Pho 14

Not sure why the it’s called “Pho 14,” considering a number of things, such as that it’s in the 13th arrondissement, not the 14th…

Regardless, 14 is one of my favorite numbers so I’m okay with it. I made the trek out to the 13th this chilly but lovely Saturday. I had never been there and had only driven by it on my driving tour with my host dad. It’s home to Place d’Italie, Paris’s very own Chinatown, so I was very honestly expecting a gritty, crowded, Asian-invasion, with the smell of fish gracing the air. I’m also incredibly superstitious (just a little stitious), and I kid you not, I never really thought to go to the 13th o_O.

I’m so glad I went because maybe because it’s so far South, it’s probably one of the most spacious, open areas of Paris, without any of the stuffy tourism. It wasn’t, in fact, an Asian invasion, but there were plenty of Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants scattered around the area.

I had been wanting to go to a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris for a while (the same messed-up reason I wanted Indian food in London), so after reading up on Asian restaurants to go to, I chose to go to Pho 14, just off of Tolbiac metro (line 7). It wasn’t hard to find considering the line was out the door.

The warm soup and familiarity were exactly what I needed on this cold, first of December. It wasn’t ridden with MSG, and it was very authentic. Even though it’s a bit out of the way, it was super filling and super cheap –  I wouldn’t go anywhere else for some good old pho.