Pho Ba Luu coming to Butchertown

Looks like they're getting close to opening. They have a menu on their Facebook page now.

[Robin Garr]

Looks like they're getting close to opening. They have a menu on their Facebook page now.

Thanks for passing that on, Rich! I can't wait! I also think Mirin on Frankfort is going to be the bomb. It's going to be interesting to compare them. I've got my opinion, but will wait and try them both and hope to love them both.

As for the pronunciation, I submit a simpler explanation.

[Robin Garr]

That's about right. I don't think there's any shame in pronouncing it to rhyme with "Whoa," though.

Why is it "rude" to pronounce it "Fuh"? am I missing something?

Wow! Looking forward to this!
(Could someone post , phonetically, how the name is pronounced and if it translates into something or is merely a proper name? Thanks!)

Pho is Vietnamese soup, and geeks pronounce it "phuh" in a rude effort to replicate the original. "Ba" means "three" in Vietnamese, I'm pretty sure (from the notorious "33" beer, "Ba mi ba") and it's just like "baa, baa black sheep." Luu, I dunno, but I'm guessing it's pronounced "Loo."

So, "Foe Baa Loo"? Or "Phuh baa loo"? Just guessing here ...

Yes, Pho is Vietnamese soup, but I believe it derives from the French Pot-au-feu (remember, the French "owned" them from 1789 (or up to a century before, if you include the Jesuits) until Vietnam's independence in 1954. Much of Vietnamese food - seen in Louisville more in Basa than in Vietnam Kitchen - derives from or exhibits French influences. Pho can be pronounced like the French "feu."

[Robin Garr]

Why is it "rude" to pronounce it "Fuh"? am I missing something?

Looking back at something I posted a while back and trying to remember, I think the issue here is that "rude" has more than one definition. I meant something more like crude in the sense of "careless, awkward, I don't know how to pronounce Vietnamese so 'Fuh' is only an approximation, and a Vietnamese server would probably snicker harder at my pretentiousness for trying to say it in Vietnamese rather than just saying "Foe" like all the other Westerners.

Oh I see what you mean. My experience, especially in other countries, has always been that they appreciate it when I attempt to use their language even if I don't nail the pronunciation perfectly. Never thought of it as pretentious, but more deferential to their culture. But most are probably used to Americans saying things however they want to.

[Robin Garr]

Yeah, I'm sure it's not a big deal to them. I think I'm probably channeling a guy I used to know who was a major food snob, and he'd get all over people for being too ignorant to prounce it in proper Hanoi-accented Vietnamese.

Pho Ba Luu will open with limited hours next Tuesday (Sept. 13), according to their Facebook page. Regular hours start the following week.

https://www.facebook.com/phobaluulouisville

I went to Pho Ba Luu twice last week, and enjoyed it very much. I had the grilled pork banh mi ($8) on the first visit, and it was good. The bread wasn't quite as good as the stuff Banh Mi Hero had when they were open, but Pho Ba Luu do bake it on site and I'm sure they'll refine the recipe as they go on. I also would have preferred fresh jalapenos instead of the pickled ones they used, but that's not a huge deal, either. What I was impressed with was the pork filling. It was by far the most flavorful and delicious I've had in a banh mi.

On my second visit I got the beef pho, which was also quite good. The broth was very flavorful and delicious. It was an enormous portion, though - I ate myself stuffed and still had at least a third of the broth and noodles left over. If it were economical for them to do so, I'd prefer an $8 slightly smaller bowl over the $11 massive one that I got.

Oh, we also got the "crispy rolls" (imperial rolls) on our second visit. At two rolls for $6, I honestly thought that was a bit of a ripoff. Nam Nam Cafe's imperial rolls are 4 for $4.50, and they're just as good in my opinion.

They've done a good job with the buildout. It's a suprisingly large space, and it looks good in an industrial-chic way that fits the building and the neighborhood. Lovely back patio, too. The patio looks out on a back yard area that looks like it'll be sort of shared by the other Butcher Block businesses. Should be a very nice spot once all those buildings are renovated and occupied.

I'll be back repeatedly in the future, I'm sure! Pho Ba Luu isn't a substitute for Vietnam Kitchen's diverse menu, but VK is a long hike for me and I'll be visiting PBL regularly, especially for the banh mi.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for posting the first report, Jeff. I'm eager to get there, although I've probably been harboring some suspicion whether it will be at all "dumbed down" from VK, Annie's, even NamNam. Thanks again for a detailed review.

I went the other day and had very similar reaction as Jeff. I got the pork banh mi and split some spring rolls. The spring roll was disappointing -- I think because there were no pickled vegetables? But the pork banh mi was very nice, again, like Jeff said, because the mix of pork and pate was a good, strong flavor. The space was nice. Parking was a hassle due to road work, but hopefully that won't drag out. Overall I liked it and look forward to having a spot for lunchtime pho this winter.

I dropped in for lunch today. First impression...no parking! I ended up parking illegally in the Plumbers Supply lot since I was getting take out and decided to risk the tow truck, but be prepared to walk if it's peak time and you are parking on the street. I got a take out order of Chicken Pho, Pork Noodle Bowl with Crispy Rolls and an order of Shrimp Spring Rolls. The Chicken Pho is in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch, but the Pork Noodle Bowl was pretty close to Bun Cha that I've ordered at VK and Annie's Cafe. I cut up the crispy rolls and put them into the noodles. The pork was charred nicely. I'd say this was a winner. There was a sauce packed up in my take out that I couldn't quite ID. One container of Hoisin for the Pho, one of Fish Sauce for the noodle bowl, but one container was a mystery to me. It looked like diluted peanut sauce and tasted like spicy dishwashing liquid...and not in a good way. I'd like to know what that was. Spring rolls were flavorful but a little gummy. It's a beautiful restaurant, especially in this weather, although the set up is a little odd. You'd think the ordering station would be right as you walk in the door, but it's well into the restaurant. Service was friendly. We will see how the Chicken Pho tastes tomorrow.

Only in Louisville is parking a barometer on how good a restaurant is...smdh