IN THE GREAT tradition of fusing Mexican and Asian flavors, Tapalaya chef Anh Luu has created the phorrito, wrapping all the elements of a good bowl of pho in a flour tortilla.
The braised brisket is there, as are the rice noodles, cilantro, hoisin, and bean sprouts. It’s all lightly covered in a super-concentrated pho broth and served up for $10 ($1 to add tendon, which you should), wrapped in tin foil. It is your hangover/stoner dream come true.
Thanks to the rice noodles and tortilla, it’s a little carb-heavy, but you’ll want to order one to split, because the sides are just as good as the headliner. I can’t emphasize how much I liked the Vietnamese slaw with added beef jerky ($8), a fish-sauce drenched refresher full of mint and other herbs with a healthy dose of chile.
And Luu’s crawfish étouffée nachos—delicately cooked tails in a rich Bayou-style sauce atop five-spice wonton chips with cotija and sharp cheddar—are a worthy rival to Expatriate’s sought-after wonton nachos.
The first phorrito pop-up was last Wednesday, and the hordes sold the joint out. But don’t fret. Thanks to the popularity, it will be a recurring pop-up on Mondays through the end of March.
