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| - Nearly half a decade ago, a man's fantasy became reality in a form never seen before: Scottsdale, Arizona. The motivation for overhauling the city's master plan was to create the greatest feast for the senses in the American Southwest. Everyday, reputations are on the line as master chefs pit their artistic creations against each other.
If my memory serves me correctly, and I think it does, the French first colonized Indochine in hopes of seeking access to rubber. And the greatest beneficiary of this decision would be the brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin, inventors of the world's first removable pneumatic tire. To encourage automobile sales, and by extension, their tires, the Michelin Company begin to print free travel guides at the turn of the century with recommendations and ratings systems for restaurants, hotels, and attractions throughout France. These ratings are still the most influential culinary grades in the Western world. It should come as no surprise that as controversy about the Michelin system has grown, Vietnamese cuisine has finally seen the rubber hit the road.
A recent addition to Scottsdale's culinary universe is Andre Nguyen. Having migrated to America near the end of Republican Vietnam. Arriving in Seattle, Nguyen attended culinary school and met his wife, Noel. But despite the lure of of other cuisines, the chef stayed true to his roots and opened Andre's Eurasian Bistro in the suburb of Bellevue. His success was almost derailed by a fire that gutted the place. Ngyuen however used the time as a sabbatical, improving his craft, and re-opened his restaurant. Local journalists likened it to the Greek mythological creature of rebirth , the phoenix.
But as luck would have it, he and his wife sought out to leave soggy Seattle for arid Arizona for a different Phoenix. At the end of 2005, they took over a hole-in-the-wall called Pho AZ and named it "Noodles Ranch". Here today, Chef Andre rules the roost with impressive skill.
The interior decor flatters the otherwise mundane feel of the strip mall in which it sits. Andre has been careful to use color and light to accent various pictures, newspaper clippings and other decorations. But what will surprise the visitor is the degree in which Andre takes this so seriously as to neglect not even the bathroom from this regime.
His menu is a mix of predictable, authentic Vietnamese dishes and his own creations borrowed from other cuisines or his own imagination. Chef Andre is not a reckless auteur, but his more audacious dishes may have fewer fans than his bread and butter.
As the Chef takes many of the orders personally, guests often might assume the service to be poor, undercut by Andre's own seemingly curt personality. But this ignores the fact that in authentic Asian restaurants, servers often seem more distant and unpleasant than Denny's. Do not let Andre's intent become lost in translation.
Finally, in standing with his other bretheren, the Chef achieves this all with low prices. Now Chef Andre, "the Giant", after years of success in the land of gray skies face your greatest challenge yet. Hold your own against the city's most eminent gourmands, not just for you but for the good of all Scottsdale.
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