Crawfish 7's Other Specialty

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 science to back this claim –– probably involving hydration, amino acids, antioxidants, and the like –– but let’s face it: Noodle soup exists in so many cultures because it’s complete, comforting, and delicious. Like the majestic taco, it’s a perfect format.

Our critic found the clear broth of Crawfish 7’s pho to be “perfect.”

Photo by Crystal Wise

Thus, I spend much of January each year eating more than my fair share of a wide range of noodles in soup. Between Fort Worth, Haltom City,and Arlington, we are spoiled for choice: Ramen abounds, Thai boat noodles are making welcome inroads to the scene, and the whole range of Vietnamese soups is rarely more than a five-minute drive away. Like any noodle-head in this town, I know the landscape pretty well, I have some strong opinions about where 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 in the name. There are pictures of crustaceans and bivalves in the windows. Inside, stock photos of lobster and crab legs, unnaturally red, adorn the door leading into Nguyen Loi supermarket next door. Beach scenes cover the back wall. Nothing about Crawfish 7 screams beef noodles. Even the pho section on the menu is, in comparison to the pho-specialist jointsin town, worryingly succinct.

Photo by Crystal Wise

My host waved my kvetching aside and ordered us both pho tai –– beef noodle soup with thin, rare slices –– grinning and insisting that this bowl was different. This bowl was going to change everything I thought I knew about pho. Only about a minute after we ordered, our server 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.

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.

Don’t-Miss Dishes

This place is all about the beef pho.

Entree Prices

$10. All major credit cards accepted

When

Sun-Mon 10am-9pm, Wed-Sat 10am-9pm.

Zest 817