Pho

There is this amazing little noodle shop about a mile from our place. Like many businesses in Vietnam, it's run out of the owner's car garage below her house. Her kids run around the shop, old men smoke cigarettes over a pot of green tea and rowdy businessmen toast each other with plum wine. The menu is limited to two types of noodles prepared five different ways plus fried rice. She cooks the food three feet from your table and its ready in under ten minutes. The best part is the broth. The flavor has so much depth and subtly changes on a daily basis. Usually I leave the broth naked but tonight I spiced it up with garlic fish sauce and chili paste. Nothing like a spicy bowl of soup to loosen up your joints and make you sweat. Perfect for these cold winter nights!