NYC Quick Chop! Luu's Baguette - Pho

Luu's Baguette - 134 East 26th Street, NYC, 10010

I (Mirko) have been craving Vietnamese food, and more specifically Pho, for quite some time now. Having been in New York City (NYC) for almost six months, I have not yet found a decent Vietnamese restaurant serving up this delectable broth to the standards which I am used to back in my hometown of Adelaide, Australia.

After mentioning this to friends of mine, they recommended a favourite of theirs called Luu's Baguette. When this was suggested to me, I automatically assumed that it was going to be located in Chinatown, but to my surprise it was in Kips Bay, so I was a little skeptical about how I would fare.

Walking in, Luu's serve up a number of Vietnamese dishes from Pho, Com (rice combinations), Bun (rice bowls), Banh Mi and a number of different drinks. To satisfy my soup and caffeine cravings I opt for the Pho Tai (beef noodle soup with raw beef) and a Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese iced coffee).

Pho Tai and Cafe Sua Da - $11.00

The Pho comes out with the bean sprouts and basil already in the broth. This is something that I am not used to as it's usually on the side (allowing the patron to determine whether they actually want these items in the soup). Luckily for me, I always do, so this is not a huge issue. The broth has a nice flavour with a good amount of noodles and beef. The beef is sliced thin and is of good quality so cooks quick in the warm broth.

The table has all the necessary condiments one would expect, think Sriracha and Hoi Sin sauces allowing you to make up your sauce mix for dipping the beef into.

Overall, I was pleased with finding this gem in Midtown and it definitely satisfied my craving and was a comparable alternative to what I would normally get in Adelaide. Check out our latest Pho review of Pho SA in Adelaide.

The Cafe Sua Da was provided in a takeaway cup so it was already made as opposed to being provided in the filter at your table. Whilst this is the case, the flavour of the Cafe Sua Da is prominent and there is a good mix between the sweet of the condensed milk whilst retaining the flavour of the Vietnamese coffee.

Overall, I was satisfied with the Pho at Luu's Baguette and it definitely satisfied a craving that I had. I will be back again to sample the Pho and try some of Luu's other dishes.