Straightforward, soothing, satisfying
I don’t want to be interesting. I want to be good,” said Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the German architect who is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern architecture. It is a philosophy that today’s crop of culinary professionals would do well to keep in mind. When the options for dining are endless, the clientele is highly knowledgeable and discriminating, and competition is fierce, even cooking professionals and restaurants may be tempted to resort to gimmickry to entice diners to their outlets. The bottom line, however, should always be taste. Yes, interesting is a bonus. But for a place to have staying power, its food must remain constantly good.
As a food writer, I have run the gamut of interesting restaurants. There are those that surprise the diner with exciting combinations of ingredients and artistically arranged plates. There are those that serve food for the soul, just as there are restaurants that create dishes which make you think. Then of course, there are the mediocre ‘so-so’ assignments. One result of eating almost everywhere is that the adjective ‘interesting’ has taken on a whole range of meaning. There is that which means, “This food is unusual. I’d like to explore and try it again.” And there is the down-side where I end up saying, “This is interesting,” because I don’t want to be rude or hurt somebody’s feelings by saying outright that I didn’t enjoy the food too much.
Fresh spring rolls to start the meal But one thing is certain: when buffet bloat sets in and there is a need to revive the tired taste buds, I go through a list of favorite restaurants to see which one can clear the dog-tired palate. My youngest brothers Paulo and Enrico jokingly describe this eating/ digestive ritual as “needing to liquid sosa.” When it happens, we all go out for my restorative meal.
A common favorite in my family when food fatigue happens is Pho Hoa. We usually hone in on the Pho Nam, Gan Bo Vien, hunching over our individual large bowls of beef flank, tendon, and meatball soup and adding crunchy mungbean sprouts and fragrant basil leaves to the light, yet rich and delicious broth. I truly believe that there is nothing that a tasty and steaming bowl of pho cannot cure. Looking around the Eastwood branch that we usually visit, I observe that other diners are most likely enjoying the same. Or maybe the Pho Do Vien or seafood noodle soup, which is our second best favorite.
Bowl of fried rice paper roll with pork and vermicelli “The soups are our signature items,” says John Tian Seng, Pho Hoa manager. “You can’t get the product anywhere else in the Philippines. We lived in Canada for a few years and my entire family loved the food. Every time we’d go to the Pho Hoa in Vancouver or in the US, we’d notice that there were always a lot of Filipinos eating there. It’s really big over there with the Filipinos. That was a clear sign that if they liked it, maybe it would work to bring it back home, too.”
Thus, the first Pho Hoa outlet opened in 1998 along Jupiter Street in Makati. Thirteen years later, the brand remains strong. “We’re now up to our 24th branch, and it looks like the customers enjoy the food and the dining experience,” says John. The restaurant is even more popular with local diners, especially now that Vietnamese is recognized as among the healthiest types of cuisine.
“The current trend is of healthy dining,” John agrees. “But our slogan from the start has been ‘The Health Conscious Choice.’ The soup itself is very low in fat but high in flavor and uses a lot of spices. Our food is both low in fat and low in cholesterol. Also the soup and a lot of other items on the menu are vegetable-heavy, so the food is filling but you won’t feel guilty eating a lot.”
Eating healthy at Pho Hoa: Roy Villareal, Citibank director for Consumer e-Business and Decision Management, John Tian Seng, Pho Hoa managing partner, and Citibank program manager Mellany Montemayor Certainly, there is much to enjoy at Pho Hoa. Our favorite starters include the fresh spring rolls with pork and shrimp; or maybe the vegetarian variant if we ¡are feeling especially virtuous. The stuffed chicken wings are always delicious, and we love the contrasting textures of fried rice paper roll with lettuce wrap. For the main dishes, my youngest brother Enrico can consume a whole order of minced chicken with mushroom and lettuce wrap. “Light on the belly, but heavy on flavor,” he says as he neatly wraps up the meat in lettuce. He likes eating with his hands. But always the carnivore, Paulo opts for the tenderloin tips. As for me, the fried rice paper roll with pork and vermicelli is satisfying enough. Or when I am feeling particularly ravenous, the Vietnamese fish with yellow beans makes a tasty addition to the meal.
But while all the items at Pho Hoa are reasonably priced, another great thing about dining there in November is Citibank's Weekday Specials promotion where a single purchase of P700 using your Citibank credit card entitles diners to a free appetizer.
Cardholders may also choose to avail of the Best Dining Deal that's available everyday until Dec. 31, 2012. For a minimum of P1,000 purchase Pho Hoa using the Citibank credit card, cardholders get a free Rice Paper Roll with Pork and Vermicelli.
“Dining is one of the top five uses of credit cards. It’s consistent across all credit card companies,” says Roy Villareal, Citi director for e-business and decision management. “Customers can have different choices and likes towards food. As much as possible Citi incorporates a holistic approach to the types of restaurants that we want to accredit for this dining privilege program. So it’s not just about Vietnamese food, of course we want a good variety of restaurants that can provide the customers good value for money.”
Interesting textures with fried rice paper roll with lettuce wrap Roy explains, "We are continuously increasing, and trying to improve the dining offers. The idea behind all of this is for our customers to find value in their credit cards. There are a lot of credit cards out there in the market; Citi is differentiated by the quality of service that we give and the quality of offers and privileges that we give our customers, so that they can have the best value for money with their credit cards.”
Roy lists the benefits of a Citi card. “Credit cards are an extension of your wallet – it’s as good as cash. But we give out credit cards because firstly they’re safe: if you travel, for example, and you lose your wallet, you can just report your card lost and a replacement can be sent in a few days. If you lose your cash, however, that’s it, it’s gone. So in this case, the card is a safe option for managing finances. Another advantage is that users, given that they are able to manage and understand their cash flow, are able to manage their finances when paying using credit card. So they are able to take advantage of when their card is billed, plus of course all the pay-lite options like paying in installments, zero interest deals, and the like.”
But like us, Roy enjoys Vietnamese cuisine at Pho Hoa. “My experience in Pho Hoa is really the excellent quality of the food; I’ve never had a bad experience eating here. Pho Hoa offers great value for money since it isn’t too expensive, and there is a wide selection of dishes.” The restaurant has partnered with Citi for the Dining Privileges promotion for four years.
Minced chicken with mushroom and lettuce wrap: Light on the belly, but heavy on flavor. “We have a huge base of cardholders, a million cards out there that our merchants are able to tap. Easily, they get free advertisement because we broadcast our deals and partnerships over all channels available that are used to inform our customers of all the deals, privileges, and services available,” explains Roy. “We can drive traffic to their restaurants. The strength of the partnership with Citi lies with our network and our ability to provide them with this kind of advantage.
But Roy says the program is a great advantage for Citibank, too: “This is a great way to improve the value proposition and the overall versatility of our card. We all like to eat, and we all look for the best deals in town. Citi is all about keeping with the customer’s interests and providing them with the most that they can get out of their card.” Look for the Citibank Dining Privileges logo at your favorite restaurants.
Stuffed chicken wings 
