Pho Basil may be a tiny restaurant, however its portions are everything but. Located at 177 Massachusetts Ave, Pho Basil is nestled right into the bustling street near Berklee College. With a unique blend of Vietnamese and Thai, Pho Basil cooks up the best of both worlds to offer your taste buds a full range of Asian cuisine.
I decided to give Pho Basil a try after doing some online research and reading the many five-star reviews, frequently saying “best Thai in Boston.” The restaurant itself is easy enough to find, nothing Google Maps can’t direct you towards. However, parking is another story so be sure to dust off your Nike’s or find that old CharlieCard. Luckily I got to Pho Basil just in time to catch a table because with a line slowly growing out the door, I realized I wasn’t the only one longing for some late-night sustenance.
Once I sat down, a server was over to take my order in virtually no time, which was impressive considering there were only two or three servers for the whole place. Pho Basil’s menu was bigger than expected, five pages of delicious meals with options for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, meat-eaters and everything in between. Their main dish styles surround rice, pho, pad thai, and Vermicelli (thin noodles). At an average cost of $12 per meal, it’s a reasonable price to pay for a great dinner. I ordered everything all at once, a recommendation I’d suggest to a potential customer to save both your time and your server’s.
Thai iced tea is a staple with every Thai dish, and Pho Basil certainly did not disappoint. If you’ve never given it a try, I strongly suggest making the sweet and creamy beverage your next choice! For my main dish, I decided to stick to Thai food and got the yellow curry with tofu, and of course pork dumplings to start.
Photo Credit to Pho Basil
The dumplings came as a collection of six hot, steamed, juicy pockets of deliciousness with a variety of sweet and spicy dipping sauces. My yellow curry came not long after the appetizer. The presentation was nothing short of artwork, a pile of tofu, grilled pineapple, mushrooms, carrots and tomatoes coated in a coconut milk-based curry sauce with a perfectly spherical ball of white rice on the side. The curry was among the best I’ve had, with a flavor spicy enough to make you sniffle but a sweetness from the coconut milk, my only complaint was not having enough room to finish eating!
Overall, Pho Basil is a must for any Asian cuisine lover in Boston. The prices were incredibly reasonable, service was quick, the atmosphere was upbeat and cozy, and the food was killer. Pho Basil gets a 4.5 star rating from me, I’ll definitely be back!