Back at Happy Flower to sample more of the expansive menu! I was so excited to return — it’s always a treat to dine at a vegan restaurant, and I wish I could make a habit of it. We’ve been getting a decent amount of rain in the Bay Area, and this #pho truly hit the spot and warmed me from head to toe. You can almost see the steam rising off the #soup in the photo. I was in a rush and forgot to take menu pictures, but the dish is described as “fresh thick pho noodle w/ vegan imitation chicken & tofu in savory kaffir lime leaf pho broth.” #vietnamese
I have to be honest: this might be my favorite dish to date. Everything I’ve ordered has been delicious, but this tasted like proper pho ga, the sort which I haven’t had in years. Don’t get me wrong, I love tofu and vegetables, but there was just something so comforting about sipping hot #veganchicken broth on a cold day. The soup wasn’t too salty, so I could actually drink it — not always the case with pho! The clear broth had both a rich meatiness and the sweet acidity of lime to brighten things up. The #noodles were cooked well (springy and chewy, not clumped,) and I enjoyed both the #tofu puffs and the #mockmeat. I always forget to ask for my food without cilantro; as you can see, they are rather liberal with it — best to speak up if you feel lunch is #betterwithoutcoriander.
$14 is similar to, or perhaps a bit more than what I would expect to pay at other pho shops in the area, but I’d much rather support a local vegan restaurant than one offering a bland meatless option as an afterthought. I will 100% be ordering this dish again! Service was great, (the food came out quickly and steaming hot!) but there weren’t many patrons in at the lunch hour. I hope more people will check out the deliciousness that Happy Flower has to offer; it’s a hidden gem (but also, very convenient to highway 237.)
