Our adventure begins on a warm Wednesday morning; 9am.. so really it's a pretty late start for a road trip. My parents have a mutual friend they lost contact with about 15 or so years ago. He found them again after all this time, asked for some help with his new restaurant, and we were on our way. 10 hours later (the estimated time of traveling was 8.5hours...) we finally arrive in Lynchburg, Virginia. Cue the restaurant!

LOCATION: 20722 TIMBERLAKE RD, LYNCHBURG, VA 24502

Saigon Palace has been going pretty strong for about 2 years (or so that's what I've been told). The owner is my mom's 'foster brother' from their childhood days back in Vietnam. He's my late uncle's best friend, sharing the same name and I'm sure the same trouble making history. Turns out this guy is also the reason my parents met. Without him, I literally wouldn't be born. Thanks dude.

10 hours in a car with my mom who likes to drive 62mph in a 65 zone the whole way, while my dad insists that the gps and lying - all over the sound of Vietnamese music blasting in the background. We arrive to salvation (kind of) and 'Uncle' Hung, as I call him, gives each of us a bowl of Pho Bo, or beef noodle soup. Now I'm more of a chicken soup kinda kid but I'm not one to complain, and pho is good no matter what protein is in it so I'm good to go.

Obviously, I'm biased - but to me, this is a damn good bowl of pho; and I grew up eating pho quite often. Salvation in a bowl that fills you up every single time. This is home in a bowl.