Pho Fer Ya in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is notorious for its expensive tabs at restaurants near the strip, but there are some quality places to eat if you are willing to travel outside the strip. This is the first of my reviews on good and reasonable eats off the Las Vegas strip.

Being a college student has allowed me to appreciate instant noodles as a perfectly "nutritious" dinner. So when I came across a Vietnamese dish named Pho(pronounced "fuh"), I fell in love. Pho is a Vietnamese soup that has a flavored broth, rice noodles, scallions and cilantro, and slices of beef. The beef can be substituted with chicken, shrimp, or can be left out for vegetarians. What makes this dish even more appealing is that it is served with a plate of basil, bean sprouts, peppers, and limes. You can add as much or as little of these condiments to your soup as you want. I also garnish my soup with hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot pepper sauce. Pho is Top Ramen on steroids!

So where can we find this Barry Bonds of instant noodles in Las Vegas you ask? There are two Vietnamese restaurants that I have been to off the strip that serve this dish:

Bamboo Bistro: This is my favorite of the two pho restaurants because of its cozy atmosphere and high quality pho. It is located on 8560 West Desert Inn Road. Their phos come in three sizes small, large, and extra large. The small is pretty small for those with small appetites. Large is the size of pho at most Vietnamese restaurants and will fill you up. Those with heartier appetites can try the extra large Pho. The phos are around 7 dollars making them a little more expensive than the other restaurants, but the service is great and the restaurant is very clean. Definately a must-go if you are willing shell out a little extra money.

Pho So 1: This pho restaurant is located on 4745 Spring Mountain Road. This place is usually very busy at nights. The tables are placed very close to one another causing you to pretty much touch elbows with the person next to you unless you are in a booth. The meat used in the pho seems to be of a lesser quality with some gristle and fat, but the pho as a whole is decent. Other than that the pho is good enough if you are looking for a cheaper alternative. Phos here range from 5-7 dollars. If you are an adventurous person this restaurant offers tripe and tendon in their phos as well. When I come here I usually opt for their table-top barbeque which is excellent for a group of friends. Pho So 1 is a good place to go for a more authentic pho.

Saturday night...thinking about that dream girl or guy in your chemistry class?...Call him or her up and grab some Pho in Las Vegas!