My roommate and I were in the mood to be a bit adventurous a few weeks ago (I use that term lightly), so we decided to head out into Queens in search for some “real” ethnic food. We love Thai, but decided to branch out just a little and try Vietnamese. After some due diligence online, we decided on a restaurant in Elmhurst. As soon as we stepped off the R train at the Elmhurst Avenue stop, we quickly realized that we were close to the only two white people in the neighborhood – this is exactly what we were looking for.
Thank you to a Yelper for this photo
In one shopping area there were two Vietnamese restaurants, one Thai, one Chinese and one Malaysian/Thai mix, and an Asian grocery store to top it off. Originally we intended to try Pho Banc, but after peering into the window we decided otherwise. I guess we weren’t that adventurous after all, because we just couldn’t convince ourselves to try it since it reminded us more of a Panda Express with plastic pictures of the food on the hanging menu. While the Thai and Malaysian/Thai mix spots looked like nice dining spots, we stuck to our initial intentions and tried the other Vietnamese restaurant – Pho Bang.
It wasn’t as nice as the other two restaurants, but it wasn’t quite as “casual” as Pho Banc. It was a standard place, no atmosphere to speak of, but the waiters were very friendly (although English wasn’t their forte), and they didn’t rush us out, as I previously experienced at a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. We started off with summer rolls which are like spring rolls with shrimp, but instead of being fried they’re wrapped in translucent rice paper. This makes them a much healthier option without sacrificing flavor. The sweet, peanut dipping sauce was outstanding – I could have eaten with a spoon. And thankfully they gave us a knife and fork so we could cut through the rolls into bite size pieces, making them much easier to eat.
For my main dish I had the Bun (vermicelli noodles with fish sauce) with grilled chicken. My roommate had the classic beef Pho. We were both extremely pleased with our choices. I tried her soup and the broth was so flavorful. I will crave that broth the next time I get sick. The noodles and beef were good too of course. My dish was good as well. I love fish sauce, so I was more than happy to dump the little cup of it into my dish, adding flavor and much-needed moisture to the dish. The grilled chicken was tasty too, although I cut a lot off and discarded since it was too fatty. I would have preferred a leaner cut of chicken, but I get what I paid for.
And what did I pay? Well, with the appetizer and two entrees our bill came out to….$15. Seriously. It was so exciting and definitely made the trek out to Queens worthwhile. We walked away thinking that Pho Bang was great for a very casual and very cheap lunch or dinner.
However, when we got back home I decided to read up on the place to see what other people thought. Well, it was a bit disturbing. Some people loved it, but many cautioned about the various hygiene and cleanliness issues that apparently plague the restaurant. Luckily neither of us got sick, but I’m not sure if I could go back after reading some reviews. But then again, any restaurant can be dirty behind the scenes. I guess I’m torn because I had a good experience, so all I can say is, go at your own risk.
The Basics:
Name: Pho Bang Restaurant Location: 82-90 Broadway, Elmhurst, Queens Who to bring: Friends Price: $. So cheap that it makes you wonder about the quality… Overall: Go at your own risk. 3 Stars.
I’ve been here a couple of times. It’s a no frill restaurant, which is what I like about it. There’s another one in Flushing and Chinatown as well.