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[XiaNaphryz]

http://www.foodbeast.com/2014/09/09...-vietnamese-fast-food-calls-pho-chicken-soup/

Up until now, good Vietnamese restaurants have been notoriously frill-free. There’s very little effort spent appeasing guests with friendly waiters or even translated menus. You go, you enjoy the kaleidoscopic medleys of rice noodles, pickled carrots, basil, and proteins wrapped in rice paper or steeped in broth, you pay, and you leave.

Well folks, it seems we’re finally ready to give Vietnamese food the Panda Express treatment. Say hello to the Banh Shop.

With its first location opening this Friday in Dallas, Texas, the Banh Shop is Yum Brand’s ambiguously authentic yet ambiguously new age take on all that is mainstream Vietnamese food, from banh mi sandwiches to bun (dry noodle salads) to pho. Except they don’t really call it pho. Nope, they’re calling it “Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup.” Gag me with an Asian soup spoon.

Everything on the menu has been neatly repackaged (read: dumbed down and hipster-ed up) for the Insta- generation. Rather than plain photos of sandwiches identified solely by their protein (beef, pork), guests will find “Grilled Steak” on the menu, along with trendy flowery descriptions like “sliced and char-grilled with honey caramel glaze” and “cucumber-cilantro aioli”; or the “Breakfast All Day,” a two egg omelet sandwich with “ground seasoned pork & sliced smoked ham, with ribbon-cut cucumber & cilantro; with honey-garlic aioli.”

There are also spring rolls, “Wok’d” rice and noodle bowls, pho as we’ve said, bun, a salad, a kind of Vietnamese eloté dressed with coconut milk, butter, and fish sauce, Vietnamese iced coffee, a ginger margarita, a passion fruit colada, and craft beers.

We should note that this is all a gripe over form — the food could taste perfectly amazing. Last month, we ventured to Yum Brand’s other new Americana, travel, and fusion-inspired venture, U.S. Taco Co., and were moderately impressed. But you have to admit that when the “authentic street food” aesthetic can be commoditized by the same brand who runs Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, it’s probably kind of sort of okay way, way overdone.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Soon all Ethinc food will be fast food.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Soon all Ethinc food will be fast food.

It all is, somewhere.

 

[kirblar]

Soon all Ethinc food will be fast food.

A lot of it was already fast food in their home country.

 

[rude]

Texas wtf?

 

[Rafa=FedKilla]

Near me, okay. I will due my duty, GAF.

 

[Somnid]

Well the picture looks good.

 

[Persona7]

Soon all Ethinc food will be fast food.

uh, it is.

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

I will call it by its original name phoeva

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

Well the picture looks good.

Looks can be deceiving.

Spoiler

It does look good

 

[lovely ladies]

Near me, okay. I will due my duty, GAF.

do it, staged photo doesn't look that bad

 

[InfiniteNine]

The pho I ate didn't have chicken in it!

 

[pwack]

What a douchey article. Getting needlessly upset over whether they call it pho instead of being happy for more diversity in low-cost, quick serve eating.

 

[ponpo]

I have a feeling if they called it Pho people would be just as upset. 'wtf you call this pho??'

Also pho is the most boring Asian soup. Yeah I said some shit, what.

 

[Dead Man]

Except they don’t really call it pho. Nope, they’re calling it “Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup.”

:/

Pictures do look good though, and it's pretty hard to fuck up a banh mi.

Edit: That said, there are so many Vietnamese shops around here in Australia this is one fast food outlet I think I will live quite happily without.

 

[K.Sabot]

Glad we got an authentic pho shop opened in our town this year so I don't even have to think about this.

 

[maxcriden]

I guess I don't really care what they call it if this brings delicious food like banh mi and pho to the masses.

 

[Hugstable]

The pho I ate didn't have chicken in it!

lol I was gonna say doesn't pho usually have beef, meatballs, tripe, etc? I know there are chicken ones, but the standard pho at most places is usually beef

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Soon all Ethinc food will be fast food.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Yeah I've never seen pho on a menu that wasn't beef based, but I've only been to a few different vietnamese places.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

"They have their own cuisine now. Progress."

One of my favorite places to eat in college was this little shop called Pho King. It was phoking delicious. Although it makes me sick to see the names hipsterized, I'll certainly try it out. If its good, its good.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Isn't pho in Vietnam usually chicken-based? It would be ironic if this ends up being more authentic than what we can get at mom-and-pop pho shops.

I've had chicken pho at a place before, though; it wasn't very good.

 

[SRG01]

Who on earth eats chicken with pho?

 

[S-Wind]

What's "ethnic" food?

Are hot dogs ethnic food?

 

[Ra\/en]

I'll stick with my local "hole in the wall" pho restaurant thx.

 

[xxracerxx]

Who on earth eats chicken with pho?

Especially grilled chicken?

 

[TheKaeptain]

Isn't pho in Vietnam usually chicken-based? It would be ironic if this ends up being more authentic than what we can get at mom-and-pop pho shops.

I've had chicken pho at a place before, though; it wasn't very good.

My buddy is Vietnamese and his mom's pho is different than his mother-in-laws. I asked about it one day and he said it depends on where they are from.

 

[ZedIndyLil]

No pizzle, no sale.

 

[BigDug13]

So Taco Bell is to Mexican Food as this new restaurant is to Vietnamese food?

So even as "fast food", it won't resemble the actual food you find in that country?