unPhogettable

unPhogettable
Mekong Plaza
66 S. Dobson Road
Mesa 85202

There are as many styles of the ubiquitous Vietnamese dish pho (pronounced PHA) as there are people that eat it, and of course, everyone has their favorite. Having eaten pho from one end of this country to the other, this is my favorite place to eat this wonderful dish.

We were seated immediately, and our drink order was taken. This isn’t a fancy restaurant, but you wouldn’t know it by the attentive service and spotless tables.

Companion and I started out with the Goi Cuon ($3.45), which are soft spring rolls filled with shrimp, pork and veggies and served with a delightful peanut sauce. If it were not for the fact that we were there for dinner, I’d probably have made it a double order and had just that, they were so good. Being made with soft rice paper brought a whole new texture to the party, and I loved the peanut sauce with it.

For main courses, companion ordered Pho Dac Bjet Bo Vien ($8.25) which is a soup tureen sized bowl of wonderful broth, filled with noodles, rare steak slices, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef meatballs, and asked for the tripe to be left out, since companion isn’t fond of it. It was no problem for the kitchen to prepare it the way companion wanted it.

I ordered the same thing but with extra tendon ($3.00), since I love the texture of this item.

In making their broth, it is simmered for a minimum of 24 hours, which results in a hugely flavorful base for the pho. For those that don’t care to have some of the more esoteric ingredients in their pho, there are many choices on the menu including a pho made with chicken breast and another one that is vegetarian. The pho is served with a plate of fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime, and jalapeno’s for those that like to add to the bowl. I always add some fish sauce which is on the table because I love the flavor of it.

It’s hard to describe a bowl of pho except to say it is a meal in a bowl that is huge! If I eat this for lunch, my meals for the day are taken care of, since it is so big. (Yes, they will provide a take out for the rest if you need one.)

For those that prefer something other than pho (there are 16 varieties of pho), there are also15 other types of soup on the menu, as well as 11 types of salads, 6 vegetarian selections, and a number of steamed rice items as well. Kids are welcome and have their own selections.

Restrooms have always been clean when I have been there, and service is so friendly you feel almost like your eating in a friends house.

I give them 4 stars for service, quality of food, and cleanliness. (And a big YUM for flavor!)