Who
Crawfish 7 Restaurant
Where
5302 E Belknap St, Haltom City 817-744-8754
Vibe Strip-mall kitsch replete with beach scenes on the walls and cartoon-looking crustaceans on the windows.
Crawfish 7’s Other Specialty This Haltom City seafood eatery might also serve the most unique pho in the area. BY IAN CONNALLY
Years of gleefully participating in the lifestyle and after-work habits of an itinerant line cook has taught me that, when in need of curative, soul-repairing food, few things work better than a bowl of noodles in broth. There’s likely all sorts of
to get what, and I’m not eager to add to that carefully curated list without strong evidence, so it wasn’t without some grumbling that I recently accepted a friend’s invitation to try the pho at Crawfish 7. There’s no reason for the pho at this two-year-old eatery to be special. This strip-mall storefront proclaims itself as a crawfish joint. It’s right there science to back this claim –– probably in the name. There are involving hydration, pictures of crustaceans amino acids, antioxiand bivalves in the dants, and the like –– windows. Inside, stock but let’s face it: Noodle photos of lobster and soup exists in so many crab legs, unnaturally cultures because it’s red, adorn the door complete, comforting, leading into Nguyen and delicious. Like Loi supermarket next the majestic taco, it’s a door. Beach scenes perfect format. cover the back wall. Thus, I spend Nothing about Crawmuch of January each fish 7 screams beef year eating more than noodles. Even the pho my fair share of a wide section on the menu is, range of noodles in in comparison to the soup. Between Fort pho-specialist joints Worth, Haltom City, in town, worryingly and Arlington, we Crawfish 7 succinct. are spoiled for choice: Restaurant My host waved Ramen abounds, Thai my kvetching aside boat noodles are makDon’t-Miss Dishes and ordered us both ing welcome inroads This place is all about pho tai –– beef noodle to the scene, and the the beef pho. soup with thin, rare whole range of Vietslices –– grinning and namese soups is rarely Entree Prices insisting that this bowl more than a five-min$10. All major was different. This bowl ute drive away. Like credit cards accepted was going to change any noodle-head in everything I thought I this town, I know the When knew about pho. Only landscape pretty well, Sun-Mon 10am-9pm, about a minute after I have some strong Wed-Sat 10am-9pm. we ordered, our server opinions about where
February 2019
Our critic found the clear broth of Crawfish 7’s pho to be “perfect.” Photo by Crystal Wise
delivered two plates piled high with all of the standard garnishes. A few minutes later, he brought two more small plates: One was layered with slices of raw tenderloin sprinkled with green onions: the other held a tangle of softened rice noodles. Deconstructed pho? I had just enough time to voice my continued doubts about this apparent postmodern abuse of a traditional dish before the broth arrived. Served in dangerously hot Korean-style stone bowls, the consommé-clear green onion-adorned broth continued to boil violently for several minutes, enveloping us in anise- and cinnamon-rich
steam and making immediate sense of the decision to serve the beef and noodles on the side. The broth is, well, perfect. This level of clarity isn’t achieved without great care and good technique, and the balance between the sweetness of charred onions and palm sugar and the savory depth of beef and fish sauce speak to genuine skill in the kitchen at Crawfish 7, which, I realized after emptying the contents of the bowl into my greedy gullet, is less of a restaurant, more of a sanctuary. Go heal your soul.
zest817.com ZEST EIGHT ONE SEVEN 25
