Restaurant: The Blind Goat
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Location: *Inside Bravery Chef Hall (409 Travis Street - Houston, TX 77002)

When you're down and out with a bad head cold, there's nothing quite like a hearty bowl of bone broth to aid in healing and warm the soul.  Case in point: Chicken Pho.  

"But............I don't really *love* fish sauce," I mumbled in a nasal-y voice as we walked in to Bravery Chef Hall.  To be honest, I wasn't particularly craving Vietnamese food, but my boyfriend insisted that I'd feel much better after a bowl of Christine Ha's famous chicken pho.

We plopped atop bar stools overlooking the open kitchen and watched as the culinary orchestra unfolded before our very eyes.  "I could just sit here for hours and watch the cooks do their thing," I said in awe.

Our friendly waitress/prep cook suggested we get lunch started with the beef carpaccio.  "Ehhh," I whispered to my boyfriend,"I hate beef tartare."  She told us to just trust her and go with it, so we put the order in.  

Beef carpaccio

Lightly seared, thin blankets of beef were crowned with a sweet and savory liquid/sauce (*not* fish sauce, which I loathe), citrus, Vietnamese herbs, corn nuts, and roasted peanuts and served alongside puffed prawn chips.  

The Carpaccio rendered nothing short of culinary dynamite and, hands down, one of my favorite 'bites' of 2019.  I loved how Chef Ha played with - and emphasized - various textural components (corn nuts, peanuts, prawn chips) with this delicious, unique, and creative spin on a traditionally bland appetizer.  

Chicken Pho

For as adventurous of an eater as I am - and for all of the places in the world in which I have traveled - I am ashamed to say that I have never had pho!  Much less a chicken version!  

Aside from knowing that my boyfriend was obsessed with this particular bowl of the famous Vietnamese soup, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  

Chock-full of chicken, cracklins, scallion, fried onion, rice noodles, and broth, the pho was topped with a sous vide egg.  I pushed the egg aside and took my first bite which, while tasty, didn't blow me away.  "It's fricking chicken soup," I thought.  It wasn't until I stabbed the egg and stirred the molten yolk throughout the broth that the pho went from good to excellent.  Acting as a rich thickening agent, the egg became the piece-de-resistance of the dish and completely converted me.  

If you find yourself in downtown Houston, carve out some time and hit Bravery Chef Hall for a slew of dining options.  I guarantee you that The Blind Goat's menu, namely the Beef Carpaccio, is worth going out of your way for.  Plus, you can't beat Chef Ha's incredible and inspirational personal history and story.

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Until we eat again, 

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle