A Take on TU's Review of Kim's Vietnamese

I felt the need to write my own post on Kim's Vietnamese upon reading Bryan Fitzgerald's Times Union review. The review left me confused. Not that I don't doubt that restaurants have inconsistencies from time to time but some things about the review were off-putting enough for me to share my own thoughts. As a disclaimer, I am a first generation Vietnamese-American (nee Canadian but now a naturalized American) born and raised by immigrant parents. I live a very Americanized lifestyle and don't follow much in way of traditions but if there's one thing about my culture that I wholeheartedly appreciate, it's the food! I have a very unique perspective on Vietnamese food and you can't blame me for being so picky. Have you read what my mom packed for my school lunches? My parents are even more picky and never go out to Vietnamese restaurants unless it's for pho noodle soup. 

My parents and I have eaten pho at most of the Capital Region's Vietnamese restaurants with the exception of Pho Yum because it's a silly name and it's just not right to charge extra for meat on top of a base, and My Linh because they couldn't fathom paying $15 for canh chua soup (a peasant dish that my mom makes all the time) and a bowl of pho for two just didn't make sense. In fact, my dad made us walk out of My Linh upon being seated and seeing the menu. Told you they were picky.

You might think that I am biased towards all things Vietnamese but trust me when I say I've had mediocre Vietnamese food too. Perhaps my taste for Vietnamese food is more discerning than an American palette but I've trained my Irish-American boyfriend to love Vietnamese food and we both disagree with Fitzgerald's take on pho: "Beef broth in our pho — Pho Dac Biet ($8.95) — at Kim's Vietnamese in Albany was a bit weak, a tad sour, just underwhelming enough to fall onto the good-but-not-great side of the pho-broth spectrum." (Times Union).  At times we've had a fattier broth at Kim's but never underwhelming or weak. I don't know what Fizgerald's expectations of what a real pho broth tastes like but it's suppose to be a fine balance of aromatic spices and rich, beefy flavor that has good clarity to it and has a good depth of flavor. Perhaps Fitzgerald is use to places that use more of a bouillon-cube based broth (a taste that my mom has picked up on from other local joints). 

I don't understand where Fitzgerald is getting "a tad sour broth" from. Did someone put too much lime or condiments in their soup? Pho is a very personalized dish beyond the broth. The optional condiments come on the side for a good reason. You customize the additional acroutements to your liking to enhance the broth. Add as much sriracha to add as much spice as you'd like and as much hoisin to add a bit of sweetness. Plus there's the basil which adds a bit of licorice notes, and sprouts, culantro (which I've only ever seen served at Kim's) and lime. Maybe he added too much lime, but never have I come across any pho broth that is sour without a touch of lime. In fact you want your broth to have that bright acidic note from the lime. Vietnamese food is all about a balance of salty, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy. If anything, some places actually add daikon radish for sweetness but that wouldn't add a sour component to the broth. I only know this because my mom has tipped me in on this secret. 

My second gripe, why post photos of dishes that you didn't even try or comment on? You see photos of boneless duck and crispy Vietnamese pancakes. Banh xeo (the sizzling pancakes) are almost as quintessential as pho in my book but no mention of it at all in the review.  Plus, let's be realistic here, have you seen the size of those bowls of pho noodle soup?! That soup bowl is a meal in itself and you are pushing it by stating that dinner for two includes "two appetizers, a bowl of pho, two entrees, an iced coffee and a pair of beers — came to $85 after tax and tip." That's a lot of food for two people and way more than a couple would spend on a meal here. We spend that much if not more on sushi dinners. J and I were just in at Kim's for dinner and spent no more than $32 for two bowls of soups and a banh mi sandwich shared as an appetizer. Add a drink, alcoholic or not, and you wouldn't even come close to breaking $50. I get you're ordering an array of dishes for the sake of a review but let's be realistic. A meal for two at a Vietnamese joint will not break the bank, or at least shouldn't. 

I'm going to end on a note for you not to be leery of the pho at Kim's as Fitzgerald makes it out to be. Even my parents have given Kim's a seal of approval, rating it first above all other places around here. To us it's on the "great side of the pho-broth spectrum." Kim's is good enough for a Vietnamese palate but how do you cater to an American palate without compromising authentic flavors. For example, the other day I had bun bo hue (a spicy noodle soup) at Kim's and while it satisfied a craving it was nothing like my mom's. The restaurant's version is made and served with pork loin. My mom makes hers with pig's feet  which brings a much fattier and unctuous broth and her version is more pungent in flavor with the addition of shrimp paste. I was disappointed in that it was muted in flavors and wonder whether it was scaled back for the American taste. I get not everyone is ready for pig's feet or shrimp paste. Although Kim's is the only place in the Capital Region to make this dish and I commend them for that. It's an introduction to something other than pho. I digress from the pho conversation. I don't think you have to choose carefully per the review's headline because these flavors are for you to discover and explore. I'm only picky because I'm Vietnamese but this Vietnamese approves of the pho at Kim's and so far we think it's our #1 in the 518 region.