APR
14
2011

See this photo at my Picasa

I miss Eric Lam. Who dat you say? He was the owner of Pho Minh and the craftsman behind one of the best bowls of pho I have ever had the privilege to eat. Last fall, he closed up shop to the regret of all who appreciated his food. I can't say that I was shocked by the closing: the restaurant never was a hive of activity. Whenever I asked him about it, Eric always said business wasn't doing so well. So, before I move on to the focus of this review, I want to say, "Thank you, Eric. Hope to see you and your food again soon."

(Reflecting on the passing of Pho Minh, I am reminded that life is all about change. It is not static. Wow, what a "philosopher" I am!)

Life goes on and I still need my pho, so last week, on the advice of J. Gold, I decided to give Pho Filet - just a couple of blocks away from Pho Minh - a shot.

First impressions? Well, the restaurant occupies the best space in a low-budget row of shops since it has frontage on Garvey. The interior is unimpressive. There are a couple of flat-screens mounted at opposite ends, one playing a Vietnamese channel and the other a local network affiliate. With servers wearing company polos, to me, Pho Filet vaguely resembles Lee's Sandwiches.

What I ate: 1. Pho Bac - pho with filet mignon and thick rice noodles (around 6 USD), and 2. Chao Tom - shrimp forcemeat grilled on sugarcane and served with lettuce, herbs, pickled vegetables, cucumber, and fish sauce (around 6 USD).

Though it wasn't Eric Lam's Pho Bac, Pho Filet's version was quite satisfactory. However, the broth lacked the depth I found in Eric Lam's Pho Bac. I liked the option of having my meat - which you can see in the photo above - served rare and on the side as at Pho Minh. I also liked the Chao Tom. I love lettuce wraps and the Vietnamese really know how to do a good one. I only wished that Pho Filet served the shrimp forcemeat on the sugarcane.

I thought hospitality was sorely lacking at Pho Filet. After sitting down at the table the cashier pointed me to, I waited for a server to show up with a menu that never came. Instead, I had to march to the front and grab one for myself, which I doubt anyone noticed. It also took a long time before someone took my order. At least the food came out quickly.

While waiting and eating, I almost couldn't do anything else but fixate on the dirty neon setup next to my seat. There was a dead moth sitting amidst dust bunnies. Ick.

There is a parking lot for this restaurant and parking available on Lashbrook Avenue, which intersects Garvey.

The Bill: 11.95 USD.

My Rating:  out of four stars (satisfactory to good). I dock them an extra half star for the poor service and the dead moth. 9463 East Garvey Avenue Unit A, South El Monte; (626) 453-8911. CASH ONLY.

I hope Eric Lam returns with another restaurant soon. Not only did he get the food right but he got hospitality and the small details right as well.