BUT I DIGEST ... NORTH JERSEY VIETNAMESE SHOWDOWN

By Kimberly Kaye

After a brief and informative hiatus spent pitting you dedicated foodies against one another, we return to the North Jersey Vietnamese Showdown (a big thank you to all the “So You Think You Know Food” challengers who not only impressed me with your food knowledge but with your delicious humor as well -- the winner of a free meal at Jersey City’s Taqueria will be announced in the next column).

We bring to you this week a battle featuring last week’s champion, Montclair’s Little Saigon (who trumped Bloomfield’s Binh Duong with a knockout combination of great food and killer service), and New Jersey titleholder Pho Thang Long of Jersey City (recently featured in NJ Monthly’s 2007 Best Cheap Eats issue). I was amped about this fight and had high expectations for Pho Thang Long – it takes a solid restaurant to put out notably good food at even more notably low prices, and in an area as densely populated with great cheap eats as Jersey City you’ve got to be good to stand out, right? Well, mostly.

This fight began not with a bell, but with techno - foreign-language Asian techno to be exact. Pumped by tinny speakers into the center of the dining area and played at a volume which frequently threatened conversation (and irritated the waiter), I didn’t know whether to welcome the beats as part of Pho Thang’s kitschy charm or gouge my eyes out with our chopsticks. With Ramon’s level guidance I chose the former, lumping each shrill and enthusiastic pseudo-song in with the wooden beads and faux plant décor that transform the petite space into the classic, if somewhat misguided, urban Mom-and-Pop shop.

However twisted their choice of Friday night music may be, Pho Thang Long’s food has it together - at its core. We experienced reliably deep and spicy flavors across the board, and also discovered what was probably the best beef pho we’ve encountered thus far (an impressively savory broth accented by manageably sliced beef). Both the vegetarian and shrimp/pork summer rolls were cool and fresh, and boasted the company of a smooth and clingy peanut dipping sauce. The entrees, which included spicy sautéed lemongrass chicken and a plate of battered (and addictive) salt-and-pepper shrimp with butter sauce, were solid too; the portions were ample and everything tasted good. And yet, somehow, I find myself struggling to praise them. Because you can’t discuss what a restaurant almost was. Something was just … well, missing. Like a boxer with amazing strength and amateur mechanics, Pho Thang Long lost the fight in the little details.

The food was good, yes - in most cases better than its competitor’s counterparts. But it lacked the small touches that can turn an good meal into a great one. Where were the functional garnishes? The fresh herbs? The little, joyous bringers of flavor that add dimension to a routine dinner? Pho Thang’s pho, which was noticeably better than Little Saigon’s, really was good – but it would have been awesome with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, a little basil, maybe a wedge of lime or some crunchy sprouts (all of which are presented table-side at Little Saigon). How about some fresh-diced mint, or any herbs at all, wrapped into the summer rolls? Maybe some chopped scallion for the entrees?

It may seem nit-picky, but these flavors and textures define the cuisine, separating it from your more basic, assimilated Asian-food offerings; they are distinctly Vietnamese, and are available at other local Vietnamese restaurants. Good service is too – our visibly uninterested waiter disappeared after the entrees were ordered and never reappeared, an incident that has happened more than once at Pho Thang. Ramon eventually had to go get him - in the kitchen - to get our check.

In the end, Pho Thang Long put up a good fight. Despite our issues with service, the food – even without garnishes – is just fine; you won’t be disappointed to eat there, and you certainly won’t break the bank doing so. However, taking the details and nuances of both flavor and overall execution into account, Little Saigon has emerged the victor. In just one week she will be moving on to the final round, in our title fight against Jersey City’s popular Nha Trang Place on Newark Ave. Not since Tyson v. Holyfield have food and boxing been so closely tied - and we promise the end of this battle will be a lot more appetizing than theirs was.

Pho, Thang Long; 749 Bergen Ave.; Jersey City NJ