Phở Số 1’s handhelds are heavenly

By GABRIELLE  LAWRENCE

You know how, when you’re looking for something, you start to see signs of it everywhere? You start looking for cardinals, and there’s one in your backyard the next morning. You read Ina Garten’s memoir and learn that she’s making a tour stop in Detroit. You learn about Nazi Germany and wake up in Trump’s America. A few months ago, someone told me about Phở Số 1, and within the next two weeks, three more people had mentioned the restaurant to me.

I hadn’t heard of it before, since I work in downtown Lansing and don’t frequent that particular side of East Lansing. But thanks to a large group of Vietnamese family friends, I grew up eating more than my fair share of Vietnamese food, and I’m always on the lookout for a good bao.

I remember when phở started taking mainstream America by storm about 15 years ago. I would leverage my trips to the metro Detroit area to get my hands on giant bowls of the noodle soup. I’m happy to report that Lansing now has a sizable number of restaurants that serve phở, and there’s truly nothing better on a blustery winter day.

We made our first family visit to Phở Số 1, during that confusing week between Christmas and New Year’s, and you’ve never seen two parents more relieved than we were to see fried chicken wings and french fries on the menu. Sometimes we’re prepared to do battle with our children and force them to expand their food horizons, but this was not one of those days. The big one had wings ($6.99/six) and fries ($3.99), the little one had noodles from my bowl and fries, and Mr. She Ate and I were satisfied.

Our spring rolls ($7.99) had seen better days, and the chicken phở ($14.45) was not my favorite, but I acknowledge that going to a restaurant during the inter-holiday period and expecting an incredible experience might be a tall order.

Service was … annoyed that we were there? I attributed this to having two young children with me (which is not a great impression to give, but one that I tend to understand); however, on return visits, service was not much better.

On one of those return visits, I ordered a lemongrass beef bánh mì ($5.99). If you’re looking for entry-level Vietnamese food, a bánh mì is your best bet. It’s essentially a baguette sandwich, stuffed with the most savory, flavorful beef you’ve ever had in your life and the perfect complement of pickled vegetables. The bread was crunchy and buttery, and I could have melted into a puddle of satisfaction.

Fortunately, I had a Fire Shrimp bao bun ($4.75) to occupy the rest of my time as I eavesdropped on fellow diners complaining about their ex-wives. A bao bun is the Chinese equivalent of a taco, consisting of a yeasty, pillowy shell wrapped around a variety of fillings. Mine had guacamole, chili-lime-marinated shrimp, cilantro and lemon-pepper aioli, and it was incredible. This is what I would choose on every future visit to Phở Số 1 — the bao alone are worth the trip.

On my final trip, I ordered chicken and beef pad Thai to go ($14.45 each). Mr. She Ate and I love a good pad Thai, and I appreciated that this version was more veggie-heavy than others we’ve sampled. He found it spicy, but he has the spice tolerance of a small baby. I didn’t break even the slightest of sweats. It had much more flavor than its counterparts at other spots in town, and if I couldn’t have the bao buns or the bánh mì, I would gladly go to town on some pad Thai.

 

By BRYAN BEVERLY

My co-author and I receive our fair share of restaurant recommendations from readers, friends and family. Hearing from fellow foodies about their thoughts on new spots around town or their favorite dishes at local stalwarts is one of my favorite aspects of this gig.

Rarely, however, do we receive these recommendations at the same time, but such was the case this past fall, when Mrs. She Ate and I were serving as reviewers for the Capital Region Community Foundation’s Grantmaking Day. One of the other reviewers was adamant that we check out his favorite Asian restaurant in East Lansing, particularly its bao buns.

I’m a big fan of most Asian food, having tried various takes on the wide range of cuisines during my travels across the country and abroad. So, I was pretty stoked for this month’s review of Phở Số 1  in Hannah Plaza. Tucked into a row of restaurants, gyms and hair salons, this place specializes in traditional Vietnamese fare with some modern twists.

Upon entering, I was underwhelmed by the ambiance. Tables and chairs lined one wall, and televisions with varying functionality lined another. The wavy wall design suggested an attempt at an upscale experience, but the rest of the vibe was more ho-hum.

I was greeted as though I were somewhat of an inconvenience and wondered why, since I was legitimately the only customer there at the time. This was also the case when I picked up a to-go order. After ordering online and pre-tipping, my order was pointed to rather than handed to me.

Customer service here leaves much to be desired. Graciously, the food was far more pleasant.

What’s decent

I enjoy a selection of appetizers when I order Asian food, so I tried a bunch of offerings. The fried chicken wings ($6.99/six) were crispy and meaty, but I was expecting more from the accompanying dip than a typical Buffalo sauce with a hint of lemongrass.

The crab rangoons ($7.99) were delicious; the cream-cheese-filled wontons were packed with filling and fried to perfection.

I wasn’t a big fan of the chạo tôm ($8.99), battered shrimp balls stuffed with sugarcane. The flavor seemed off, and the sugarcane contributed very little to the profile. Similarly, the chả giò ($7.99), or imperial rolls, were unbalanced in flavor. The fried egg rolls were so black-pepper-forward that I found myself dunking them in the vinegar-based dipping sauce rather than simply using it to enhance the taste.

What’s good

Our colleague was waxing poetic about the bao buns, and for good reason. To order them, you must know they exist, because they live on a separate “special findings” menu. I tried several and was pleased by most of them. The Crabby Delight ($4.75) was decent, but I wasn’t anticipating an imitation crab cake. The Fire Shrimp ($4.75) and Short Rib Fusion ($4.50) were both impressive. The shrimp bao was dominated by chili-lime and lemon-pepper flavors, while the short rib was tender and paired well with the savory salsa.

My favorite was the Hogzilla ($4.50), which contained braised pork belly, pickled veggies and peanuts. Again, the tender meat was the star, but the crunch from the root veggies provided amazing balance.

I was also pleased by the cơm tôm bò xào xả ớt, a delectable Vietnamese surf-and-turf dish with lemongrass beef and shrimp. The house-made fish sauce offered salty, savory notes, and I enjoyed the sides of rice and pickled veggies.

Best bite

The bánh mì ($5.99) is a superb sandwich. The pillowy French bread rivals some of the best I’ve enjoyed in New Orleans. The first time I ordered the lemongrass beef, and the second time the lemongrass pork. Both times, I relished the variety of flavors between the proteins, pickled veggies and plenty of fresh cilantro. The provided jalapeños added a bit of kick to each bite. This is Lansing’s best $6 sandwich.