From the Kids' Table: Pho Sure! VN Noodle House

VN Noodle House 2299-C Johns Hopkins Road Gambrills, MD 21054 Tel: 410.721.6619 

We discovered Phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup usually served with a beef or chicken broth, just a couple of years ago but became fans very quickly. During this season of sniffles and sore throats, nothing sounds better than a big bowl of hot soup. Thanks to a sinus infection and a cold night we ventured into VN Noodle House recently. And we can’t believe it’s taken us so long to discover such a great little dining spot that is less than a mile from our house!

FOOD

Junior Foodie Cole

Entree: (P10) Phở gà (vietnamese chicken soup with rice noodles)

My phở was excellent because when you add the bean sauce and spicy red sauce (sriacha),  bean sprouts and basil it tastes good. not just good great. I used to think it was spelled f-o-e, but it's not. I try to eat all of the bean sprouts. I like the way they crunch. Plus, I use the jalapenos because I like spicy things. But you should keep them away from your kids if they don't like spicy things. I like that I can make the soup the way I want it. You get to choose what you put into it. The spring rolls are a little spicy.

 

Junior Foodie Ava

Entree: (P10) Phở gà (vietnamese chicken soup with rice noodles)

My soup was great, but just a tiny bit spicy. My soup looked delicious. I love the soup so much. There were hundreds of noodles. I put in some sprouts and some lime and some brown sauce to make my soup.  I bit a green onion and it didn’t taste good. Mommy said not to bite, just to leave them in the soup. Eating Phở makes me feel warm because the soup is hot. My favorite kind of soup is chicken noodle. Phở is kind of like chicken noodle soup, but with different kind of noodles. I would like to go back because it will be even better. Thank you.

 

Mom

Entree: (P5) Phở bò (vietnamese beef broth soup with noodles and eye round, flank steak)

Phở is one of my favorite foods. The broth is wonderfully flavored (much more richly than traditional American broths) and I love the texture of the rice noodles. (Which are also great for my gluten-free friends.) The kids get a kick out of choosing what to put into their soups. I make sure to put the jalapenos to my side so the kids don't get the oils on their hands.

The phở at VN is wonderful, rich and just a little spicy. Fantastic on a sore throat! The portions are huge and most would be just fine with a small portion vs. the large. This visit I had the beef broth which was richly flavored and perfectly prepared. On a subsequent visit, I tried the vegetable/tofu version, which I wasn't crazy about. As much as I love both veggies and tofu, the particular mix of vegetables strongly altered the flavor of the broth.

Service

Junior Foodie Cole:  

Their service is very good. Our waiter was very nice because he gave us refills very  quick and he was highly trained.  

Junior Foodie Ava:  

Our waiter was so nice. He was the nicest waiter. We waited a medium time. 

Mom:  

It's a small restaurant, so only one waiter was attending to all of the tables and it was his first night, but that wasn't a problem. We tend to be a pretty thirsty bunch so I'm always impressed with waiters that can keep ahead of our empty glasses and he was more than up to the challenge! We were greeted warmly, served quickly and left satisfied.

Atmosphere

Junior Foodie Cole:

The inside is very bright  and it’s a small restaurant.

Junior Foodie Ava:

I like the TV because its entertainment. They had Disney channel on. It was so clean, the restaurant looked shiny clean.

Mom:

I'm not usually a fan of television during dinner, but on this particular night I was very appreciative. With a sinus infection and a pounding headache, I was happy the kids could zone out a little to the Disney Channel playing on the TV in the restaurant while I concentrated on trying breathe out of my nose. The other times we've been in, they've had on the Science Channel as well, so all stuff I certainly didn't mind distracting the kids a little.

The tables are your standard fare for a small take-out restaurant, which works just fine for a casual dinner out with the kiddos. We piled into the booth and anxiously waited the delivery of our phở.

Why will kids like it?

Junior Foodie Cole:

Kids will like it because of the TV and some of their favorite TV shows. Plus, you get to make your own soup.

Junior Foodie Ava:  

I like chicken soup.

Mom:

Like Ava said, most kids like chicken soup with noodles. Phở is an easy jump into a new food category with something that looks like a trusted favorite with some fun new twists that they can control.

 

Adventurous Eater Tip of the Week:

Share the culture and history behind some of the new foods your kids are experiencing. There are many fascinating stories, as well as matter-of-fact reasons that foods are prepared the way they are and have become traditions. New foods are a great way to help bring your children's social studies and history lessons to life. 

The Junior Foodies love the fact that it's considered a compliment to the chef as well as perfectly fine etiquette to slurp your soup in some asian cultures like China and Japan, but not in others like Thailand and Vietnam. They also get a kick out of the fact that phở rhymes with "duh". (Sometimes it's the little things!) 

For more on how phở evolved over the past 100 years, check out Loving Pho.

Foodie Family Rankings

Overall Kid Friendliness: 4 out of 5 (casual atmosphere, fast service, easy to clean tables)

Healthy Options: 4 out of 5 (plenty of non-fried, vegetable heavy options; broth-based soups are low-fat, but high in sodium)

Bathrooms: 3 out of 5 (one bathroom; no changing table; clean)

Birthday Dinner Celebration Worthiness: 1 out of 5 (Not set up for singing waiters and candles in your dessert)

Dinner Outting Level of Skill: Level 1 (easy dining in a casual atmosphere; workable for most families; in and out in under an hour)