Big Bowl of Pho

Johnnie Excel recently blew through the 4 lb Pho Challenge at the original Pho Garden location in a record 13 minutes. The challenge is offered at the various Pho Garden locations in the Bay Area. I had the pleasure of mastering this massive dish in March 2010 at the Mountain View location.

The bowl comes out boiling. You have one hour to wade through the hot, salty beef-base Vietnamese soup known as "pho." The challenge bowl comes packed: 2lbs of various cuts of meat, and 2 lbs of semi-transparent noodles. Luckily you don't need to drink the broth to win. Winners receive their meal free and get to keep the monumental bowl. It remains on my coffee table as a testament to my digestive system.

My thoughts on this challenge? It's one of the more interesting ones I've taken on, but more and more restaurants are trotting out their own versions of the pho challenge. At least it wasn't another burger or burrito.

The cuts of meat involved are not typical fare for the Western consumer. You'll find flank, tendon, cartilage pieces, meatballs, sirloin strips, and other chunks I can't readily describe. The noodles are straightforward. There's just too damn many of them. Imagine cooking two packs of spaghetti and downing them in one shot.

How did I feel afterward? Not full. These pho challenges have never pushed me to the limit. But, since they're loaded with 2 lbs of pasta, I'm in carb city and I know better than to slam a quart of ice cream in celebration. I remember sweating profusely after the challenge was done.

Just let it settle. The bowl is probably the "coolest" part of this challenge.

Chocolate Ice Cream, Squared

Nothing says chocolate like Ghirardelli's.

Especially if you're willing to pay extra for it.

On a recent trip to San Francisco with my cousin, I fell into the typical tourist traps in the Bay Area. I had to see the Fisherman's Wharf. Stand in that area where you can see both the Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridges. And yes, I paid for parking. That's something you just don't do at home. But when you're on the road, you'll do some pretty crazy things.

So we had to go to Ghirardelli's Square while in town. The place was packed, but we got to sample a free piece of peanut butter-filled chocolate as we waited. It was definitely up to par. I don't know if it justified all the waiting though. I guess I have to chalk up the whole thing to a cultural experience. You sometimes have to suffer (financially or otherwise) to enjoy something new.

The corporate propaganda was certainly in full effect! There were posters and note cards everywhere informing me that Ghirardelli's chocolates were simply the best in the world -- the best tasting, and the highest quality. Well, a double-scoop ice cream cone certainly cost more here than it did in most places. Hopefully that implied something.

I was more than a little disappointed when my food finally arrived.

I don't know, but there was something depressing about seeing my ice cream cone delivered on a silver platter. You're supposed to hold a cone in your hand, like you see in those movies on a hot summer's day. I couldn't do that in this big fancy ice cream joint. I had to eat my ice cream cone with a spoon. 

The taste? It was absolutely spot-on. I selected Ghirardelli's Chocolate and Rocky Road. Both were excellent, deep, rich, flavors. My entire gripe centered upon presentation and to a lesser degree price. The place was busy, obviously, and their name commands a high volume of customers. There is a cost to be borne for such considerations.

Don't count on me going back the next time I'm in San Francisco!