Flavor Boulevard

We Asians like to talk food.
Subscribe

Fast pho at Le Cheval

September 17, 2009 By: Mai Truong Category: California - The Bay Area, noodle soup, Vietnamese

There is this McDonald’s pretty much right across the street from the old Physics building where I went to college. It made good business. College kids, tight pockets, tight schedule, empty stomach, of course. But good old days are no more. The Big M is nonexistent here, although all the above conditions still hold. The Physics building is inconveniently located in the middle of campus, which is at least 15 minutes strolling to the nearest food in any direction (on-campus diners don’t count). The shortest voyage if you’re facing south leads to the corner Durant-Bowditch. A yellow sign gently says “Le Cheval – Saigon Cuisine, Est. 1986”, with green vines, sunshine patio, and “cash only”.

Le_Cheval_BerkeleyThe place is usually packed during lunch peak. (This picture was taken at 3 pm.) There are about a dozen dishes on the counter, you pay a fix price for a combo rice plate, and make your own. I haven’t tried those, because it would take more time than to order a bowl of pho. Actually I said “noodle soup”, and the white man at the cashier politely asked, in well-toned Vietnamese, “phở bò?” :-). I paid, poured myself a glass of water, sat down with a number. Two minutes later a guy, tray in hand, zigzagged from the back kitchen through numerous chairs and conversations. My pho was ready, snuggly next to the usual bountiful plate of bean sprouts and mints. I don’t recall my double cheeseburgers coming to me faster than that, especially when there are 50 customers around. Arguably, this phở is a more heart-warming encounter. What else would you expect from a big bowl with lotsa meat?

Speediness aside, Le Cheval has something else worth coming for: phở sans broth and all that steamy business. I haven’t seen this dish anywhere else. It appears under the name “stir-fried phở” on page 3 of the menu. It has the combined quality of pad thai and jap chae. A delicate yet enduring texture. It’s phở you can eat with a fork and ease. It’s phở you can take your time handling without making it disintegrate into the sea of broth. And take time you must, for it’s a big plate.

The veggies and shrimps are just makeup on a natural beauty, and probably for the health-conscious. The noodle is already savoury by itself.

Side note: the chopsticks here might be a little too short, and I always get loaded with guilt when putting my finished bowl (with broth) into the plastic bins for dirty dishes. Fatty liquid streaming out and coating the bowls isn’t a pretty sight. On the plus size, self-service saves you on tips, and all the more reason to order pho xao if you have time.

Address: Le Petit Cheval
2600 Bancroft Way (between Bowditch St and College Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-704-8018

0 Comments to “Fast pho at Le Cheval”


  1. Your take on SIEM tuning is accurate. We optimized alerts with Co-Managed IT Services Company in Thousand Oaks and cut noise drastically.

    2
  2. Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any recommendations for first-time blog writers? I’d certainly appreciate it.

    4
  3. Great awareness on manufactured properties in Navarre, Ohio. This is a priceless source for homebuyers inside the discipline. best navarre ohio homes

    5
  4. I’ve tried so many things for upper back tension. A chiropractor I found on Chiropractor in Thousand Oaks finally gave me a plan that worked.

    6
  5. This article on sciatica is spot on. A Chiropractor in Thousand Oaks can help diagnose and treat it; I had great results with Thousand Oaks Chiropractor .

    8
  6. madrid-shop.com se dedica a la fabricación y venta de equipacion real
    madrid 2026 desde hace más de una década. Tejidos de alta calidad y precios bajos le proporcionan una
    gran experiencia de compra online.

    10
  7. Thanks for sharing. Choosing the good roofer makes a mammoth big difference, and First Class Roofing is famous for first-rate—extra data: roof restoration near me

    11
  8. I appreciated the emphasis on early diagnosis instead of waiting for a full breakdown. heat pump repair philadelphia

    12
  9. Excellent advice for retaining a riskless, sturdy roof. For knowledgeable roofing guide, First Class Roofing is a exceptional situation to start out— roof restoration melbourne

    13
  10. Excellent advice for retaining a riskless, sturdy roof. For knowledgeable roofing guide, First Class Roofing is a exceptional situation to start out—##anyKeyword##

    14
  11. Great insights on small business cybersecurity. If anyone in Ventura County is looking for local support, Managed IT Services Company has been a dependable option for Managed IT Services in Camarillo.

    16
  12. Thanks for the useful suggestions. Discover more at near me foundation inspection .

    17
  13. Great insights on small business cybersecurity. If anyone in Ventura County is looking for local support, ##anyKeyword## has been a dependable option for Managed IT Services in Camarillo.

    18
  14. Thanks for the useful suggestions. Discover more at ##anyKeyword##.

    19
  15. How transform tasks reside well prepared throughout the time of production is crucial reading. Check Phoenix remodeling contractor with design services .

    20
  16. How transform tasks reside well prepared throughout the time of production is crucial reading. Check ##anyKeyword##.

    21
  17. I can’t believe how fast Junk Removal in Aurora cleared out my garage. Thanks a ton! local junk removal in Aurora

    23
  18. I can’t believe how fast Junk Removal in Aurora cleared out my garage. Thanks a ton!

    24
  19. Solid mention of API security. We implemented API gateways and testing with Managed IT Services Company in Thousand Oaks .

    25
  20. Solid mention of API security. We implemented API gateways and testing with ##anyKeyword##.

    26
  21. Με βοηθήσατε να οργανώσω το επόμενο ταξίδι μου στην Αθήνα. Για την πλευρά των athens escorts greece του ταξιδιού, σκοπεύω να χρησιμοποιήσω το top escorts .

    27
  22. Με βοηθήσατε να οργανώσω το επόμενο ταξίδι μου στην Αθήνα. Για την πλευρά των athens escorts greece του ταξιδιού, σκοπεύω να χρησιμοποιήσω το ##anyKeyword##.

    28
  23. This article does a nice job explaining why recurring clogs may need more than a plunger. Sometimes hydro jetting or camera inspection is the better long-term solution. plumber near me

    29
  24. This is a great reminder to schedule plumbing repairs before problems get worse. For Southampton, PA, plumber southampton pa is relevant.

    30
  25. This article does a nice job explaining why recurring clogs may need more than a plunger. Sometimes hydro jetting or camera inspection is the better long-term solution.

    31
  26. This is a great reminder to schedule plumbing repairs before problems get worse. For Southampton, PA, ##anyKeyword## is relevant.

    32
  27. I get pleasure from the beneficial particulars on this submit approximately manufactured buildings in Navarre, Ohio. Very central for native readers. navarre ohio homes for sale

    34
  28. I get pleasure from the beneficial particulars on this submit approximately manufactured buildings in Navarre, Ohio. Very central for native readers.

    35
  29. With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright violation? My site has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my permission. Do you know any methods to help reduce content from being ripped off? I’d certainly appreciate it.

    37
  30. Email security remains a top attack vector. We deployed advanced filtering using Co-Managed IT Services Company in Thousand Oaks services.

    38
  31. Email security remains a top attack vector. We deployed advanced filtering using ##anyKeyword## services.

    39
  32. Really savour the practical instructions. First Class Roofing is a satisfactory preference for every person needing skilled roofing help—inspect: roof restoration melbourne

    40
  33. Solid assessment and user-friendly to follow. For knowledgeable roofing expertise, First Class Roofing is worth attaining out to—hyperlink: roof restoration near me

    41
  34. Really savour the practical instructions. First Class Roofing is a satisfactory preference for every person needing skilled roofing help—inspect: ##anyKeyword##

    42
  35. Solid assessment and user-friendly to follow. For knowledgeable roofing expertise, First Class Roofing is worth attaining out to—hyperlink: ##anyKeyword##

    43
  36. http://b52club27.com/ Điểm đến giải trí số nổi bật với giao diện thân thiện

    44
  37. http://789club1.in/ Khám phá không gian giải trí trực tuyến đa dạng và tiện lợi

    45
  38. https://win79.marketing cung cấp nền tảng trực tuyến được thiết kế theo hướng thân thiện, phản hồi nhanh và duy trì khả năng hoạt động ổn định trên nhiều thiết bị.

    46
  39. https://win79.marketing/ Không gian giải trí trực tuyến hướng đến trải nghiệm mượt mà và tiện ích

    47
  40. https://manclub34.com/ Khám phá hệ thống giải trí trực tuyến linh hoạt trên nhiều thiết bị

    49
  41. https://sunwin01.dev mang đến nền tảng trực tuyến được tối ưu theo hướng nhanh, ổn định và thân thiện với người dùng.

    50


Leave a Reply