Every great city neighborhood has its pho shop -- the place where the broth begins simmering before dawn, where the same families come every Sunday. Pho Saigon Noodle is Burbank's version.
The Nguyen family make their pho broth from beef bones simmered at 6 AM for eight hours with star anise, clove, cinnamon, and charred ginger and onion. The dac biet -- the special combination -- is the bowl to order: rare steak, well-done brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs in a large bowl of that broth. The bun bo hue is for the returning visitor: a spicier, richer soup from central Vietnam with lemongrass-forward pork broth and pork knuckle.
The $7 banh mi is one of the best food bargains in Burbank. Char siu pork, house-made pate, pickled daikon and carrot, jalapeno, and cilantro -- an entire lunch for less than a mediocre coffee elsewhere on the street. Pho Saigon is the neighborhood institution that does not ask for attention. It only needs you to sit down and taste the broth.
