Pho La

Reviews

• ★★★★½ Beef Pad See Ew Visited Jun 17, 2021

  Pretty Good Pad See Ew - A Bit Different But Good

  I've eaten here a few times and have tried several items. One thing I've noticed is that some of the dishes are prepared differently than what I've had at other Thai restaurants, and never really thought about the name being Pho La which would indicate this is primarily a Vietnamese restaurant. Having been friends with a Thai restaurant owner over the years, I learned that traditional Thai recipes can vary quite a bit from one region of Thailand to another and that recipes can also change when cooks from different countries prepare them, with ingredients and techniques being adapted along the way.
  
  The Pad See Ew here was an example of that. The version I received was more of a wet style, with more sauce and vegetables cooked into the dish. It included shredded carrots and bean sprouts along with the standard flat rice noodles, egg, and broccoli. The more traditional Thai version I've had is much drier, with more browned, slightly sweeter noodles.
  
  I ordered the beef version, and the portion of beef was decent. The overall plate was filling, the flavors were well balanced, and there was a small puddle of sauce underneath the noodles.
  
  I'd rate this Pad See Ew somewhere in the middle of the different versions I've tried. It immediately reminded me of versions I've had at other Vietnamese restaurants.

  — Paul

• ★★★★½ Pad Thai Spring Rolls (Harumaki) Visited Apr 4, 2019

  First Visit Since Change In Ownership

  I decided to give this place a try for the first time since it changed owners. I wanted to see how the food had changed, so I ordered the beef Pad Thai.
  
  The portion was a decent size, and the dish had good flavor overall. The Pad Thai here is the red-style version made with more tamarind sauce, which isn't my personal favorite.
  
  The prices were fair, and there was nothing particularly wrong with the food, but I found the flavors a little less pronounced compared with some of the other Thai restaurants I frequent. It was decent and satisfying, but it didn't really stand out.
  
  I would consider coming back to try some of the other items on the menu, since one visit isn't enough to judge an entire restaurant. For a first experience, though, I'd say the food was decent, the portions were good, and the prices were reasonable.

  — Paul