Food Trippin': I found pho! So Ba Vietnamese Restaurant

Took a break from blogging about all that food and actually got off my rear end to do something! I had been pretty busy the last couple of weeks with tennis, after my re-discovered love for that sport. Found new friends who were eager to play so I got caught up with that for a while.  Am I getting better at it?  I don't know about that.  But I am getting darker!  I love my tan now.

In any case, I was still in the hunt for the elusive pho here in Atlanta.  Thanks to a nifty little app (Yelp, I know, I am ten light years behind y'all), I read about this downtown resto, So Ba, that served pho that is comparable to those found on Buford.  I knew then that I had to check it out pronto!  I then trekked to East Atlanta Village on a beautiful steaming hot Saturday afternoon.  It was amazing how near it was, yet my beloved Magellan GPS still managed to confuse itself and get me lost.  Seriously, it was the GPS' fault.

So Ba is tucked away in one of the side streets of EAV.  You won't see it along the main road;  you won't just chance upon it.  You will have to purposely look for it in order to find it.  But I do think it was worth getting lost for and finding eventually.

Scanning the menu, they had Khai Vi (appetizers), Com Tam (broken jasmine rice), Bun (rice vermicelli) and of course,Ppho (vietnamese noodle soup).  Compared to the other downtown Vietnamese resto I had tried, their menu seemed more extensive and closer to the real thing.  For starters, their pho choices included my favorite, Pho Dac Biet.  Loosely translated into English:  Everything on it.  Beef round steak, brisket, flank, tendon and tripe!  O frabjous day!  Callooh! Callay!

I was dining alone, yet I wanted to try an appetizer as well so I chose Goi Cuon Thit Nuong (Spring Rolls with Charbroiled Pork).

 Flavorful, somewhat refreshing, but I sometimes found the meat a little hard to chew on.  I do love the fish sauce it comes with.  Then on to my favorite pho!

Can you see all its beefy goodness?  I so missed you, tendon.  LOL.  Now I know that I don't have to travel to Buford just to get me a taste of you.  While I liked So Ba's pho a lot, I still can't help but think of the pho I had in San Jose, CA.  It just seemed better.  Could it be the broth?  Tenderer pieces of beef brisket?  But nonetheless, it was a very satisfying meal, and I am sure to go back for more.

I found So Ba aesthetically pleasing, somewhat cozy.  Feasting on Vietnamese goodness while listening to reggae in comfy seats sure beats the Buford ambience where you will find yourself dining under flourescent lighting and amidst the clatter of plates and ktichen noises.  Service was good; I was promptly attended to and the attendant checked on me regularly.  There were only three tables at the time, so that could have been a factor.  The attendant who waited on me was cool.  He had a mohawk which was in dreads and multiple piercings.  Can you see him in the picture on the left?  Me likey wait staff lookin' like dat.  See if you can find that on Buford.  Ha!

They also have specials:

I will definitely be back.  And soon!

So Ba Vietnamese Restaurant
560 Gresham Avenue (East Atlanta Village)
Atlanta 30310
404-627-9911