Vietnamese restaurant Top Pho opens in Hicksville
Pho with flank steak at Top Pho, a new Vietnamese eatery in Hicksville. Credit: Newsday/Scott Vogel
Take a look again. Is that not a beautiful bowl? The menu has christened it rice noodle soup with beef flank brisket, and in addition to beautiful it is also delicious and tricky to consume. The $14.95 menu item is one of the star attractions at Top Pho, an attractive if compact eatery that opened in January in Hicksville, and in addition to a richly flavorful broth, it contains all the usual accouterments of scallions and cilantro, possesses lovely translucent noodles and the aforementioned beef.
Therein lines the tricky part. Top Pho, an eatery that appears to have genuine Vietnamese bona fides, does not skimp on the ve don, or chewy flank bits, also known as the tendinous parts that do not break down during the pho-making process, no matter how long they are steeped in broth. These morsels add considerable textural variety to the dish, although they should be chewed carefully and swallowed slowly lest you create a scene.
The dozen or so tables are often full. In addition to a full seasonal complement of rolls from spring (tasty/greasy at $8.95 for 4) to summer (shrimpy, rice papery with peanut sauce at $8.95 for 2), the kitchen also serves up a fine grilled pork chop over rice ($14.95) and several other dishes that seemed to meet the satisfaction of the mostly young crowd. Decor was cute, servers were friendly, efficient and readily available to offer assistance and a pile of napkins.
Top Pho, 482 Plainview Rd. in Hicksville, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily except Tuesday; 516-490-3416.
Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.
