Pho Paris Peabody

Pho Paris Restaurant is located on Rte 1 in Peabody, where everything is on the wrong side. They finally have a website, sort of. The scanned menu is available on FB. Be aware that the prices are wildly outdated. If you click on the TAKEOUT & DINE IN tab, you end up in limbo, so be aware. The owner lived in Paris for a while and loved it, hence the name. I think we are lucky to have so many excellent Vietnamese restaurants in the area.

Now, if I only could find one that serves Nem (nem rán). Elephant Walk served them when they were located in Union Square.

Parking is shared between the businesses, but I have never had problems finding a spot. Use your GPS since the small plazas zoom by quickly. I saw some reviews that mentioned ownership changes, but this place has had the same owners since 2013.

The interior is impeccably clean and pleasant. The wooden seats aren't the most comfortable seats I have encountered.

Everything that you need is already at the table. I like it when you get the little bowl that you can put the chili paste in. Handy if you want to dip the pho meats in it.

Not sure what the difference between the #41 Pho Special Combination (Phở Đặc Biệt) and the #42 Eye round, Steak, Flank, Soft Tendon and Tripe are? Aha, you also get brisket with #41, and that's what I went with. This is a medium ($11.95), but a medium bowl used to be the size of what now is large. I haven't been here in a long time, so I might remember wrongly. The noodles were a bit soft this time. The broth was fantastic, piping hot, rich and fragrant. I only got one piece of tendon, but that had a good texture. The tendon is all about the texture since it doesn't have much taste. I got a good amount of tripe that was still a bit crisp, as it should be. They did not hold back on the protein, I have seldom seen such a generous serving, and everything was cooked well and was tender. Well, obviously not the rare eye round. The promised chili pepper had morphed into two slices of green pepper. Always taste the broth before adding the condiments. 07/14/21

They have a big selection of various spring rolls on the menu. I picked the #5 Pork Meatball Spring Rolls ($6.45). "Steamed rice paper wrapped around pork meatball, pickled carrots, vermicelli, Served with Peanut sauce". The peanut sauce was excellent and really rich. Not sure what the carrots and daikon were doing in the sauce. On the bottom left roll, you can see a crunchy roll just under the skin. There were actually two of them, and they added a nice crunchy texture. The pork meatball was a slice of something porky. 06/09/21

The last time I had a Bánh Xèo at another place, it was terrible. Crispy Vietnamese Pancake With Tofu or with Shrimp and Pork ($10.95). Shrimp and pork, please. I also got Vietnamese Fish Sauce (Nước Chấm) on the side. The menu said crispy, and it was crispy to a fault, and it actually shattered when I dug into it. How crispy is it supposed to be? There were a few tender slices of pork and four shrimps halves inside. The rest of the filling was just beansprouts. 06/09/21

Fried Quail with Butter ($11.95) said the menu. The quail was cooked really well with a nice tasting crispy coating on the outside. The meat was tender. Not sure how the onions and peppers fit in. Quail is such a pain to eat with all the small bones, but it's really worth the effort. 06/09/21

Grilled Pork Chops, Shredded Pork Skin, Meatloaf and Egg with Rice ($12.95). I asked about the meatloaf on a previous visit, and she said it's not like an American meatloaf. Pork, egg and breadcrumbs sounded like a pretty normal meatloaf to me. I also wanted to try the shredded pork skin since it seems very predominant on the menu, and I have never tried it. Not for me. I didn't like the texture since it was almost gritty. On the other hand, the meatloaf was a delight! Tasty and tender. The pork chop, not chops, was nicely grilled, and even if it was thin, it was not dried out. There is more chop under the eggs. I got two eggs that were properly fried eggs with a runny yolk. The Nước Chấm was mild and went over everything. Fresh veggies, and I even ate the tomatoes after salting them, of course. The service is always friendly and quick. They clean after each customer, and the place is spotless. 08/10/21

Be aware that if you are heading back towards Rte 128, this green arrow at the intersection is kind of lying. The traffic coming from the left also has a green light. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of having lights? It really should be a blinking orange light here.

Address: 136 Newbury St #2, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 535-8339

To lead people, walk behind them.

-- Lao Tzu