Pho Dat Thanh - Towson

One conversation that typically comes up between my foodie friends and I is the topic of favorite meals. If you only had one dish left to eat in this world, what would it be? I consistently come back to only two dishes; Sichuan Hot Pot (which I have never been able to find on U.S. soil) and Pho.

The seemingly simple Vietnamese beef noodle soup is heaven in a bowl; and yet perfection is often illusive. Before I move any further I must insist that diners learn the proper pronunciation of this magical soup. Pho is pronounced "Fuh." I am constantly irritated by the ignorance of my fellow diners and butchering of my favorite food's name. I may come off as an elitist jerk, but I think that if someone is going to through hours of painstaking preparation to make me happy, I would like to at least show them I appreciate their work enough to pronounce the name of the dish correctly.

Let it be said that while in Vietnam last year I ate this dish in some form almost every single day and Pho Dat Thanh in Columbia easily equaled and sometimes even surpassed what I ate in the dish's homeland. I was absolutely elated when I learned that my favorite place for Pho perfection was opening a sister location on my doorstep in downtown Towson.

My party ordered a few simple appetizers of Bo La Nho (beef wrapped in grape leaves) and Thit Heo Nuong (grilled pork.) Both served with the ubiquitous Vietnamese dipping sauce Nuoc Cham, which adds a perfect interplay of sweet,sour, and spicy to each delicious bite.


The appetizers were merely a warm up for the main event though, as there was no doubt with anyone at my table what we had come for, a soul filling bowl of hearty Pho. I always opt for the large D1 on the Pho Dat Thanh menu. This variation is probably as close to what could be considered "the classic" as possible. It contains eye-round steak, bible tripe, brisket, and soft tendon along with the noodles all floating in a rich broth. There are several other variations if you aren't feeling adventurous enough for the nasty bits and there is even a chicken version available. When discussing the differences between Pho joints, the broth is usually the hottest point of contention and often the decision maker on what makes one place better than another. Simply put, Pho Dat Thanh in Towson had one of the most rich and densely complex broths that has ever graced my lips. It is quite simply a revelation. It may even be better than what is served in their location in Columbia, which is a bold statement indeed.




This place just opened last week in Towson and if you haven't made it there yet, run, do not walk to get your first bowl of bliss. Vietnamese cuisine is largely unavailable in northern Baltimore County, and I think once people get their chance to try it, they will be just as hooked as me. In fact, its lunch time and all this Pho talk has me hungry. I know where to go!

World of Eats Rating - 10/10

Pho Dat Thanh
510 York Road
Towson, MD
21204
Tel:410-296-9118

My apologies for the horrific quality of these cell phone pics