Pho Pasteur - Rosemead

My parents came into town. You'll find out why in the next post. And after picking them up from the airport, my mom had a craving for bun bo Hue (Vietnamese beef noodle soup from Hue). And remembering what my friend said about her preference for the bun bo Hue at Pho Pasteur, that's where I took them.

I had never been to Pho Pasteur before, but apparently lil' sis goes regularly. Huh! Without me?! Huh! Anyway, I had never been here before because it's located in Rosemead, a little out of my usual eating radar of Alhambra/San Gabriel, and because the strip mall it's located in is rather worn looking.

I was pleasantly surprised by the interior though. Nothing extraordinary, but given the outside, I was expecting something equally worn looking.

My dad, I, and lil' sis all ordered pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup). I think I ordered pho tai nam gan sach (Vietnamese beef noodle soup with rare beef, brisket, tendon, and tripe). The small bowls were still in the $4something range, large $5something.

My small bowl of pho was packed with noodles and lots and lots of beef. Actually, probably a little bit too many since I couldn't finish before the broth had cooled. The meat was a little on the fatty end too. Not a bad bowl of pho, but not the best either. It was merely OK to me. Lil' sis says this is her and her best friend's favorite pho place, hence why she goes all the time. Without me! Huh!

Obligatory shot of the herb plate - bean sprouts, Thai basil, sawtooth herb, lime quarters, and jalapenos.

My mom's bun bo Hue was a bit on the salty side but very strong in lemongrass flavors. Actually, I think I remembered little bits of ground lemongrass scattered amongst the bowl. There were also several large pieces of pig's feet, blood cubes, and beef slices. This satisfied my mom's bun bo Hue craving.

But...and I wonder if any else's parents do this? While we regularly eat off of each other's plates in my family, noodle soups are a little harder to share. So my parents have taken to eating half of their soup and then swapping. Except, my mom really had a bun bo Hue craving, so finishing off her meal with my dad's pho didn't leave her so happy. Neither was he. I said they should have just swapped back. :P Anyway, I think my parents are cute. :)

Oh, and here's the bun bo Hue herb plate - bean sprouts, jalapenos, red cabbage, rau ram (Vietnamese coriander), and tia to (purple perilla).

There's also rice dishes on the menu, but we didn't order any of those. The pho is good, not excellent, just good. I think their bun bo Hue is better, although still not excellent.

*All photos courtesy of lil' sis's camera. I know! I actually forgot my camera at home.

Pho Pasteur
8821 Valley Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
626-292-5888