Fun With Carbs

Honestly, she hadn't even taken a bite at this point. (Photo by Diana Guay)

What started out as another Sara’s Savory Adventure quickly evolved into the West Hartford edition of “Bizarre Foods.” Or, as someone at our table coined, “Boys vs. Food.” Either way, our Saturday visit to Pho Boston was hugely entertaining.

After Sara’s first foray into ethnic food (Fun With Curry), we thought Vietnamese would be a good choice for her next cuisine. Sure, the food has its exotic elements, but we thought we’d start her first on a bowl of pho, or bun with vermicelli (rice noodles) and grilled meats.

“Pick me out something with chicken,” she instructed, closing her menu. I obliged, ordering her bun ga xao sa ot (chicken sauteed with lemongrass over vermicelli.) I figured it would be somewhat recognizable and tasty, but it arrived topped with a gelatinous-textured sauce and thick slices of onion.

“The consistency of this is really throwing me off,” she said, with a pained look on her face. Couldn’t blame her. Every lemongrass chicken dish I’ve had has been made with great, tender grilled meat, lightly flavored with the subtle herb, without the ‘jiggly’ sauce.

She tried my bun dish, made with barbecued pork and grilled shrimp, and liked it much better. “Next time, just tell me what you’re ordering for yourself and I’ll get the same thing,” she laughed.

Although her meal was kind of a bust, Sara had plenty of fun watching other members of our party tackle weirder items. Nick, arguably the most adventurous diner at the table, ordered über-authentic pho with rare steak, tendon and tripe. When he offered her a morsel of tendon, she actually sampled it.

That seemed to boost her confidence, and she then tried, in order: a spot of fiery sriracha sauce, seeds from a hot Thai chili pepper and a pineapple shake with tapioca pearls. When one of the pearls made its way up through the straw, Sara would have none of it, and spat the ball into her food. Quick-thinking photog Diana Guay captured the whole process, and documented what we’re now calling the “Bubble Tea Incident.” See photo below.

The Bubble Tea incident (Photo by Diana Guay)

The Thai chili pepper, part of the garnish plate for pho orders, became the focus of a showdown between Nick and Diana’s fiance, Rob. Thai peppers measure fairly high on the Scoville heat scale, higher than cayenne, jalapenos and serranos but lower than habaneros and Scotch bonnets.

Whatever the rating, the boys were in serious pain. Though they tried hard to keep cool, their red faces, tearing eyes and sweating foreheads gave them away. They tried to douse the heat with ice water, tea with extra sugar and bubble tea. “Nothing helps!” Rob choked out.

So what’s next for Sara, readers? Thai or sushi? You tell us. In the meantime, here’s video of Sara’s Vietnamese experience. Also, click here for more of Diana Guay’s photos.