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Fortune Pho 75 is a little
Chinese-Vietnamese joint on 5501 N. Lamar Bouelvard [S.of Koenig] that
you could easily miss. It doesn't have a lot of, as my real estate friends
say, drive-up appeal. But man does it ever have sit-down-and-eat appeal!
Rosie Tran and her husband Dinh also own Mimosa
on Barton Springs Road-an upscale Japanese tenpanyaki and sushi eatery.
Fortune Pho 75 is as downscale as Mimosa is upscale. But the food is
every bit as good.
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You can start any day with a perfectly
serviceable Chinese buffet. The Hot and Sour and Egg Drop soups
are both quite good and the range of dishes, from General Tso's
Chicken to the ubiquitous Beef and Broccoli are, if not highly innovative,
very tasty. The egg rolls are fresh and crispy, and the food is
not left out long enough for the oils to congeal, which can often
happen. |
But the menu items are the real story at Fortune
Pho 75. For appetizers, try the Cha Don, ten little crispy shrimp rolls,
or the Pork Egg Rolls. Excellent flavors. And the Pu Pu tray, at $4.99
is the steal of the century. Egg rolls, fried shrimp, fried wonton,
cho cho beef and fried chicken: nothing greasy and all with a nice fresh
flavor.
The Pho Soups are another budget-pleasing delight. My favorite is the
Shrimp: You start with rice noodles in a beef broth: add shrimp, cilantro,
jalapeno, bean sprouts and white and green onions. At $4.50, another
great value, and actually, a meal in itself.
| The Vermicelli Bowls are simple,
fresh, and fulsome. I have two favorites: The first is the vermicelli
with egg rolls with charcoal grilled pork. Put on my favorite fish
sauce and voila! The second is the vermicelli with fried tofu, bamboo
shoots, bean sprouts and onions in a hot sauce. Vietnamese food
is one of the few cuisines where ethereal taste does not necessarily
mean a subsequent bump in caloric content. It's like having your
cake and eating it. |
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The Chinese entrees are equally appealing. The Jalapeno
Shrimp in a spicy brown sauce with mushrooms and broccoli is not for
the faint of heart: but it rewards the courageous. Fiery and very tasty,
I love it. For less nuclear fare, try the Pork with Snow Peas. So make
it a point to avail yourself of one of the best lunch or dinner values
in the River City: Fortune Pho 75. Tell 'em Rob Balon sent you.
08072003
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