Viet Kitchen

Gee… I wonder why this place went out of business? Maybe because THEY WERE HARDLY EVER OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
I don’t know if anyone read my frist review of this place, but I tried several times to go in to this establishment and eat and they were never open even though they had posted hours on the door. I know for a fact they were still in business when I tried to go, because I had friends who went in here to eat not long before or after I attempted to go in. Oh well. I guess this should be a lesson for all businesses. If you have hours posted on your door, you should probably abide by them. Other wise, you’ll go the way of Viet Kitchen.

CLOSED!!! WTF? It’s now a sushi place that I have not tried and therefore will not comment on but now what the hell am I supposed to do for downtown phở? Man oh man… and it’s really cold today too…

This place is closed. It is now Thai Basil. We drove all the way to downtown to discover it no longer existed. I should have called first.

They must have had a slammed lunch as I came in around 1:30 (by the time I found my way back from the old station) and for a new place the counters were dirty.
I hate when the counter help is eating in the dining room, I feel like I am inconveniencing them. The vegetarian choices are limited and the Phở was good for 8 bucks. I have eaten Phở at another place in Mesa and enjoyed it more.
I won’t run back to this one but if someone else was paying and wouldn’t cave to other suggestions I would not die of it either.

whoop whoop !!! Phở spot by my job so i can phở it un on my lunch hour… hollllllaaaaaaa!
okay just had to get the happiness outta my system.
i was craving phở (even though i just had it for dinner last night) and thought what the hell i will check around here and BAM a spot popped up!
nice and easy walk and the size of this place is decent as well. nothing to spectualar inside but nontheless far from dirty and kept organized!
Got some phở (meatless) to go and it was delicioso! i have had better, but it fixed my lunch hr craving and made my afternoon so much brighter, so yes it was delicioso in my book !
They do have a fairly large menu, my friend enjoyed her eggrolls as well.
So glad there is Phở in CenPho!!!

I have been here three times and I have got to say its actually pretty good flavor wise for being in downtown phoenix. I have had the soup twice and the pork sandwich once. Not sure if this helps but stick with the soup. Get the double size. The springs rolls are pretty good too. Do not get the sandwich unless you are in the mood for something small. The portions are not very big here but the food is big on flavor. The service here is not that great though pretty slow. If you are in a crunch for lunch I would not recommend unless you order over the phone and pick up. The prices are pretty decent. I will return as its the only Vietnamese place near my work.

My wife and I had lunch here. Not too hungry, so we shared 2 Spring Rolls ($ 3.75) and one dish, My Nam (4 °F, $ 7.50), Good thing we weren’t hungry, as the dish size was smaller than we expected, but did have 7 shrimps. Spring Rolls were essentially tasteless, as was its peanut sauce. Dish was OK, and the broth (not meant to be a full soup) was excellent. 3^rd star earned by an exceptional level of cleanliness. All in all, if you want Vietnamese, there are many others, but this is very convenient. Many more better choices

It’s about time they have something like this downtown! This was my first experience with Vietnamese food, and I am officially a fan! The server recommended the Prime PHO soup, awesome! I’ve heard of Vietnamese soup before and now I know what everyone raves about. Next time I plan on trying one of their French style sandwiches. Great staff, very clean place. I will be returning.

Man did THIS PLACE hit the spot!
My husband and I were in Phoenix on a fact-​finding trip (considering relocation) and part of my prerequisites is that I can find all my comfort food locally. My review could be slightly biased because I was STARVING TO DEATH… I had been sick (think vomit in the rental car) earlier that day and my husband was so freaked out that he refused to let me eat! What kinda shit is THAT? (O_​o)
Anyway, I was afraid to eat anything heavy and what else better to eat when you’re stomach is feelin crazy but PHO? Oh how I love Unilocal on my phone… so I looked up local Phở spots and this place was the closest to our hotel. It was a bit difficult to find (for us since we’re not from there) and I had to call… seems we were parked on the side of the physical address… who knew the door was around the corner?
The place was DEAD EMPTY — but I wasn’t all that surprised… it was a Saturday afternoon and the downtown area doesn’t really scream out EXCITEMENT after 5pm on Friday. I love the open kitchen idea… wish we had more places like that in LA. The service was prompt (because let’s face it, they were probably happy to see some business). I ordered my usual Phở fare… rare steak and got my husband the combination of EVERYTHING. It totally hit the spot. I managed to scarf down the entire bowl. Of course, like I said… I was starving, so anything probably would’ve been good around that time.
No complaints… except the bathroom was HELLA hard to find…

This was my first time at Viet Kitchen. I ordered a steak rice dish. Pretty disappointing. One scoop of rice, 7 pieces of chopped beef and 5 fries.
Seriously? Seriously? the steak was dry. the food was not even close to filling. and why the heck was there only 5 fries? Maybe I ordered the wrong thing?

Unbelievable. This is not your mamas Viet food establishment. A must try in downtown Phoenix.

PHO IS SUB PAR
Clean restaurant/​fast service/​standard menu/​
Had better

Well… I’m super excited that there is finally, finally some V-​food in downtown Phoenix. The more ethnic cuisine around the better. It is in a convenient location on 1^st and Adams. The kitchen area is open to the public (a first I think I’ve ever seen). I ordered take out and everything I needed was in there. The plus, fast service. The minus, I felt like things were not quite as tasty as some of my other standbyes. The prices also reflect the snazzy downtown locale, a dinner for two came out to be closer to 30 bucks (which is still a bargain) but I’m used to about 15 – 20 at the divier joints. I’m still going to support them when I’m in a pinch for takeout or lunch downtown, but if I’m craving the authentic and frenetic pace of a Vietnamese eatery I’ll have to head out to the avenue’s for some of the more established dives.
Didn’t have the bahn mi (they were out). Had a standard buhn dice which was nice but i’m used to the nom plah a little sweeter with more garlic. The egg rolls are good, (not filled with just veggies). The spring rolls are missing my favorite, shrimp! The omlette dish is an acquired taste, and I’ll leave it at that :)

Location is close to the ASU downtown campus, which gives it a couple stars right off the bat.
Ordered the Phở Bo and Spring Rolls for around $ 11.
Being from Seattle where Phở restaurants have made a mark within the market, I come with somewhat high standards.
The noodles were good with a decent portion — I usually order Phở with extra noodles since I’m kind of a big eater. In terms of taste, I’d give the Phở a 5-​star rating.
Spring rolls were lacking flavor. My peer thought she was getting egg rolls, which are fried… but that’s her mistake.
Like all Vietnamese restaurants, the atmosphere is bare and authentic with almost a high-​pace feel during lunch.
Good food, great location and portions, decent prices.
Phở is pronounced like «Fu.»

NOM NOM viet cuisine in the D-​Town! Rep Rep!
Phở Bo: Broth had a nice sodium balance, not too sweet or salty. My usual is Steak + Meatballs. The steak was well done as oppose to rare, which I prefer. Meatball was fine.
Banh Mi: A second visit I had an order of this. The baguette tasted fresh and chewy. Unlike most pâté’s, VK meshed it with light soy sauce, which did not bother me too much as it helped bring out the cold meat filling and veggies.
Egg Rolls: No complaint here, Crispy shell and good filling.
Conclusion: The décor is very modern, seems to be the trend here in PHX among Phở places. Its quite refreshing to see many office dwellers consume Viet food here, actually. More to try next time, VK has easily made it into my Lunch Rotation thanks to its centralized location.

I take my sweet mom to lunch at least twice a month, so she can get out of the house once in a while. She likes Vietnamese cuisine, so I searched on Unilocal to find something close to downtown. I stumbled upon Dolores G’s review and she seemed to like it, so I brought my mom here.
My Mom ordered the house stir fry which is a noodle with beef, pork, shrimp, chicken and veggies stir fry. ($ 8.75) and I ordered the Sauteed Tofu with Tomatoes and Onions and Thai Tea. ($ 7.50). Given our hunger levels, we also ordered a couple of fresh Spring Rolls and shared a pot of hot tea.
Mom really enjoyed her savory dish, Mine on the other hand was just fine. I guess I was expecting it to be more flavorful, but it’s just Tofu with sauteed tomatoes and onions which I can easily make at home. I thought it was a little under flavored in my opinion– nothing that a shot of Sriracha and a few dabs of chili pepper sauce couldn’t cure though. Portions are not too big just a scoop of rice and the entrée’, so if you have a big appetite better go to a buffet instead.
But to be fair, I am giving them 4 stars for providing a clean establishment, good service and reasonably priced dishes.

I finally made it over to the Viet Kitchen. Each time I go by it at lunch there is either a group dining and taking up most of the room, or a line. I figured Tuesday is usually a lull in dining so I would give it a shot. I ordered the Phở (soup with beef brisket). It was done in a traditional style with rice noodles and beef in broth and bean sprouts, jalapeño and basil to add to taste.
The food was good, not exceptional. I would have liked a larger portion than received, but based on taste alone I was satisfied. The food is delivered in about five to ten minutes so there is no unexpected wait. The menu appeared to have a number of options, but when I viewed it closer, most of the soups and rolls were similar to one another sans a one of two ingredient difference.
The wait staff is good. My water was kept full and my check was not rushed.
The urban atmosphere is unique for Phoenix. It was exciting watching the traffic, seeing big building, people walking and a light rail train pass by. It did not feel like Phoenix. The view alone made it interesting.
For a lunch with tip for about $ 10.00, I must say I enjoyed it. Something was missing. It was good, but not outstanding.

Not bad… not bad at all… solid 3.5 stars and rounded up for its convenient distance from my office (and home too). Today’s trip I walked in and stared at the small trifold paper Carry Out menu (which is also their dine in menu). I knew I wanted to try their Spring Rolls, that is a given for me at just about any Vietnamese restaurant.
I had several minutes to study the menu, and the dishes of the diners around me. Large bowls of steamy phở, fresh green mint, cilantro and crisp mung bean sprouts. Plates of colorful vegetables in fragrant sauces… MMMM…
Ok, so ultimately I decided while the Phở looked good and I was taking this to go I would keep it simple. Looking over their sandwich selection I it looked good but didn’t suit my mood.
So along with an order of 2 Spring Rolls, I decided on the small order (3) of Vietnamese («Viet») egg rolls. Both types of Rolls were about the same size. [Other Vietnamese places the Spring rolls are at least 2xs the size of the egg rolls.]
The Spring Rolls had sliced tender pork and shrimp served with a peanut sauce. The peanut sauce here is not my favorite but I typically enjoy the nuoc nam better with my Spring Rolls…
The Viet Egg Rolls were filled with a flavorful mix of peppered pork and vegetables, and served traditionally with the lettuce leaf, mint, cilantro, chile and nuoc nam.
For those interested in pricing:
Most items on the menu and Phở options are between $ 7.25 and $ 7.50 and the bowls are large!
Sandwiches are all $ 4.99 and they list that the bread is made in house.
Their stir frys average $ 8.75.
Hot Pots and Hot Pans are their most expensive thing on the menu ranging between $ 14 and $ 20 but this is a meal for at least 2.
I will be back!

When giving two stars, the Unilocal Star selector says «Meh. I’ve experienced better» and strangely enough the word «Meh» is flagged on Unilocal’s own spell checker. This is puzzling to me. How is it that Unilocal can use the word «Meh» yet their own spell checker rejects the use of this oh so appropriate verbiage, especially when describing Viet Kitchen. I work really close to this little place, which is always very clean and is staffed by some very nice folk. The menu selection is ample yet typical of any Vietnamese fair… Phở, Vermicelli dishes, French type sandwiches, spring rolls, etc.
But everything I’ve had is just… here it comes… you know what I’m gonna say… you guessed it… MEH. Nothing is great, everything is just ok. Where’s the love? This is how I feel about the place. If you’re completely Jonesing (another term not in spell checker) for Vietnamese food, this place will satisfy your craving, but after your meal you might end up saying «Meh, I’ve experienced better».

Reviews for businesses on their first day open are always open for adjustment later.
Vietnamese food is my latest passion. I’ve occasionally eaten it since I was a child, but lately it’s been an obsession, cooking it, eating it, and learning as much as I can. When I heard a Vietnamese restaurant was opening within just blocks of my home, I was beyond ecstatic, licking my chops with anticipation. Viet Kitchen operates another location on 101 and Cave Creek Road, which is well regarded but not considered the top of it’s realm. The new location downtown took over where Restaurant Acapulco was located, a place I liked for breakfast, but was downright embarassing for any other meal.
Upon walking in, I was somewhat confused by the «order here» sign, but the owner telling me to have a seat. Is this a counter order or a full service? I knew what I wanted, Bun Bi Cha Gio, so I ordered it at the counter and then had a seat. Service was typical of a Vietnamese joint, food and drink come out quickly, then you never see anyone again. This is not a sign of bad service, just a sign of a different style and culture… if you want something, you’re expected to tell them. If they don’t hear you speak up, then they assume you don’t need them. By «them» I mean restaurant employees not «those people.»
When my food came, one of two things were painfully obvious, either they are cutting corners, or they couldn’t get the right ingredients on the first day open. There was bagged, shredded Iceberg Lettuce in my Bun… WHAT? It threw off the flavor of the entire dish, and I’ve never had anything but Romaine at any restaurant, which is how it’s supposed to be done. Their Nuoc Mam was very disappointing as well, and was missing the punch you get from the usual Chili, Garlic, and was a little boring. Overall, I thought the dish was not well done, though they were very generous with the grilled pork and egg roll and both were ok in quality… pork a bit fatty.
Overall, I’m thankful to have this restaurant in the neighborhood, and I feel that it will improve over time. It’s clean, the staff is friendly, and it’s overly convienent. I was prepared for the prices being higher, which is expected when your rent is high, but $ 10.50 for Bun and Iced Tea is crazy. Most places the same order costs me $ 7 and I can often get Goi Cuon with it and still be $ 10 and I’m stuffed. Oh well. Convienence costs.
I wouldn’t make a special trip for this place, but if you live downtown it will get the job done. I *hope* the Iceberg Lettuce was just a first day thing, and I’m under the assumption that it is, but if I go back again and they have Iceberg, I’m swearing this place off.