About 225’s food critic: Benjamin Leger previously served as managing editor for 225 and was the editor of its Taste section from 2012 to 2021, editing, writing and steering the direction of its food coverage in print and online. He is passionate about all things food and food journalism, and has written about the greater Baton Rouge area’s cuisine and culture for nearly two decades.
THE BASICS: Chau Huynh opened Pho Viet Noodle House in Gonzales’ Heritage Crossing development in October 2022. Huynh is also the originator of Bao Vietnamese Kitchen in Baton Rouge and Bao Market & Deli in Prairieville.
WHAT’S A MUST: The restaurant is known for its “baco sliders,” which are small baos assembled like tacos with fillings like grilled pork or fried shrimp. The Chicken Wings appetizer with spicy Vietnamese sticky sauce is a great option for sharing. The Beef Pho offers up to three cuts of beef in a hot pho broth with plenty of noodles and toppings. Be warned: It’s a huge helping of pho.
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I will never pass up an opportunity to try a new Vietnamese restaurant around town. It’s one of my favorite cuisines, and there are plenty of options nearby.
But a newer spot, Pho Viet Noodle House, gave me the opportunity to head outside city limits and see what’s happening in the ever-growing Ascension Parish, which has seen a surge of restaurants in recent years.
Pho Viet Noodle House opened in late 2022 and has brought Vietnamese food to an area where those options are slim. It’s also the first Vietnamese restaurant I’ve seen in greater Baton Rouge that’s slinging the “baco,” a fusion of bao and tacos.
So, of course, I asked some friends to tag along to give it a try.
Behind a velvety green curtain at the entrance, Pho Viet Noodle House’s tall windows and open kitchen with a wraparound bar make it feel like a sleek big-city restaurant that would be bustling with professionals during lunch.
We visited on a weeknight and though there was plenty of activity inside, we were able to snag a table for our small group.
The menu includes several house cocktails like a Salted Lime Mojito and a Spiked Peach Smash with vodka, mint and lemongrass. Once we had a sip of these refreshing yet not-too-sweet drinks, we were ready to eat.
First up was an order of Spring Rolls. It’s rare to find a place where you can combine pork and shrimp, so we were happy when our server suggested that option.
The two rolls were stuffed with slices of plump shrimp, and the pork was nicely seasoned. Served with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce, these were fairly standard yet still satisfying.
We had our eye on the Chicken Wings, which can be served plain, with a tamarind dry rub or in a Vietnamese sticky sauce. We went with the last option, and I’m so glad we did.
The six wings and drums were certainly sticky, with a coating of spicy sauce and visible flecks of pepper across the crispy skin. They sat in more sauce—or maybe the sauce had dripped off the wings and pooled at the bottom of the plate. Either way, they were zesty and green oniony. There must have been a fish sauce involved, too, because it was the first thing we smelled. But while it hit the nose, it didn’t overpower the palate. These turned out to be an excellent choice to share with friends.
We had plenty of pho on the way for our entrees, but we didn’t want to pass up the chance to try the Baco Sliders this restaurant is known for.
Bao is a type of steamed flour bun that can be stuffed with all manner of proteins—pork belly being a classic. A few places around town serve them open-faced and topped with some iteration of pickled veggies, spicy mayo and cilantro.
What sets a baco apart may just be the plating. They came folded in the shape of small street tacos, loaded with shredded cabbage, pickled carrots and daikon, and a protein of choice.
Pho Viet Noodle House serves two bacos per order with your choice of grilled pork, beef, chicken or fried shrimp.
We asked if we could get two orders and try one of each, but were told we could only have one type of protein per order. Bummer. A baco flight seems like a fantastic idea to me.
Instead, we went with grilled pork and were happy nonetheless. The charred pork had a nice savory-sweet sauce drizzled on top, and the veggies were fresh and crunchy. The bun itself was the best part: not as thick and bready as ones I’ve had before, it held up against the fillings without being too filling on its own.
After all those tasty appetizers, I had barely room for more, but pho was on the way.
I ordered the Beef Pho as my entree, which allows up to three beefy proteins: rare steak, brisket, meatball, tendon and tripe. I am not the most adventurous when it comes to fatty textures or organ meat, so I asked for the first three.
The pho arrived in what was essentially a massive steel cauldron of hot soup. It came pre-topped with ribbons of white onions and a liberal sprinkling of chopped green onions and cilantro. On the side: more onions, sprouts, basil, sliced jalapeno and a lime wedge.
Once I added the accouterments, I didn’t really need much else in terms of seasonings. The broth was deep and flavorful on its own. Thin slices of steak and brisket were super tender and not too fatty, and the chunks of meatball were chewy.
My only complaint was that I did have to fish out some jiggly little pieces of tripe, which were nearly camouflaged among the white onions and rice noodles. It wasn’t enough to turn me off. And I know it didn’t alter this tasty pho broth much, as this cut of meat typically takes on flavor rather than imparting its own.
By the end of the night, we were full. I had enough pho leftover for nearly two more meals.
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We all agreed this was a great entry into the local Vietnamese restaurant scene. The added bonus is the restaurant’s cool setting, which makes you want to schedule a meetup with friends to try a couple of those cocktails and work your way through the baco menu. Or, if you’re craving a tried-and-true bowl of pho or vermicelli, there’s plenty of that deliciousness, too.
Pho Viet Noodle House has the vibes and the goods to give it true staying power.
This article was originally published in the October 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.