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Friday, October 20, 2017

Peachy Picks Pho Saigon Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins

Owner of Pho Saigon, Bill Tran
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:

For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at 








Exotic cuisines dot the Manhattan dining landscape, and rarely do we find a Vietnamese culinary endeavor!  We were really impressed with owner Bill Tran and his restaurant, Pho Saigon on the east side of Midtown Manhattan in the Summer of 2016:
So, Bill was given the opportunity to advance to Peachy's Picks!
The menu of Pho Saigon boasts a lot of depth, and under Cae Mon Khai Vi - Appetizers-we tried both seafood and beef.  There are twenty appetizer selections alone!
Goi Cuon is Fresh Shrimp Summer Roll: shrimp, mint leaves, and vermicelli noodles are wrapped in rice paper and you'll meet three shrimps in each roll.
We liked the Bo Lui even better.  Four pieces of wonderful charcoal grilled beef festively arrive on skewers, served with lettuce and herbs.  The meat was flavorful and hearty.
The Pho itself: Rice Noodle Soup, is quite fun to assemble and we like that they give you this opportunity as it results in the ultimate freshness.  Soup assembly has never been so much fun! We tried both the Pho Saigon House Special Noodle Beef Soup and also the Pho Tom: Fresh shrimp rice noodle beef soup.
Brisket, beef eye round, omosa, and beef ball join the fresh basil leaves, been sprouts, lime and jalapeno which added terrific flavor as well as a satisfying crunch.  
The soup spoon was also a nice touch.
Six salad selections await you at Pho Saigon, and we chose Goi Du Du, above, and Goi Du Du Tom, below.  Both are based on fresh green papaya, which is a delightful, refreshing base and a nice change from the typical lettuce, kale or spinach.  Carrots, Vietnamese herbs, lime sauce, roasted peanuts, mint, fried shallot, and cilantro also grace these beauties.  Shrimp also comes to the party on the below salad.
There are literally dozens of entree choices at Pho Saigon and if you like having options, this is your place.  We tried Ga Xao Hanh Gung, which is marked on the menu as #1 favorite.  Saigon chicken is enhanced by fresh ginger and scallions in a light honey sauce, and also we tried Suon Heo Nuong, another signature dish noted for the grilled pork chops marinated in lemongrass and honey garlic.  Pho Saigon is a wonderful deviation from many traditional cuisines we have explored and we hope to see more competition from both Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines in Manhattan.

Peachy Picks Pho Saigon!

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