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| - Was excited to find a pho place near Costco on I-10, since I shop there semi-weekly. I live in Laveen, which is not close to any pho--and I LOVE pho. I typically go to Glendale or north Phoenix for pho. I have tried almost every pho place in Phoenix, and this one would have been an excellent addition to my rotation because of where they are located. Despite the two stars rating I would go back to Pho Du Lat again if I am ever shopping at Costco or Total Wine, and having a craving for VIetnamese---however---let me be clear that it is only because of the location. But I'd be complaining about how much they charge for what I get AND the lack of some very important essentials. So, if you want an EXCELLENT pho place to try--THIS ONE IS NOT IT. Let me explain.
The restaurant is a good size and clean. Bathrooms are clean. Service is fine. Not spectacular, but basically good. You can get in and out for lunch in a reasonable time. The staff is lackluster, though. Let's just say unenthusiastic, okay?
I ordered a dry noodle dish (I chose egg noodles) that came with fish ball, pork, chicken, beef ball and shrimp. I ordered it because it comes with the pork broth on the side, and the entree has a *spicy* star next to it, and I like spicy dishes.
The server asked me on a scale of 1-5 for hotness. I chose a 4. So...let me tell you what I got....
I got an unusually small serving of food. A small portion of egg noodles that were cooked fine (but sticky, which is common, so I had to use my broth to separate them--not a big deal), but the meat was so freaking skimpy. There was a fish ball a little bit smaller than the diameter of a quarter. The beef ball was somewhat bigger, and cut in half. There were two medium/small shrimp (the menu says "jumbo"--but they aren't remotely jumbo) and there was a few strands of bland, boiled/rubbery flavorless chicken and two tiny, thin pieces of pork. The meat sat hidden under the small portion of noodles and on top was a smattering of ripped up romaine lettuce. The broth, as advertised, came on the side. The broth was good, and contained the grilled shallots. This dish cost $8, but you or I would have spent about 99 cents making it, if that. The heat level was around 1 or 2 at most. I had to request chili/garlic paste----and she returned with a meager tablespoon in a small dish.
There were NO herbs...No cilantro. No limes or lemons. No fresh, cut jalapenos. No fresh, chubby bean sprouts. NONE of the tables had any garlic/chili paste, spoons, chopsticks, etc.
My solo lunch included iced tea and an order of vegetarian spring rolls. The spring rolls were pakced tightly with romaine and lacked any herbal flavor. The sauce was primarily fish hoisin sauce with crushed peanut in it. I much prefer a thick peanut based sauce with chili flakes. This stuff was okay, but not what I prefer...
The total cost (NOT including tip) was $15.09. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR LUNCH. That being said, if the food was outstanding and worth driving to, I'd have happily paid $15 for it. It was NOT THAT GREAT. It was...MEH.
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