Even temperatures in the 80s can't stop the feeling of fall. Slowly but surely, we find our tastes drifting from cold to hot, casting aside our iced coffee for a steamy cappuccino. And this time of year always makes us crave a big bowl of hot, homemade soup.
One of our favorite soup spots is off Apache Boulevard near Dorsey in Tempe. Khai Hoan is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant full of unpronounceable delights. Nothing hits the spot like a big bowl of Pho.
Whether you're a meat lover, a seafood junkie, or a veggie hugger, Khai Hoan has the pho fo' you. (Sorry, we had to do that at least once and now it's out of our system.) The pho at Khai Hoan is full of fresh vegetables no matter what kind you order. The crisp, crunchy carrots, broccoli, and bok choy are fun to munch on between mouthfuls of rice noodles. The tofu in the soup is lightly fried, and holds its consistency in the broth.
Our favorite part of the pho experience is how customizable it is . If you're like us, you think the spicier, the better. No problem. A few heaping scoops of chili garlic sauce and some squirts of sriracha should spice it up. Khai Hoan also offers a plate full of bean sprouts, chilies, herbs, and sliced lime to flavor your soup to your specifications.
$7.25 may seem like a hefty price for a bowl of soup, but these bowls are pretty massive. We pride ourselves in our ability to gobble down mounds of food, especially when it's super tasty like this pho. We found it pretty difficult to finish the entire bowl of soup and were left with a carry out bag with lunch for the next day.
What's better than a big bowl of hot, fresh soup made just the way you want it on a blustery day? We can't really think of anything. This is probably the best pho we've found in the Phoenix-metro area.
But something about pho just doesn't comfort us like we like to be on a cold day. Tomorrow we'll head over to The Roosevelt Tavern for a bowl of homemade nostalgia.
