Pho Central

Pho Central easily makes my top-ten list of locations frequented in my neighbourhood, and even though the banh mi was an epic fail, it hasn't deterred my loyalty. Especially since the rainy season is imminent, I predict many upcoming steamy noodle-slurping moments.

Everything that I know about Pho I have learned from my friends:

Trevy taught me about asking for the meat on the side, especially if you like it on the rare side, that way you get to put it in at your own pace (careful you don't wait too long and the boiling broth turns to luke-warm piss water that won't cook the meat at all).

Jordan showed me the hoisin sauce on your spoon trick, that way your broth doesn't get all hoisin-y.

 Mattchew introduced me to the house-made chili oil (prior to this I was all about the cock sauce in my attempts to increase my spice tolerance).

This little place on Davie between Thurlow and Bute is small, drafty, and generally dingy, but the service is lovely and I always leave feeling warmed to soul. Pho Central perfectly slides into the "dives" category.

Death by Banh Mi

So on my lunch break yesterday I made the mistake of thinking that my favorite pho dive would make a great Banh Mi Vietnamese sub thingy.

Little did I know that this puppy was laced with shrapnel-like shards of Jalapeno peppers that would set fire to the roof of my mouth and numb the right-hand side of my face.