I’m used to eating my Vietnamese food in shabby or utilitarian spaces. Chic Vietnamese like the Slanted Door in San Francisco hasn’t made it to Spokane just yet. Neither do I think our local purveyors of this brilliant Asian cuisine spend much money on interior decoration. The Pho Van location on Hamilton fits my stereotypes perfectly. I’m still happy to eat there.
Yet the restaurant’s new sibling at the base off the Division hill (several blocks north of the General Store) is a revelation. Think converted Pizza Hut on the outside, but inside the space looks sleek and upscale in a way that almost nothing on Division does. Here is possibly the first Vietnamese place in town you could take a date to prove to them you are both cosmopolitan and classy.
The sign out front says “GIVE US A TRY.” Take them seriously and do just this. The menu features the classic northern Vietnamese soup Pho as well as several other typical Vietnamese plates (all under $10). But they also offer several Chinese-American dishes like Almond Chicken if you aren’t ready to jump into a giant Pho bowl just yet.
Stop in soon.
