Pho Orchid
3117 Houma Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006, USA
Metairie 3: Houma Blvd To Kenner Line
Backstory
Pho Orchid is a family operation, opened in early 2009, taking over the former location of the long-running Ding How Chinese restaurant. A number of Asian restaurants preceded it, going all the way back to the mid-1970s, when Ding's--the first restaurant in the area to serve Peking duck--opened here.
Dining Room
Pho Orchid may be the handsomest, most comfortable Vietnamese restaurant in town. The big dining room is bisected by a line of artful furnishings, some of them glowing and bubbling. The lighting is low and the mood quiet. Reflective ceiling tiles make the place seem vast. Further renovation along one wall added to the airiness of the place. The service staff is for the most part very young and enthusiastic.
Why It's Essential
"The Nouvelle Cuisine Of Vietnam" says the building's marquee. Well, it is a new restaurant. But unless you're completely new to Vietnamese cooking, you won't find anything menu here that you haven't at least seen in other local Vietnamese restaurants. As the name implies, the specialty is pho--the beef-broth-and-noodle soup, and all of its dizzyingly numerous variations. The cooking is a bit above the local average, however, and even the more complicated dishes are served well.
Why It's Good
The broth is to a pho restaurant what the crust is to a pizzeria. The other parts of the dish can be terrific, but the broth must be. Here it's about in the middle of the local spectrum with respect to complexity and goodness. It can be had with all the familiar meats--brisket, eye of round, meatballs, tendon (this adds a marvelous mouthfeel, from all the gelatin it contains, but is best with other piece of beef), tripe (after acquiring a taste for it, the best of all), and other options. The
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>starters</strong></em><br /> »Spring roll with grilled pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu or combinations<br /> Egg roll<br /> Torpedo shrimp<br /> Chicken wing with butter<br /> Pepper salted squid<br /> BBQ beef stick<br /> »Orchid pizza<br /> Chicken delight salad<br /> Grill chicken, shrimp and pork delight salad<br /> Wonton soup<br /> Asparagus soup<br /> »Hot and sour shrimp soup<br /> »Hot and sour fish soup<br /> Hot and sour chicken soup<br /> <em><strong>Pho</strong></em><br /> »Noodle soup with eye of round steak, brisket, soft tendon, meat ball, tripe, or combinations<br /> Noodle soup with seafood<br /> Noodle soup with chicken<br /> <em><strong>Banh mi sandwiches</strong></em><br /> »Beef stew<br /> Grilled chicken<br /> Grilled pork<br /> »Vietnamese ham<br /> <em><strong>Entree soups</strong></em><br /> Clear noodle soup with shrimp, crab or combo<br /> Rice noodles with beef stew<br /> Combination soup (rice and noodles)<br /> Rice noodle stir fried with meat, seafood, Chinese vegetables, or combo<br /> <em><strong>Noodles and rice entrees</strong></em><br /> Seafood or meat with egg noodles<br /> Soft or crisp noodles with beef, chicken, shrimp, seafood, vegetables or combos<br /> »Bun (cool vermicelli noodles) with grilled pork, grilled pork pate, Vietnamese egg roll, grilled chicken grilled shrimp, lemongrass beef, or combos<br /> »Shrimp wrapped in sugar cane<br /> »Pressed vermicelli with lettuce, grilled pork, ground pork rolls, grilled beef, shrimp wrapped in sugar cane, grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, or combos<br /> Steamed rice with grilled pork, grilled chicken, grilled shrimp, beef and vegetables, grilled pork and egg roll, shredded pork, grilled pork <br /> Fried rice with Vietnamese sausage, shrimp, crab, squid, beef, chicken, vegetables, or combos<br /> »Marinated sliced beef with butter on hot plate<br /> »Shrimp and squid with butter on hot plate<br /> »Marinated sliced beef fondued in a sweet vinaigrette broth<br /> »Medium-rare sliced beef with lemon, onion, mint, herbs and nuoc mam sauce<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> »Lemongrass chicken<br /> Chicken with ginger<br /> Beef with Chinese broccoli<br /> Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce<br /> Chicken with mixed vegetables<br /> Shrimp with mixed vegetables<br /> Seafood with assorted vegetables<br /> Tofu with mixed vegetables<br /> Eggplant with garlic sauce<br /> Curry with beef, chicken, shrimp, or tofu<br /> »Pad thai (chicken, beef, shrimp or combo)<br /> »Shaken beef (sauteed)<br /> Pork spare rib simmered with sauce<br /> »Deep fried fish with tomato sauce<br /> »Steamed fish with ginger sauce<br /> »Fish in hot pot<br /> »Scallops with chili sauce<br /> »Salt baked scallop<br /> Salmon with vegetable<br /> Salt baked shrimp<br /> Shrimp with chili sauce<br /> Shrimp with ginger<br /> Walnut shrimp <br />
Deficiencies
Like most Vietnamese menus, the one here functions more as a price list than as a menu. Really, they do variations on pho, a few tabletop dishes, some grilled meats on rice or noodles, and maybe a dozen starters and entrees. They'll make almost anything you want within those strictures, but they don't need to note every possibility on the menu.
For Best Results
Many of the best dishes here are more appropriately served for a family rather than one or two people. The bigger the group, the more interesting the possibilities.
Bonus Ratings
2
Attitude
1
Environment
2
Hipness
1
Service
2
Value