The Roanoker Sept/October 2023 - 105

T
hree years ago, Alyssa Tran didn't know
how to make pho. The traditional
Vietnamese rice noodle soup was her
mom's domain, and Tran was happy
to let her make it for their family. But
as her mother got older, Tran decided
she needed to learn, not only to preserve their
family's recipe, but to carry on her mom's
Roanoke restaurant legacy. " We would always
cook at home, and everyone around Roanoke,
the Asian community just loves her cooking.
She always wanted another restaurant. " In
January, Tran fulfilled her mom's dream by
opening It's Pho Time in the Lamplighter
Mall Shopping Center with a menu of customizable
bowls of pho, superlative egg rolls
and homey Vietnamese dishes.
Although Tran's mom, Lien Le, ran a
Vietnamese restaurant called Nhu Y for seven
years, Tran is quick to point out that It's Pho
Time isn't as traditional. Instead of ordering
composed bowls of pho by number, diners
are presented with a paper menu and pen so
they can check boxes to customize their bowls
according to desired size, broth, meat, toppings
and whether they want extra noodles.
But the broth recipes are still mom-inspired
and approved. Like many older generations of
family cooks, Tran's mom didn't write down
recipes or exact measurements. But the techniques
she passed on informed Tran's R&D
when she developed her own signature broth:
blanching both the bones and meat before simmering
them, roasting the ginger and onions
and toasting spices in a wok.
At It's Pho Time, the basic beef broth
(served with sliced eye of round), features
beef bones that simmer for at least 18 hours,
amped up with star anise, cinnamon and cloves.
If your protein choice includes beef shank,
brisket or Vietnamese meatballs, those get
cooked with the broth and double the flavor
two-fold: the meat imparts a deeper, rounder
beef flavor, and the broth infuses the meat with
its aromatic qualities. (My go-to pairing is the
tender, thinly sliced brisket with Vietnamese
meatballs, which boast a pleasantly chewy
texture.) Additional protein options include
beef tendon, tripe, chicken or shrimp; on the
broth front, there's also chicken or vegetarian
(which comes with vegetables and tofu). When
it comes to garnishes, I recommend the works:
cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeños, lime
and both green and sliced onions. For a couple
bucks more, get the large size; like some other
eateries in the Lamplighter Mall, the pho is
served in takeout containers that are ideal for
toting home leftovers.
The space is simplistic, but the wall décor is
deeply personal: an assortment of plates Tran's
mom collected on return trips to Vietnam; a
framed, hand-tiled mosaic family heirloom;
a pair of nón lá (conical " leaf hats " ); red lanterns
printed with " It's Pho Time " that Tran's
Vietnam-based siblings had custom-made. On
one booth's wall, there's a map of Vietnam, with
various cities highlighted, next to a cut-out in
the shape of Virginia. " My mom is originally
from Nham. I was born in Bà Rịa. I came [to
the U.S.] when I was three, 32 years ago. My
earliest memory is Roanoke, " Tran says. " We
used to live in a place called Jamestown [Place]
- the projects. We came here with really no
money and were sponsored refugees. "
Tran says that It's Pho Time caters to the
broader Roanoke community more than an
Asian clientele, which, inevitably, leads to discussions
of authenticity. " A lot of people come
in with expectation. They expect it exactly like
'my mom's,' " she says. " It doesn't work out that
way because your mom could be from south or
north Vietnam or a different part of Vietnam
from us. Some like it saltier and sweeter. "
But she's noticed that on weekends, several
Vietnamese-owned nail salons place large takeout
orders for pho and weekend-only specials,
TheRoanoker.com
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 105
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The Roanoker Sept/October 2023

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