A taste of Vietnamese pho

Hailed as the best Vietnamese pho in Paris, I enthusiastically made my way to Pho 14 along Avenue de Choisy to savour the wonderful beef stock that reminds me of a little restaurant called Locomotive back home in Causeway Bay.

This place is no different from many family-run businesses set up by immigrants of Chinese or Pan-Asian descent all over the world. Cheap and cheerful, there was no ambiance or comfort to speak of. But the pho noodle was rather tasty and came with a selection of cooked and raw beef, beef balls, plus the standard bean sprout, raw onion, mint leaves and chilli.  No one can complain about that for 8 euros which is a much welcome price-tag particularly in Paris.

Making it all the way to the 13th arrondissement meant that I was not prepared to go home empty-handed.  I strolled down the main street of 'Chinatown' to explore the Asian restaurants and supermarkets populating this district.  I have to say the restaurants looked like they have been there since the 1970s - dated, tired and mediocre. Walking pass some charred duck in the window did not instil a sense of confidence in the quality of Asian food served in this area.

At the other end of Avenue de Choisy I was pleasantly surprised to find Asian supermarkets, other than Tang Freres, that are well-stocked in fresh produce and Asian provisions. They carry all kinds of mangoes and fruits flown in from China and Thailand. Interestingly, most frozen foodstuff like spring rolls and dumplings are made locally and sold in bulk. For the uninitiated, these are the kinds of Chinese takeaway which the French people will sadly associate with our food culture.  I am hesitant to draw any conclusion on whether this misconception is widespread.  Having said that, however, the general sentiment towards the Asian immigrant population is positive.

The case for the North Africans is quite different unfortunately. The social burden placed upon the French government caused by an influx of immigrants is taking its toll.  More than half of the students in my language class at Alliance Francaise are from the African continent and their tuition fees are mostly paid by their employers.   Imagine those sitting at home, unemployed and surviving on social welfare. "Racism" is such a dirty word that any politically-correct person would try to avoid but there is no denying that the prevailing notion of the 'other' in France is very much alive.