Pho Hien Vuong
4109-A Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27407
924-5551
$$$ out of $$$$

In a small strip-mall just a couple of blocks down Spring Garden from West Market sits the Vietnamese and Thai restaurant Pho Hien Vuong. From the outside this could be any Asian-American establishment, but its outer appearance, overwhelmed by retail sprawl, hides Pho’s charming uniqueness.

The interior offers few clues to Pho’s quality as well, with standard Asian prints and bamboo plants accenting the decor. But the reputation of Pho’s food precedes it, and I was less interested in the interior-design than the menu. I came on the strength of a recommendation that included an emphatic “you’ve got to try the chicken soup!”
At 7:30, on a Saturday night, business was brisk. The restaurant, while not filled to capacity, was nevertheless humming with activity. Judging from the serene looks on the faces of the patrons, the establishment enjoys a fair amount of repeat customers.

Seated almost immediately, we waited briefly until our server appeared. This is the best service I have experienced in some time. The waiter’s knowledge of the menu was extensive. When asked for recommendations, he pointed us to several menu items with detailed descriptions of ingredients and suggestions for accompanying sauces.

Pho Hien Vuong claims that it “offers the most flavorful Vietnamese and Thai gourmet food around.” This claim, for the most part, may well be accurate, especially in the area of Pho, an entrée-sized noodle soup served with condiments of fresh cilantro, basil, bean sprouts and jalapeños. Pho Hien Vuong offers several varieties of the soup including meatball, seafood and pork.

We asked our server if we could split the chicken Pho as an appetizer, and he obliged, substituting the dark meat for white meat for a charge of $1. The soup was outstanding. Lending gravitas to the rich ingredients of tender chicken, clear noodles and fresh scallions was the beef broth.

I tried to determine the essence flavoring the broth. My guess was lemon-grass, and when I asked our server he gave me a look that said, “I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you,” and then feigned ignorance. I’d forgotten that restaurants sometimes guard their recipes like state secrets.

Our entrees were better than average, but a slight letdown after the Zen-in-a-bowl experience of the Pho. I gambled and ordered the salted braised pork spare ribs. The dish was served with jasmine-rice and fish-sauce, and while it was dry in places, the pork was well seasoned. Hoisin sauce (on each table sits an array of sauces varying in flavor and heat-degree) added extra flavor, but I had to admit that a full-sized order of Pho would have suited me better.

The affordability of the entrees is also a selling point. The menu also offers lunch specials at $4.25 which is an incredible bargain for those of us on a college-student’s budget. As for dinner, three people enjoyed appetizers and entrees all for well under $50.

This is a very vegetarian-friendly place. Both of my dining-companions ordered vegetarian dishes, Vegetarian Phaht Thai and Tom Curry – a tofu curry made with coconut milk. Both dishes offer better-than-average takes on standard Thai fare, and the Phaht Thai, flavored with lemon-grass, made a fine lunch the following day after transportation home in a to-go box.

I heartily recommend Pho Hien Vuong. While it may not beat out some of the better Southeast Asian eateries in larger cities, this establishment has a great deal going for it, and the Pho alone is worth the short journey to Spring Garden Street.