In my quest to find reasonably priced Vietnamese food on the Westside and in preparation for my upcoming trip to Vietnam, I researched nearby restaurants and came upon Pho Fever Bistro on Yelp. It’s located in a very small strip mall on the corner of Pico and Barrington. It shares the mall with an Indian restaurant and a Subway. There are a handful of parking spaces. Fortunately, there are also plenty of free and metered street parking in close proximity.

The restaurant is quite narrow but deep. There’s a television at the front and lively music playing on their sound system. A few tables were occupied but there was plenty of seating.

I ordered L9, a charbroiled pork and egg roll vermicelli bowl, from their lunch menu which came with a complimentary beverage for dine-in customers. Within five minutes the food arrived.

I could smell hints of smokiness rising from the bowl. The pieces of pork had a slightly charred sweet flavor, reminiscent of the flavor in BBQ pork fried rice. Each strip had a bit of marbling like in slices of bacon but because the pieces were thicker, the pork was a bit chewy. However, the shreds of lettuce, cucumber and carrots tasted fresh and crisp. The lunch special also came with a spring roll. It was crispy and light and added another layer of texture to the bowl.

All in all, it was a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the pork marinade as I haven’t visited Vietnam yet, but I do get the sense that the coloring of the pork might be brighter than normal and it might be a tad sweeter. However, Pho Fever Bistro is a great place to have a quick and inexpensive lunch on the Westside with a casual dine-in experience.

Pho Fever Bistro

2405 S. Barrington Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90064

https://www.phoeversawtelle.com/