Yen Ta Fo Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Vermicelli (thin rice noodles)

What's in it: Shrimp, Squid, Scallop, Fried Tofu, Lettuce, Bean Sprouts, Yen Ta Fo Sauce, Chicken Broth, Spring Onions, Cilantro

Price: $9.95

Where to Find it: Sila Thai, (Chantilly, VA)

Rating:

Summary: I was pretty excited to try this soup because I have never heard of it before. From the description on the menu, it sounded so "exotic". The first thing that caught my attention when the soup arrived was its pink hue. Immediately I thought this color was from the squid because it has a similar color as Adobong Pusit, a Filipino squid dish. Come to find out, this color comes from red tofu which is an important ingredient in Yen Ta Fo. I was expecting a zesty flavor, but it turns out this soup has a sweet flavor to it. I'm not a big fan of sweet tasting soup. According to the recipe, you are supposed to use 2tsp. of sugar. I'm guessing they went a little overboard on my particular bowl. 4 bowls for appearance, 2 bowls for taste. 3 bowls for overall rating. Yen Ta Fo = Ehhh.

Pork Tom Yum Noodle Soup

Type of Noodle: Thin Rice Noodles

What's in it: Pork, Bean Sprouts, Lemongrass, Spring Onions, Cilantro

Price: $7.95

Where to Find it: Sila Thai (Chantilly, VA)

Rating:

Summary: Tom Yum soup by itself is one of my favorite soups. It combines my two favorite flavors, sour and spicy. The thin vermicelli noodles are perfect for this soup because the amount they include compliments the amount of pork they add, which is a pretty healthy serving. The bean sprouts soak up the Tom Yum flavor even more and just like Pho, the addition of spring onions and cilantro enhance the taste. The price is right, the flavor is right, and the serving size is right. You don't get the bloated feeling from eating too much noodles and you don't feel like you should have ordered an appetizer. You can substitute pork for either beef or chicken. I could probably rotate each meat and eat this soup everyday of the week!