Double lunch day: Pho Garden and Asian Box

I wanted both pho and Asian Box for lunch, so I decided not to choose. (My boyfriend asked me what I had for lunch, and I asked him not to call me fat).

My first stop was Pho Garden. Look how beautiful the vegetables are! When I get pho in New York, the basil is always rotten, the lime is dry, and they only give me two bean sprouts.

The broth is a little bland, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a little lime and hoisin sauce. Apparently, Pho Garden is the home of the "Pho Challenge"; two pounds of meat and two pounds of pho, which can be yours for free if you finish it (if not, it costs $25).

A lot of Chipotle-inspired restaurants have been popping up--like Asian Box. You choose from carbs like rice and rice noodles, proteins like beef, chicken, shrimp, and tofu, and various toppings. Like Chipotle, the price is determined by your protein and other add-ons.

I got rice noodles, shrimp, all the toppings, and the Hot Box It sauce (a strong hot sauce). The shrimp is tossed in lime and basil, which I really like! It's not too firm, and has a lot of flavor. Unlike Chipotle, though, Asian Box's bowl just feels more like a salad--it's very light, but not filling (maybe because of all the raw vegetables). However, they do have a lot of great elements; I highly recommend the shrimp, pork (which is like chasiu pork), crispy shallots, and rice noodles--and the Hot Box It sauce if you can take it.

Pho Garden
246 Castro Street, Mountain View
http://phogardensf.com/page.php?Page=home

Asian Box
142 Castro Street, Mountain View
http://asianboxpaloalto.com/