Phat noodle soup for college dummies

Fair warning: Don't think Vietnamese cuisine is like Chinese or Korean food. You'll look like a fool.

That's what happened to me when my friend and I dined at Pho Hong Phat.

With pho in the name, I should have known what to expect, which is a beef noodle soup. However, I'm not hip to Vietnamese cuisine so a "Pho for Dummies" handbook would have been convenient. Taking one for the team, I'll show you the ropes.

Walking in the stuffy room with a cramped space of perhaps 40 people maximum capacity, I immediately noticed the cheap décor of easy-on-the-eyes colors of white and baby blue, with Vietnamese paintings on the wall and cheap fireworks hanging from the ceiling: It's like a Vietnamese Denny's, to put it simply. We were lucky to find a table right when we entered because it was packed with chatting customers in the middle of the afternoon.

The prompt waiter came up and immediately knew we were newbies. "Amateurs?" he chuckled. We nodded in shame.

The waiter then stood there, pressuring us to make a decision. I was unfamiliar with the menu consisting of rare steak and noodles, which can be teamed up with tendon, tripe, and flank in any combination. Prices range from $5.30 for small, $5.70 for medium, and $6.20 for large. The prices strictly deal with portion sizes, not item choices. Drinks are not included and cost $1.50 for a glass. They also offer smoothies, ice-blend drinks and tea.

After our free order of water, a college student favorite, we both went with the safe choice of just rare steak and noodles.

Now that the waiter left, freeing up some stuffy space, I wondered what exactly I would be receiving. But before I could dwell into the possibilities, the waiter brought us a plate full of raw bean sprout.

This is not an appetizer as I eventually found out. It's to be put into the soup along with the parsley, jalapeño peppers, and lime that was also included on the bean sprout plate. It's also best to use Sriracha hot sauce, a.k.a. rooster sauce, to add a little kick.

After waiting for only about five minutes, the waiter brought the main course, a giant bowl of soup, our way. And that would be the last time we would see our chuckling waiter as they seem to forget about you after your soup.

The soup consists of delicious never-ending noodles, rare beef steak, and the bean sprout dish that you add; it's definitely filling even though the soup liquid is thin, but non-greasy. It's steaming hot upon arrival and by the time you're really digging in there with your chopsticks and spoon, the beef has become cooked. With everything added, the soup is very tasty and leaning toward the spicy side - a perfect remedy if you have a cold.

With some of the best pho in Long Beach at an affordable price, not to mention its kind tolerance toward amateurs, you can easily forgive the inconsistent service, the stuffy air, and the ridiculous hours of operation.

Pho Hong Phat

3243 E Anaheim St 562) 498-3754

Hours: Thursday to Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Wednesday