Indochine Vietnamese Bistro

Restaurant: Indochine Vietnamese Bistro

Website: http://indochineutah.com/ 

Location: 230 S 1300 E
Salt Lake City, UT

Price: $$

Pho is a national icon of Vietnamese cuisine. At it’s base it consists of a beef broth with rice noodles and various assortments of meat which include beef meatballs, tripe, tendon, flank steak, fatty flank, and brisket.  It is garnished with various herbs and vegetables such as Thai basil, cilantro, thai chili peppers and bean sprouts.  For any Asian who has had this delectable and tasty dish, it is like our own version of comfort food.  Most places around the valley (particularly in West Valley) offer large bowls between 5.50 and 7.50. The closer you get in proximity to the east bench, the more likely the price increases. Recent establishments such as Cafe Trang and Indochine offer the flair and distinctiveness of Vietnamese culture but emphasized the ambience and clientel.  Having seen Indochine each day as I drive up to the U, I knew they served the usual fare but for a larger fare. The question was, how was the price?

I ordered the Pho Dac Biet or basically the “House Special Pho.” Going into the restaurant I knew to focus on the flavor of Chef Tuan Duc Vu and not the 10$ a bowl I was paying for. I ordered the dish with a Thai ice tea (a must with any meal) and to my surprise enjoyed the dish.

The broth was balanced and mildly sweet but not overpowering as some other Pho houses are.  It was a calmer broth but still with the familiar beef broth robustness you can expect with most Pho. My only complaint (not being the size of the bowl) is the sparse garnishes they provide. I only had a half a hand full of bean sprouts a few leaves of basil and two or three slices of jalapeno. I understand that this is a higher classed restaurant being on the east bench but one part of Pho cuisine is the freshness and abundance of vegetables and garnishes to accentuate the meal. I enjoyed the Pho even in the smaller bowl but would have liked more selection in my vegetables. The Thai Ice Tea on the other hand, which in most restaurants is from a powder mix or can was very strong and to my liking.

Overall, Indochine was a suprising mix of solid food.  The target clientel is not likely someone such as myself who is familiar with other Pho noodles houses.  But even with its proximity to the U, I would easily drive down to Shanghai Cafe or Asia Pho for cheaper, larger, and fresher ingredients.

 Friend Meter: Tony

For more information on the History of Pho, visit this awesome feature piece from the San Francisco Gate:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/11/05/FD48543.DTL