Broth-erly love

Commerce along the thoroughfares of Madison Heights and Warren isn't pretty. Aging strip malls and asphalt parking lots are the dominant aesthetic. But what these arteries lack in architectural character is made up by a vibrant Southeast Asian community and the abundant restaurants and food markets that cater to it. Within a few square miles, particularly around the area where 13 Mile Road intersects Dequindre, it's easy to find everything from exotic fruit smoothies adorned with tapioca pearls that are sucked in through oversized straws to banh mi sandwiches filled with various processed meat parts such as liver paste and pork skin.

Pho (pronounced more like "fuh" than foe), a Vietnamese spiced beef broth and rice vermicelli soup, is standard at a half dozen restaurants where English is obviously the second language for a majority of the clientele. It's no different at Pho Viet, the newest addition to this ethnic dining district. And with that name, this restaurant's specialty is entirely clear.

There are nearly 20 ways to order pho at Pho Viet. Most are some combination of proteins — rare beef, well-done flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, beef meatballs, or all of the above. We ordered the loaded version and couldn't finish a regular-sized order ($7.50). With a depth of flavor from long-simmered bones and a delicate hand with the spices, the broth really is the star in this dish. A plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, fresh hot pepper slices, lime and culantro (a large leaf herb that tastes similar to cilantro) accompanies the soup, to be added as you prefer. The youngest of our dining party is a fan of pho ga, the Vietnamese equivalent to American chicken noodle soup, and she orders it at every opportunity. She approves of the big flavors in Pho Viet's broth.

Pho isn't the only thing on the menu. For an appetizer, the classic summer roll of shrimp, rice vermicelli and herbs wrapped in chewy rice paper with thick, sweet peanut dipping sauce is a crowd pleaser. Shrimp and pork dumplings are served with a thinner, spicier sauce, and while tasty, they are a bit cumbersome to chew through the thick and glutinous rice flour shell.

There is a host of other soups. Spicy bun bo hue gets its pronounced flavor from lemongrass, among other things. We tried another bowl described simply as "special rice noodle soup." It was filled with a few different cuts of beef as well as tripe, liver, shrimp, imitation crab, a couple of slices of some kind of meat loaf, greens and even a few hard-boiled quail eggs. It was satisfying and fun to eat as every stab with the chopsticks seemingly brought something new to the surface. It was called hu tieu dac biet. We suspect the literal translation is "clean the pantry soup" or "oh shit, the-fridge-is-busted soup."

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