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/
When I worked at Trailer Park, the company participated in a subsidized lunch program for its employees with Eat Club. When Phorage was an option, I quickly and eagerly placed my lunch order and waited with great anticipation until the day arrived when I would finally be able to taste the tasty morsels that came in the special Eat Club package with my name on it.
It’s been a few years since my time at Trailer Park and since my last in-person meal at Phorage. As I’m currently on a Vietnamese bun kick due to our upcoming trip to Vietnam, I decided to place an order for lunch pickup.
I’m sad to say that the flavor of the food has declined since my last visit. I ordered the grilled chicken with imperial roll and vermicelli noodles. I can understand that the egg roll would have lost its crispy texture during the car ride back to work. However, the flavor of the chicken was disappointedly lackluster. From what I recall, a prior iteration of this dish had a citrusy, lemongrass flavor marinaded into the chicken. That’s what gave it a more authentic Vietnamese flavor. Now it’s just grilled chicken on a bed of vermicelli noodles, shredded carrots, lettuce and bean sprouts with a side of very mild sweet & sour sauce sprinkled with a dash of fish sauce.
What I always fear with Asian restaurants is how the quality and flavor of their food diminish and decline over time, as a cost saving measure or perhaps under pressure to Americanize their dishes. I haven’t followed Phorage so I don’t know if they have a different chef or are under new management.
I was so hopeful that it would be my go-to for my Vietnamese fix on the Westside but alas, so far, Saigon Dish in Lawndale has checked off most of the boxes on what an authentic bun ga nuong should taste like. Guess a trek to South Bay is still closer and cheaper than a trip to Vietnam.
Phorage
3300 Overland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
http://phoragela.com/
Grace Gambin
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