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| - I first came to this location when it was a quite successful Chinese restaurant, that I was sad to see go after many years. Then came a succession of followers, none of whom did well. Now, we've got Pho House. Will it last for any length of time or plummet into the abyss like others that made a go of it here?
LOCATION:
They say location is everything in the real estate world and it seems to prove true for restaurants in Goodyear, too. Once bustling and full of life, this shopping center almost turned into a ghost town after Fry's (thankfully) shut its doors. The shops are "low-income" and the restaurant fits in accordingly with threadbare decoration and low prices (or better put: prices typical for a Vietnamese restaurant). Whether you like the minimal decoration will depend on how much you like open and airy spaces. Unlike, say, PT Noodles, which would be too crowded with two tables and would work best as a take-out place only, this place could be filled with 100 tables and still seem empty (exaggeration, I know, but you get the idea).
MENU
Surprisingly skimpy, even for a Vietnamese restaurant. If you're familiar with the genre, you'll neither be surprised nor disappointed. Standard pho, rice and noodle dishes, appetizers and sandwiches. Reasonable prices; very good sized portions (especially in comparison to PT Noodles, which serves "human" sized portions and not standard "American" sized plates, which could take down a bull elephant).
FOOD:
Hit-n-miss. The egg rolls (cha gio) are crispy, not covered in grease, and tasty. The goi cuon (spring rolls with vegetables, shrimp, etc. in rice paper) are tasty and decently sized (though Da Vang still takes the prize for both in size and taste). Pho portions are huge; the rice entrees also; but unlike their equivalents at Da Vang, PT Noodles and Central King Egg Roll, very well spiced, very tasty and the vegetables crispy (at both PT Noodles and Da Vang, the dishes tend to be watery and somewhat bland, with Da Vang's being almost "soupy"). The sandwiches here are ... meh. A little skimpy on both the vegetable and meat content and they could take a hint from PT Noodles, which -- while their sandwiches are small --- toast the bun, which makes all the difference. Again, Da Vang's sandwiches -- when they have the bread -- are the best; especially their breakfast sandwich with egg, which I've yet to find anywhere else in the Valley.
If you intend to order sandwiches to take out after your meal, make sure to order them when you sit down. They'll tell you straight off it takes a long time to make them (I don't know why) and they mean it. If you intend to eat a sandwich right there in the restaurant, have a book, IPod or the patience to work on your new novel. You won't be getting out of there quickly. (By the way, the restaurant does not have wi-fi, but you can access your COX account on your device if you're a customer).
Give this restaurant's iced tea a try! Like in every other place, I find it has a slightly fishy and bitter taste when you first drink it (it's an acquired taste). But then, it's followed up with a very brief jasmine aftertaste, which is quite refreshing.
Dessert is THE hit-n-miss here. One of the staff told me that they sometimes have desserts, sometimes not. Everything is fresh and they don't want to waste food; so you may or may not find dessert. This explanation is totally logical; but for the average American, totally unacceptable. Having cravings for something sweet is something I always experience after eating Vietnamese food and I expect a restaurant to be .. well, a restaurant. Food trucks have revolving menus, not restaurants.
SUMMARY:
While the staff is absolutely friendly, informative and delightful -- and a good bit of the food very tasty and well-prepared, the overall impression one might get at first glance would be something like: "they opened yesterday; most of the decoration's in the back room; and their chef told them that if you put more than two pages worth of dishes on the menu, he/she is quitting".
There's nothing wrong with this place and I'd recommend it to everyone, in spite of some of the negative-sounding comments in my review. Just don't expect much; don't be in a hurry;
and don't wear a fancy evening gown to dinner and you'll be just fine.
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