LUNCH: The essentials
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As the clock strikes noon, Northeasterners brave the erratic Boston weather and venture out of their cozy offices and classrooms in search of one essential meal: lunch. Many of the smart ones flock to Pho & I, which serves up flavorful Thai cuisine on Huntington Avenue.
For starters, try the crispy rolls ($3.95), brimming with shredded carrots and buttery cabbage, secured within a delicate rice-paper wrap. For an extra kick, immerse them in the homemade sweet-and-spicy sauce served on the side. And to wash the rolls down, order a Thai iced tea ($2.95).
Then curl your hands around a hot bowl of tom yum noodle soup ($7.95). This classic Thai hot-and-sour chili-flaked soup is full of baby mushrooms, fresh green scallions, chunks of chicken, shrimp, and tender tomatoes with a hint of lime juice. Impossible to finish in one sitting? Yes. Impossible to fight the urge to try? You bet.
The daily specials are not to be missed, especially when it comes to the crispy chicken pad Thai ($8.95): stir-fried rice noodles with chunks of scrambled egg, crunchy bean sprouts, scallions, and peanuts, smothered in sweet-tangy-nutty sauce beneath a bed of tender chicken. Feel free to ask for more of the mouth-watering, sweet ginger-chili dipping sauce, served on the side.
What a gift: friendly service, reasonable prices, and high-quality cuisine wrapped up and “Thai’d” with a noodle bow.
PHO & I, located at 267 Huntington Avenue, in Boston, is open Sunday through Thursday, from 11:30 am to 10 pm, and on Friday and Saturday, from 11:30 am to 10:30 pm. Call 617.262.0011.