As I spend more time at Wesleyan, and as my college career unfolds, I’ve found myself reflecting on the considerable amount of time that I have spent exploring Middletown and neighboring towns in Connecticut. There are stark differences between my day-to-day life back home in New York City and here on campus—the constant noise, the variety of smells, and the daily commotion of city life—all of which has made coming to Wesleyan quite the adjustment.
That being said, I have grown to really enjoy Middletown and the ability I now have to interact with a more close-knit community. I truly value the acquaintances that I have made with restaurant owners and waiters and feel strongly about supporting local businesses. As a food enthusiast, I love trying new dishes. Since joining Wesleyan in the fall of 2021, I have eaten at many different restaurants and cafés, all locally-owned and authentic in their own way. Last year, my go-to restaurant was Thai Gardens, so much so that I used their menu prices for an Economics 101 project which compared the varying prices of goods, week by week, to measure inflation.
When my friends and I discovered Pho 170, our minds were blown. My roommate had been there before and raved about it, so I thought, “Why not give it a try?” I had eaten Vietnamese and Thai food before, but I was not a frequent consumer of pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup dish and the restaurant’s namesake. Ever since my first bite, I’ve been hooked.
My regular order is Tom Yum soup with tofu, which is prepared with vegetables and tofu in a flavorful hot and sour broth. I love to add a torrent of spices, which makes it absolutely mouthwatering. These spices come in a little dish that is placed on every table in the small restaurant. I use curry paste, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce to dress up my soup, while the jalapeños, bean sprouts, and lime that come in a bag on the side of the meal are dumped into every bowl.
If I am dining with friends, we occasionally start with an appetizer. The crispy and flavorful fried crab rangoons and the fragrant steamed dumplings make for a delicious bite before the pho comes out.
The owner of the restaurant is warm, welcoming, and accommodating. She is always happy to see my friends and I each time we go, overjoyed that we have returned yet again. Sometimes my friends and I arrive during the week to an empty room, with only the owner and us sharing a meal. However, on weekends, every seat in the house is filled with customers primed for a hot bowl of pho. I appreciate both environments and especially love how diverse the restaurant’s clients tend to be. Local couples, Wesleyan students, and Middletown residents can all be seen slurping down noodles side by side.
My friend Emily Goulding ’25 usually accompanies me on my trips to the restaurant. I asked her what her go-to order is, to which she replied: Banh Mi. For those of you who haven’t tried this, you totally should. Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette packed with a choice of seasoned meat, carrots, cilantro and other vegetables and spices. Emily likes to pair her Banh Mi with a Vietnamese coffee, which she said has hints of chocolate. I then asked Emily what her favorite part of the restaurant was.
“I love the memories I have of spending time with you and friends at the restaurant,” Goulding replied. “I also love the decor, specifically the plants.”
I agree with Emily that the restaurant’s decor and design is inherently unique and makes dining at Pho 170 a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Pho 170 remains my comfort restaurant when I crave flavors that are simply unavailable at Wesleyan, and I’m more than up for the trek downtown to go there. That said, as much as I love Pho 170, I am incredibly excited to explore more restaurants and possibly outdo my current review of Pho 170. I want to explore all that Middletown has to offer, learn more about local business owners in the area, and try as much delicious food as I can!
Ada Carlston can be reached at acarlston@wesleyan.edu.