May 10, 2021
I got in my own car today with my son behind the wheel. I swear, it felt like a go-cart ride. He drives my Mini like he’s on a track. Weaving in and out of traffic and accelerating/braking to the point my neck muscles would rival Arnold Schwarzenegger’s from 30-years ago if we did it a few times a week. Of course, the radio was blaring.
It’s easy to see driving is serious business for Ben. Not for me… I was just happy to be out risking my life for pho chin. Note to self: Stop leaning forward for photos because your head looks to be the size of a watermelon.
Dying from COVID now that we’re both fully vaccinated isn’t as risky as riding in my car with my son, but I still appreciated the restaurant staff at Pho Shiki wearing masks. It’s awesome to get out and do things that feel “normal.” Although COVID is still a concern, we’re absolutely on the down-hill side.
We also had Gyoza and house salad — both great but neither warranted a photo — and I even came home with a large container of their house dressing. Happy Mothers Day to me! 🙂 I didn’t even spill my Starbucks drink on the crazy drive home. Today was my lucky day.
TIL (Today I Learned): Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the East) was badly burned while filming the Wizard of Oz. She returned to the set after being hospitalized but refused to do any more scenes with fire. Her stunt double did those — and was also injured on the set when a riding prop that spewed smoke exploded.
Oct 15, 2019
In the summertime, I love the cucumber salad at Pho Shiki, my current favorite restaurant. After a few failed attempts, I’ve now almost mastered the sauce.
Now that we’re into fall, I’ve switched to their house salad as an appetizer. It’s amazing and I can’t begin to guess what’s in it. I’ve tried recipes I’ve found online for ginger dressing and they aren’t even close. The good news is… Pho Shiki sells it! The better news is… I bought some!
It’s what’s for lunch!
There’s only one person that loves it even more than I do. And, it’s not the LOL doll. 🙂
Apr 30, 2019
$110 in Kohl’s cash had to be spent yesterday and my kid wanted to make certain he took full advantage of it. In case you’re unaware, kids are still kids at 36 years-old. They just fill your cart with stuff for THEIR kid.
Lunch at Pho Shiki’s (a Vietnamese – Japanese restaurant favorite) was a planned stop before we ever left home. Upon being seated, we were told only 1/2 of the menu was available — the Japanese side. Ben had his heart set on a bowl of pho (Vietnamese soup sort of like ramen — the exception is that ramen is wheat flour noodles while pho is rice noodles). While it sounds like pho is an easy dish to make, it’s actually a long process.
Our waitress explained that she was running the place for a full month while her father — the owner — was “home” visiting his mother. She brought in her son to help run the family business and the two were obviously overwhelmed. Although many left when being told only 1/2 the menu was available for order, most stayed. The place was STILL packed. The service was slow but friendly, and the food was amazing.
So many businesses (and brands) try to be something to everyone. Focusing on what you’re good at that targets a smaller group of buyers ensures they receive your best stuff — as opposed to mediocre satisfaction across the board.
While only offering half of the menu’s options might seem like a bad idea, in actuality it was brilliant. Rather than serve bad pho that might disappoint and discourage future customer visits, they opted to provide only what they could manage while still serving their best stuff.
