Pho 101 Noodle House, 6125 S Tamiami Trail, 941-924-0039. Pictured: Curry Laksa with Shrimp.

Like most establishments named after the food they make, diners heading to Pho 101 Noodle House can safely assume that the pho and noodles are going to be good. And they are.

Servings of pho arrive at your table with cartoonish clouds of steam wafting off of gargantuan bowls. The rich broth is a shimmering golden brown, spiced with star anise, cloves and cinnamon and cooked for hours to achieve the incredible depth of flavor. A staple of the Vietnamese cuisine, pho has become more popular in the states over the years, rivaling the popularity of Japanese ramen; another noodle soup dish that became a cult favorite with trendy NYC spots such as Ivan Ramen and Momofuku.

Thankfully for us, pho hasn’t yet been quite as gentrified in western culture as ramen, which means the majority of spots you’ll find serving it are dishing out the real deal - Pho 101 Noodle House is no exception. You can order it topped with the ever popular paper-thin rare brisket that cooks in the hot broth, shrimp, chicken or the special which adds on all the traditional fixin’s such as tripe, soft tendon and meatballs. Each bowl is accompanied with the requisite garnishes of white onion, Thai basil, crunchy bean sprouts, and lime wedges. Along with hot sauce and sweet brown sauce, allowing you to control the level of spiciness and perfect the balance of sweetness.

If you’re looking to go a bit off the beaten path, I highly recommend their Curry Laksa. A dish you'd usually be hard pressed to find, Pho 101 is making this punchy, flavor-bomb of a dish to perfection. A Chinese-Malay lovechild, Laksa can be found on most menus in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, but spotting it in Sarasota was quite the treat. The coconut milk and curry based soup features rice noodles, fluffy fried tofu and mixed veggie, topped with matchsticks of cucumber and fresh mint leaves. The broth is zingy with ginger and curry and topped with shrimp it’s the perfect summer soup.

So, the next time Florida throws us one of her stormy days and you’re looking to warm up with some delicious but unique soup choices (sorry Panera) head over to Pho 101, pho-sure.

Pho 101 Noodle House, 6125 S Tamiami Trail, 941-924-0039. Pictured: Curry Laksa with Shrimp.

Click here for more information.