PHO Vegetarian and Pork Spring Rolls

Pho Ba Luu

As a foodie, I love to try new cuisines, and restaurants. That’s why when a good friend of mine asked me to lunch and suggested Pho Ba Luu, I jumped at the chance. Let me start off by saying “Wow!” Pho Ba Luu does not disappoint and as a result has captured the heart of this food loving critic. In other words you have to give this place a try and I mean now… Right now!

Located in the historic Butchertown district of Louisville, Ky, Pho Ba Luu delivers on their reputation of being an amazing Vietnamese restaurant, with options for all!

As I walked into Pho Ba Luu, I was brimming with anticipation of the new and unknown. I was immediately greeted with smiling, friendly faces. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the decor simple industrial with the option of indoor or outdoor seating. Therefore (of course) I chose the outdoor seating. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy their food outdoors on a beautiful sunny day. The patio was clean, comfortable and absolutely wonderful. There was an ample amount of shade and a gentle breeze created by the outdoor fans. It was a great option and one that I would highly recommend(weather permitting, of course).

Where is Pho Ba Luu located?

East Main Street

The meal: #9 Pho Vegetarian and #4 Pork Spring rolls

So let me start out by saying I love trying new things. However I’m a meat eater. I. Love. Meat. However for this journey I decided to venture out of my comfort zone a little bit and chose a vegetarian dish however i still needed a touch of meat on the side… Of course ;). I ordered the #9 Pho Vegetarian with Lemongrass Marinated Tofu and the #4 Pork Spring rolls, and I have to say I’m glad I did! So let’s break this down a little bit!

The #4 Pork Spring rolls:

I decided to start with the pork spring rolls as an appetizer. Let me start off by saying that these are not your average spring rolls. Pho Ba Luu’s spring rolls are bursting with pork and vermicelli noodles all rolled in a delicious rice paper. And don’t get me started on the bean dipping sauce. It’s like a 1960’s Batman episode in your mouth…. Sock! Pow! Zok! Bam! Trust me, You don’t want to miss these!

The #9 Pho Vegetarian :

OK, I know I said I’m big on meat, however I have to say, the veggies in this dish really stood out. Simply put I couldn’t get enough of the Napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and noodles swimming together in a bowl of broth that I swear was sent from the heavens! Meat eaters, don’t let the “vegetarian” in this dish be intimidating. It won’t disappoint! However if you have to have meat (which normally i do) you can always add beef tendons or beef meatballs in addition to all those veggies. Oh, and I have to say, I’m 100% sold on the lemongrass marinated tofu in this dish, talk about tasty!