That day finally arrived – here’s what I had:
Sweet Potato Shrimp Fritters, Lightly battered deep-fried sweet potato and shrimp served with lettuce, pickled carrots, and daikon. Served with Vietnamese fish sauce.
As many of you know, I hold sweet potatoes close to my heart, so when I saw this on the appetizer menu, I had to have it. I think I may have overhyped it a bit in my head. It was good, but nothing special. Imagine two large sweet potato waffle fries with a piece of shrimp in the middle of each one. Don’t get me wrong, I love fried sweet potatoes and shrimp, but I guess I was expecting something more.
Even though I wanted to try the pho, I have to confess, the day I went to ChaPa’s I had a strong craving for banh mi. I went on a Saturday for lunch and arrived to find out bad news - they don’t offer banh mi on the weekends! I was slightly depressed after that, but that feeling didn’t last for long as I was soon comforted by the arrival of my steaming hot bowl of pho =).
Beef Pho – Pho Bo, Brisket rare beef
I was so happy when I took my first sip of the broth. Both the broth and beef were perfect and so soothing for a cold winter day. My only complaint: where were the squirt bottles of hoisin sauce??? My pho arrived with only a tiny dish of hoisin sauce, and I have to say, I felt like I had to carefully ration off my sauce. I like to have that bottle on hand so I can refill at my leisure. I know, minor gripe, plus I’m probably a bit overzealous with my sauce intake.
Ambience: Pure and simple. White walls and wooden tables. Great place to grab a casual lunch.
Score: 3 out of 5 piggies. I’ve got my new go-to place for pho now! Now I just need to make my way there for lunch during a weekday so I can try the banh mi (unless ChaPa’s adds it to their standard menu)!
ChaPa’s Noodles and Grill
314 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 956-9300
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