May Cafe

What's it like?

Pho! I have an addiction. Since moving to Fresno a year and a half ago, pho has become one of my favorite foods. I don't know how this came about, I mean, I've had pho several times in the years past and never really developed an addiction. But in Fresno, it's like there is a cult following and people are extremely particular about where they get their pho. Google pho in Fresno and you'll see how many places pop up. Nearly every Vietnamese restaurant I've been to in Fresno seems to turns out good pho. However, I’ve found May Cafe to be superior to rest. So what makes the pho at May Cafe the best for me?

It's the combination of flavors, the meat quality and yes, the MSG laden broth. Oh wait, is there really MSG in their broth? So, this review doesn't rate the entire restaurant in detail, but instead more specifically their pho. It's what I believe May Cafe is good at.

During my most recent experience at May Café, I had the pho special. Yes, it’s the pho with all the fixings (tripe, flank, and meatballs).Their broth has a distinguished flavor; it’s a combination of ingredients that I cannot decipher that elevates it from the rest. Perhaps it’s the amount of time that the chef lets the broth simmer or a combination of the spices, meat and bones used to make it? Whatever it may be, I find it to be the most flavorful. In addition to the broth, the cuts of meat tend to be very good and rarely do the meat cuts come with all the fat that you may find at the other places. Moreover, considering that pho is a noodle soup, it’s also about the noodles. The rice noodles don’t really have a huge flavor, but they sit just below the surface of the broth ready to be consumed with chopsticks. The noodles here provide a great balance of texture and are perfectly cooked, not sticky or dense.

A little Sriracha, basil, bean sprouts and lime provided to you are the only other ingredients needed to make this soup your own. Spice wisely, as you don’t want to disrupt the delicate balance of flavors that already exist in the pho.