Kim and I continue to search and search for a good bowl of Pho. We received a coupon for Pho Thai Nam a few weeks ago and we decided to give it a try. Recently, we have been disappointed by Pho at both Vietnam and Wild Rice. Both of these establishment had OK Pho, but nothing as good as South Philly. So, we decided to check pit Pho Thai Nam when we once again got the hankering for some Pho. Finally, I can say that we were able to find Pho that is as good if not better then the stuff down in South Philly. In addition, the tables, chairs and floors were actually clean! (If you have ever been to Pho Hua off Washington, you'll know what I mean) Overall, it was very good Pho. As good, if not better then the stuff in the city. Much better then our previous trips to suburban soup shops. In addition, we tried the Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls which were excellent. Kim and I have since been back to Pho Thai Nam for a second visit and it was equally as good! We have finally found a local, suburban Pho soup that we can enjoy. Everything else is pretty good at Pho Thai Nam. The decor is a bit drab. I'm not sure if there are not enough tables to fill the restaurant or what, but it needs something. Maybe a half wall, not sure, but it needs something. Lastly, the service is pretty good. The food came out quickly and it was piping hot, so no complaints there. If you live in the western suburbs of Philadelphia and want a great bowl of Pho soup, check out Pho Thai Nam. Map:

Let's face it, a Japanese buffet is not very common. Typically, an Asian food buffet is chock full of Won Ton soup, General Tsos chicken and egg rolls. But, Minado is quite different. AS you walk in to the expansive dining room, you are quickly whisked away to a seat and asked for drink order from the wait staff. Kim and I ordered drinks and immediately went to take a walk around the immense buffet tables. There is a section for Japanese grill, a large spread of tempura seafood and vegetables, a seafood section full of Blue Claw crabs, King Crab legs, oysters on the half shell and pick-n-peel shrimp. The next set of tables featured fresh salads, seafood combinations and various cold dishes. Lastly, the sashimi, sushi and maki rolls tables featured about 3-4 different types of sashimi (no rice), about 10 different types of sushi (with rice) and about 20 types of maki rolls. All of the sushi was fresh, tasted great and offered lots of different variety; it was not all tuna and salmon. One of the benefits of a sushi buffet is that you can taste different types of fish that you would not normally try. Items like clam, eel, octopus etc are probably not popular with you are forced to purchase an entire roll. But, since you are not locked into anything particular at Minado, you can sample till you are blue in the face. Overall, we had a great meal at Minado. The service was fast and friendly, the food was tasty, fresh and varied and we left quite full, something not often experienced with a Japanese sushi meal. My only complaints would be the price of the meal, $27 a person on the Friday night we went and the overall decor of the restaurant. It felt more like a large hall then an intimate restaurant. This may be more a reflection of the buffet style, where people are inclined to eat longer so you need more tables, but who knows.

Kim and I were hankering for some Pho. We normally make our way down to Pho Ha in South Philly. But, we were meeting some folks in Northern Liberties and didn't want to go all the way to South Philly, so we decided to five Vietnam a try. We had reservations but still had to wait upstairs in the bar for about 15 minutes waiting for our table. But, it gave us an excuse to try some Vietnamese beers and check out the decor. Both are excellent, BTW. We came to Vietnam Restaurant for the Pho, but were going to try some of the appetizers as well. We started out with a shrimp and lemon grass spring roll that was excellent. The lemon grass was fresh and strong and it really brought out the taste in the shrimp and sauces. After this we both had the pho. Now understand, I am not an adventuresome eater. Pho is pretty exotic for me. One major difference we noticed between Pho Ha and Vietnam is the lack of menu items when it came to the pho soup. Pho Ha has maybe 10 different types, while Vietnam had maybe 5. Granted, we always only get the Pho Tai, which is just plain beef, but others might want more variety. The pho was quite tasty but not as good as what we get at the Pho Ha place in South Philly. The meat was a bit thicker and a little more tough, but overall it was good. For desert, we both got the Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee) and shared a bowl of the Che Khoai Mon (Taro Pudding). The coffee was OK and the pudding started to grow on us, but it fell flat. In general, we had a pretty good meal at Vietnam. The pho was on par with the South Philly variety (our favorite) and the decor and prices were fair. Lastly, the desert was nothing to write home about. We might be back, we might not...its only a few more minutes drive to Pho Ha.