03/07/2025: This is a Vietnamese rice noodle restaurant that I visited early for lunch almost as soon as I arrived in Paris from Strasbourg. It is more popular with Korean tourists than Phở Bánh Cuốn 14, a rice noodle restaurant that I had a satisfying meal at two years ago.
When I visited, 90% of the customers around me were Korean, and even most of the people waiting outside were Korean. I was amazed by the ratio that I had never seen in a Korean restaurant, and ordered Pho Bo and Bo Boun.
I ate both in petite sizes, but the portions were so generous that I wondered how big the grande would be. First, I ate the beef rice noodle Pho Bo, which was served separately with sukju and cilantro, and I ate them all up.
The broth was clear and elegant, with a little oil floating on it, and it contained thinly sliced scallions and round meatballs. The scallions were cooked just enough to have a reddish tint to them, so they were soft, and the meatballs were chewy.
The broth was not as heavy as Phở Bánh Cuốn 14's Pho Bo, but the meat flavor and savory taste were quite strong. It was a little sweet, but it was a sweetness that came from the meat fat that was not artificial.
Next, Bo Bun is a bibim rice noodle that tastes similar to Bun Cha. It has a nuoc mam sauce on the bottom, so you can mix it right away. It contains lettuce, nem, peanut powder, shredded carrots, and pork bulgogi.
Nem is practically the same as Cha Jo, but it is filled with noodles rather than meat, so it doesn't look like it was made directly. I enjoyed the taste of the rice paper that crumbles and falls apart, and it was not too oily and savory.
The pork bulgogi had a strong smoky flavor and aroma, so it went well with the noodles. Bo Bun was refreshing and sweet and sour, and the peanut powder added not only a smoky flavor but also a texture, making it a delicacy.
It was quickly eaten because of its strong sweetness, but since it had a high proportion of vegetables, it had a fresh taste, and it wasn't bad when I sprinkled some chili peppers and hot sauce on it. But next time I come, I think I'll just order the pho.
03/07/2025: The seating area is a bit cramped, and although the owner is friendly and polite, the queue was quite long. The beef soup was tasty, but not as amazing as people online have claimed.