Realisant mon espoir, je me lance vers la gloire…

I’ve been in Dallas all this week. It was a last minute trip, and has been pretty hectic since I got here, but I’m headed home tomorrow. All is well, except that now I am addicted to phở. Damn you, bluestarliz, sivatonight, and revjim!

Monday night, after work, I went to a cafe with sivatonight and revjim. Great conversation and good coffee was had, as always. I try to hook up with them every time I come out to Dallas; they are a great couple. It occured to me that I always see them talking about phở in their journals, and so I asked about it. Plans were made to introduce me to phở.

Last night we met up with bluestarliz at Phở Pasteur II in Carrollton, and they explained the menu, helped me make some choices, and then explained the whole process of preparing your phở, once it’s served. I went slow: some cilantro, basil, and an herb I couldn’t identify which was very aromatic went in first. I added a little hoisin sauce and the flavor really perked up. This is not to say that the flavor was not good before, it most certainly was, but the hoisin sauce added a nice tone to it. After some prodding (I’m not a big fan of super spicy food) I also added the hot cock sauce (dubbed so because it’s hot sauce and there’s a rooster on the bottle - also it’s fun to say). I’m here to tell you that hot cock makes everything better.

Wait … No … Yeah, that’s what I meant to say. Ahem.

I am now craving this stuff (the phở you pervs) even as I write this. Thankfully, a quick Google Maps search has revealed there is a phở place about six miles from work, back home. You’re lucky, sivatonight!

In all seriousness, though, it was really good and I’m glad I was introduced to it. I’m looking forward to dragging Corrie Ann to get some.

Tonight I’ll get all packed up and putter around the hotel room checking every drawer twice, under the beds, in the closet and the bathroom to make sure I don’t leave anything behind. I do this every time I leave a hotel room; obsessive-compulsive much? It’s like my going home ritual, though. Tomorrow will be a short day to get any last minute things handled, and then I’m off to the airport around noonish. My flight isn’t until around 4PM, but it takes time to get there, return the rental car, and get through security. I hate to feel rushed.

To bluestarliz, sivatonight, and revjim: so long, and thanks for all the phở. You guys rock!