Phở: a Vietnamese soup, typically made from beef or chicken stock, spices, rice noodles, and thinly sliced meat; staple in Vietnamese households; a dish that brings families and friends together. Eaten all over the world, phở has slowly gained popularity during the past few years. There have been many variations made to this classic dish, including the addition of seafood or pork. But no matter what, I cannot wrap my head around the concept of the Phở-ritto.
That's right. A phở burrito. Stuffed inside a tortilla is rib-eye steak, rice noodles, bean spouts, onion, jalapeno, Thai basil, and lime juice. It is served with Sriracha and hoisin sauce. The "phở-ritto" was made famous in Los Angeles, by a restaurant called Komodo.
When I eat a tortilla, I expect the taste of cheese, ground beef, fried fish, or salsa. But the last thing I'm expecting is to get a mouthful of noodles. Don't get me wrong, I love fusion food. Ramen burgers, ice cream tacos, and dessert nachos are just a few examples of fantastic fusion creations. After all, food in the U.S. is made up of a lot of food mash-ups from different cultures. If someone were to hand me one of these "phở-rittos", I would definitely try it. I love trying new things! I've even seen a lot of my Vietnamese friends make comments about this on Facebook, saying it's something they would love to try. I don't disagree with them, I would love to be able to taste one. But there's something about it that just sends negative signals to my brain.
Maybe it's the fact that the broth is not served with the "phở-ritto". Obviously if the broth was inside, it would leave you with a sticky and soggy mess of a tortilla. But maybe it could've been served on the side, au jus style? The broth is, hands down, the best part of a bowl of phở. A traditional bowl of phở is served with thinly sliced raw meat in the broth, which cooks it. Growing up, my mother always made sure that I ate all the broth in my bowl of phở. Even when she made similar dishes at home, we were always told that the broth is the best part, and to finish it. It contains so many flavors, and the broth itself takes hours to make--almost 12 hours, to be exact. If made correctly, it is so worth the time.
So, basically, this concept of the "phở-ritto" has left me flabbergasted for the past few weeks. I probably should've been concentrating on school and work but, instead, I was thinking about this freakin' burrito. But let's be honest, when am I not thinking about food?
