Bo Bay Mon, oregon 7 courses of beef, is not the orgy of beef you mightiness expect. What I emotion astir it: It feels peculiar capable to beryllium festive, what with the lavish variety, the wrapping of rolls tableside and dipping bladed slices of beef into a vinegar fondue, and yet it’s amazingly refreshing and comforting for mundane meals, with the heaps of caller herbs, lettuce and pickles, and a soothing decorativeness of congee. The beef is treated much arsenic a condiment, harkening backmost to erstwhile nutrient was considered a luxury—the bo bay mon contented dates to 1930 erstwhile the edifice Au Pagolac opened successful Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

In Honolulu, wherever bo bay mon disappeared aft A Little Bit of Saigon stopped serving it successful the 1990s, it made a comeback erstwhile Super Pho successful Kaimukī opened nineteen years ago. (Until recently, erstwhile a erstwhile worker of Super Pho opened Da Best Pho successful Market City with a akin menu, it was the lone edifice to service bo bay mon connected the island.)

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The 7 courses of beef tin vary, but they usually item assorted cooking techniques, overmuch similar Japanese kaiseki. At Super Pho, wherever the bo bay mon is $40 for two, it begins with a beef salad, bladed uncommon slices of cooked beef tossed with arsenic bladed slices of lemon, rind and all, a fistful of torn rau ram (Vietnamese coriander), onions, peanuts, fried shallots. And what truly makes it a crockery you can’t get capable of—a sprinkling of sugary pork particulate and ethereally fried tegument connected top.

Courses two, three, 4 and 5 get connected a ample platter overflowing with herbs, including culantro, purple shiso and mint. And past there’s lettuce, cucumbers, vermicelli and pickled daikon, which you’re meant to rotation into rounds of atom insubstantial with the beef. Or not: I besides enjoyed treating the DIY rolls much similar bites of crockery portion eating the beef separately, the amended to sensation the nuances. Here, it’s prepared arsenic a steamed meatloaf and assorted grilled preparations: skewers, meatballs wrapped successful tissue-thin caul fat, and beef wrapped successful la batch leaves. The accepted dipping condiment for your rolls is mam nem, a fermented anchovy condiment that Super Pho makes with lemongrass, ginger and caller pineapple. But if it’s excessively potent for you, you tin besides inquire for the much acquainted nuoc cham.

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Then, people six, beef fondue—a carpaccio of beef arrives, and a Sterno-fueled cookware of vinegary broth. And to finish, a warming beef congee.

My person and I had primitively stepped into Super Pho for noodle soup. I had seen bo bay mon connected the paper for years, but ever said I’d get it “next time.” Finally, this time, we said, if not now, past when? It shook america retired of our regular and delighted america connected an different mundane weekday. And each that for not overmuch much than the terms of 2 bowls of pho.

Angel Le Tran, Super Pho’s manager, said bò 7 món has been fashionable ever since the edifice opened, and the time I talked to him, a mates from Colorado had ordered it—just 2 days aft they arrived successful Honolulu, erstwhile they besides ate it. “People get it archetypal happening erstwhile we unfastened astatine 10 a.m. and precocious nighttime astatine 9:30 p.m. with vino and beer,” helium says. He remembers eating it erstwhile helium was a kid successful Ho Chi Minh City, and though astatine 1 clip it was reserved for peculiar occasions similar weddings, fixed the outgo of beef, it has since go 1 of Vietnam’s astir beloved foods, successful portion due to the fact that “it’s conscionable truly fun.”

3538 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 735-9989, superphowaialae.com, @superpho.waialae