Restaurant Review: 9021 PHO in Beverly Hills

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try out a restaurant that has quickly become a staple in Beverly Hills. 9021Pho is the creation of Chef Kimmy Tang offering Vietnamese cuisine with a French and Californian twist.

Master Chef Kimmy Tang has lived in various countries and traveled around the world to study the traditional recipes of cultures, including France and her home country Vietnam.

Everything at 9021Pho is well thought out. From the cool, casual decor to the beautifully created menu detailing the history of the dishes. The team has worked diligently to develop a unique approach when catering to their health conscious clientele. Chef Kimmy only uses the freshest ingredients, most colorful vegetables, very little oil and leanest cuts of meat in her dishes.

I was able to sit down with the energetic Chef Kimmy during my lunch (nothing better than eating with the Chef herself!) and I learned that though her love is her food, her passion is helping children. 9021Pho has teamed up with H.A.R.K. (Healing Arts Reaching Kids) to support Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The artwork that line the walls of both 9021Pho locations (Beverly Hills & Westlake Village) are all created by the patients at CHLA and they go up for auction every month. A remarkable 100% of the proceeds go right back to the hospital. Check out more information on H.A.R.K. here and get bidding!

Now on to the FOOD!

Our lunch was quite the collection of Chef Kimmy’s favorites, so who could complain! Every dish was just as extraordinary as the last. I could not get over how fresh all the ingredients were and the fact that after eating such an elaborate lunch, as you’ll see in the menu below, I didn’t feel like I had to hibernate for the rest of the day.

Check out our tasting menu:

Drinks: Fresh Passionfruit Iced Tea

Appetizers: Fresh Rolls (recipe below)

Entrees: Tofu Pho

                Lemongrass Chicken (click here for recipe)

               Garlic Eggplant

               Garden Noodles

Dessert: Coconut Ripieno

               Mango Ripieno

Chef Kimmy was nice enough to share her recipe for the popular Fresh Rolls with us! Try it out for yourself and post your pictures on their Facebook page.

Ingredients:

4 ounces cooked chicken (tofu or shrimp if preferred)

1 teaspoon cooking oil

2 ounces shredded jicama

2 ounces shredded cucumber

1 ounce shredded carrots

1 bunch mint

1 lettuce head

8 sheets rice paper

Sauce:

4 teaspoons fish sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

1 teaspoon finely chopped peanuts

Instructions:

Soak rice paper into warm water and wait until it gets soft, then place steamed chicken, tofu or shrimp. Then, place 1 piece of lettuce, shredded jicama, shredded cucumber, shredded carrots and mint on top of the other ingredients. Roll it tight. Serve cold.