Wanugee N.
Yelp
Pho Van is located in a mostly Asian business strip mall, adjacent to the Target store on Research Blvd in north Austin. There are a couple of other noodle based restos in this mall, one Ramen, the other presumably Chinese. The large Hong Kong Supermarket is closed.
Pho Van looks like it's relatively new, or remodeled. The decor is simple and clean, with modern washed faux wood flooring, a long dining room long wood bench against the right wall, below a wave pattern high wainscot cutout, subtilely topped with a lavender LED light glow.
There are about 16 tables, with simple danish modern wood and black seat pads, seating Mixed 2/4, well spaced, and enough room to add another row if demand required it. The left wall is all glass, like the front, so a clean, airy feel to the room. The back wall has a 4 seat bar left, snd and a pay counter right, both accented with plastic wall greenery. There are several real indoor plants around the entry door divider. Each table has Sriracha,Hoysin and Red Chili squeeze bottles.
They offer the standard Viet diner type food, with an emphasis on Pho, it's in their name after all! But also a good selection of Banh Mi sandwiches, appetizers, and other dishes.
I came at an off time, around 3pm, so there were only a few diners. Nonetheless, service was prompt, and the food came out quickly. The hostess was Vietnamese, the cook too, the table servers were Latino, but all spoke decent English.
I ordered the N5, small, (Pho Tai, Nam) which is thin sliced round and flank steak. ( small = $12.25) Also A2. Cha Gio, or small egg rolls (2= $5.50). The flank steak was good quality. The round typical, The Cha Gio was hot out of the fryer crispy. Good condiments.
The food here is good and reasonably priced, especially compared to the Bay Area, and service was good, too.
I have lost count, but this Pho review is somewhere between my 100th and 150th Yelp review on Vietnamese restaurants and/or Pho, all over North America! Check out my collections for it here on Yelp!