, served in a tall glass with a slender spoon for retrieving soft, slippery pieces of coconut. The broth is coaxed from whole chickens, breast meat and bones — serious fortification.
“Cash only,” announces a sign in the window of the foyer. An ATM in the rear of the dining room — named in part for the year Saigon fell to communism, and the oldest in a chain of eight regional storefronts — comes to the rescue of those who live by credit cards. The walls of what looks like a cafeteria are alternately dressed with snapshots of Vietnam or (well-deserved) awards from local publications. The music is by way of clicking chopsticks and murmurs of appreciation.
No one seems to linger here, not with so many eyes on them, but neither do soup slurpers feel rushed. Manager Chi Ngo says an average of 500 bowls leave the kitchen a day, and the least busy times are 10 a.m., when the doors open, and between 3 and 6 p.m.
Like wine in the glass, pho changes flavor in the bowl over time. The last spoonfuls of soup are always more complex than the first. Which reminds me to remind you: It’s okay to tilt the bowl back to catch every last drop.
1721 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. 703-525-7355. Open for indoor dining and takeout. Pho $9 to $11.45.
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