This is a mainstream restaurant geared toward wimpy Americans on a budget.
By Nikki Buchanan | Photo: Stella Subasic
Opened: December 2023
The menu subtitles for this Vietnamese-forward eatery featuring Asia’s culinary greatest hits are “Fresh and Natural Asian Kitchen,” and “Delicious & Nutritious Foods For Your Healthy Body.” It’s all a little mystifying, given that the greenery that typifies Vietnam’s light, herbaceous cooking style is practically nonexistent here. This is a mainstream restaurant geared toward wimpy Americans on a budget. Health does not appear to be a factor. Case in point: three crunchy Vietnamese egg rolls ($8.99) served without the traditional lettuce wrappers and fresh herbs that make them so yummy. Meanwhile, the sweet dipping sauce alongside bears little of the salty, umami-laden funk of Vietnam’s all-important nuoc cham fish sauce. Shrimp pad Thai ($14.99), pleasant if a bit too sweet, needs more scrambled egg and crunchy bean sprouts. It’s almost all noodles. A yum nua-like beef salad, serviceable with a mix of pale romaine, onions and carrots dressed with lime juice ($11.99), continues the sweet, one-dimensional theme. However, the kicker is marinated pork banh mi ($7.99), its crusty bread and pickled veggie garnish both smeared with a ketchup-mayo sauce that brings Russian dressing, Thousand Island and fry sauce to mind. What?! However, crunchy chicken wings, sticky with sweet tamarind glaze, are bomb ($8.99).
Wild Card: Mango sticky rice, color-tinted for various holidays (red for Valentine’s, green for St. Patrick’s Day, $6). Cute and fun.
393 W. Warner Rd., Chandler, 480-590-0664,
vietfusionaz.com
