Pho Nhat

Generic strip mall restaurant spaces seem to be constantly recycled and reinvented as eateries come and go. Sometimes, the new occupants of a site will put on a fresh coat of paint, redecorate, and alter the space to suit their needs. Other times, a bargain-priced restaurant moves in and makes due with the previous tenant's look and feel -- no matter how incongruous. That appears to be exactly what has happened with Pho Nhat, a Vietnamese restaurant at the southeast corner of Rural and University in Tempe. Inside this sparse place, there's virtually no decor except a mural of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and a giant red apple with the initials "B.B.Q." written nearby. It's hard to imagine what those images were originally meant to convey, and it's doubtful that whoever painted them had the permission of Disney. Nevertheless, when customers can enjoy a giant bowl of pho or bun, along with a drink, for less than $10, the bizarre leftover decor just seems a natural part of the experience.

Pho Nhat is a corner shopping center that has long been home to restaurants serving foods from all over the globe. Indian, Thai, Greek, Ethiopian, pizza -- All those cuisines and more are crammed into this tight plaza, which is just across the street from the University / Rural station. As its name suggests, Pho Nhat specializes in pho, the rice noodle soup of Hanoi. Pho Nhat serves nearly two dozen varieties of pho. Most begin with a beef broth prepared with a complex array of spices. Rice noodles are added to the broth along with various cuts of meat or vegetables. Approximately 75% of the restaurant's pho choices are beef. The others feature chicken, seafood, or vegetables. In the last category, Pho Nhat makes one of the best veggie phos (center photo below) around. It's not vegetarian, but it uses a lighter chicken broth better suited to the more delicate vegetable flavors and comes packed with cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini all in generous proportions.

All types of pho come with the standard plate of accompaniments, including basil leaves, bean sprouts, sliced jalapenos, and lime wedges. Each table also has a variety of condiment bottles with sriracha hot sauce probably being the most popular way to accessorize a steaming bowl of pho. Pho alternatives include a more limited array of mi soups, which use egg noodles in place of rice noodles; rice dishes; and entrees based on bun, or rice vermicelli. Bun is basically pho's dry cousin, with rice noodles resting on a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with fried shallots and sliced scallions. It's served with a small bowl of fish sauce used to moisten the noodles in the absence of a soup broth. Among the rice dishes, the lemongrass chicken is a great choice. There's also a hearty beef stew for anyone wanting a meal in a bowl with a bit more heft than soup. Although pho definitely seems to be the house specialty here, none of the other dishes suffer in comparison. They're worth exploring in an occasional off-pho meal.

Appetizer options are mostly egg rolls and several varieties of goi cuon, cold spring rolls (sometimes referred to as summer rolls) prepared with rice wrappers and served with peanut sauce (right photo below). Pho Nhat's sauce is darker and spicier than at many other Vietnamese restaurant around town. The rolls come with shrimp and pork inside by default, but a meatless version is also available. Speaking of meatless, Pho Nhat has acknowledged its proximity to a major university campus with a recent reworking of its menu to add more meatless choices. There's not only that veggie pho, but also meatless curry and fried rice dishes. Surprisingly, though, none of these dishes include tofu. Of course, meat broths and fish sauce are abundant in Vietnamese cuisine, so these items are not 100% vegetarian.

Beverages include fountains sodas, teas, and lemonade. When ordering the last item, proceed with caution. Order just "lemonade," and you'll get a blah Minute Maid product straight out of the soda fountain. Spend a little more for the fresh lemonade, squeezed to order on the premises. Even better, ask for fresh lemonade with soda and get a little carbonated kick mixed in with the lemon tartness of the drink. It's a perfect balance to the assertive flavors and chili heat of Pho Nhat's food. There's no alcohol served here, so don't ask for 33 beer to extinguish the fire. Cafe sua da, coffee with condensed milk, is a great high-octane end to a meal, however.

This is definitely a place used to feeding customers on the go between classes, although there's no problem with lingering either. The staff of this family-run restaurant are all proficient in English and ready to answer any questions about the menu. Pho Nhat caters mostly to a collegiate crowd and doesn't have family amenities like high chairs. Still, it's so casual that bringing kids shouldn't be a problem. In fact, they'll probably get a kick out of seeing Mickey and Donald up on the wall.

933 E. University Dr., # 116, Tempe AZ 85281
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(480) 967-1888