An iconic dish of one of the world’s truly outstanding cuisines, the Vietnamese noodle soup called pho probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind when you think of Emerald Coast grub, but it’s great to have as an option. Pho Pier 77 serves a variety of richly brothed pho as well as a few other Vietnamese dishes that provide the perfect switch-up from the “usual” fried seafood platters and other greasy fare.
You may be one of the many absolutely rabid pho fans, but if you’re unfamiliar with the soup your server can walk you through the options. You can choose from a range of different meats to go with your soup’s rice noodles, veggies, and seasonings, including eye round (Tai), tendon (Gan), fatty brisket (Gau), and meatballs (Bo Vien). You’ve also got a tofu-and-broccoli option if you want to go the vegetarian route.
The pho bowls come in small or large sizes: Let your appetite make the call!
The appetizers include a number of different spring rolls—shrimp, pork skin, grilled pork, grilled chicken, or fried tofu—as well as deep-fried egg rolls with shrimp, ground pork, chicken, noodles, carrots, mushrooms, and onions.
If you’re looking beyond (or in addition to) pho, Pho Pier 77 also serves those classic French-influenced Vietnamese sandwiches called banh mi, prepared with such fillings as BBQ pork, grilled lemongrass beef, and grilled chicken.
The kitchen whips up a whole range of rice plates as well, including the House Rice Plate (Com Dac Biet) with its pork skin, grilled pork chop, bean curd, an egg cake (cha), and a fried egg.
As an alternative to pho, you might try the bún bowls: vermicelli noodles in fish sauce with zesty veggie, pickle, peanut, and herb flavoring with your choice of grilled topping—from charbroiled shrimp and lemongrass beef to tofu.
You can cool off on a hot PCB day with a delicious Vietnemese iced coffee, or go for a soda, lemonade, or pot of hot jasmine tea.
Let’s take a closer look at a few particular favorites at Pho Pier 77:
Pho Dac Biet
If you’re not sure what pho to try on your first visit here, give the Pho Dac Biet a shot: It’s a sumptuous soup that combines several of the available meats—filet mignon, fatty brisket, flank, tendon, and tripe—for maximum heartiness.
Shrimp Spring Rolls
All of the spring rolls at Pho Pier 77 are toothsome, but the shrimp version may come out on top. The rolls come stuffed with shrimp and pork along with the bean sprouts and lettuce, and just scream out to be generously dipped in the accompanying peanut sauce.
Bo Nuong: Beef Banh Mi
Grilled lemongrass beef headlines this winner of a banh mi, served on a buttered French baguette with cucumbers, jalapeno, daikon, cilantro, carrots, and pate.
If you’re bored or oversaturated with the typical crab-house and shrimp-shack menus in PCB, give Pho Pier 77 a try for some Vietnamese flavors right in the heart of the Emerald Coast!
Insider Tip:
– For extra-special dining, aim for a sunset dinner: You can see the beach from across the street while you dine at the windows.