It’s about that time of year when all you want to eat is a gigantic bowl of hot, delicious, spicy carbs, and no one does it like our neighbors from Vietnam.
All over Indianapolis, Vietnamese food is thriving, sometimes served by itself, sometimes served alongside massive Asian cuisine culture variety. Peruse the list and head out for the spicy, fresh flavors you crave.
By Sarah Murrell
Saigon
International Marketplace / 4760 38th St
38th Street is jam-packed with incredible international dining, so much that the city renamed the cultural destination “International Marketplace.” And if you’re in the mood for pho, there’s no better place to order it than at Saigon. It used to be a southern-themed restaurant shaped like a riverboat, and the bones still remain, but the menu is one of the most fabulously diverse collections of every Vietnamese dish you can think of.
Pho 54
Augusta / 7280 Michigan Rd
A longtime favorite for residents of north Michigan Road, Pho 54 serves authentic pho in vat-size quantities for not much money. If you drive too fast along Michigan, you’ll miss it, but it’s worth making the trip — especially if you’re already in need of a Costco/Lowes/Walmart trip in that part of town. And really, after all that corporate big box shopping, the least you can do is slurp down a bowl of independently-owned Vietnamese cuisine.
Long Thanh
Steinmeier / 5707 E 71st St
David Vu named the restaurant he owns and cooks for after his hometown in south Vietnam, and his commitment into serving authentic flavors has consistently earned five stars from his customers. Of course, they’ll have your giant bowls of pho, but don’t miss out on the dishes served sizzling hot in a clay pot. If you’re a heavy fish eater, you’ll appreciate the whole fried option, which you can slide easily off the bone with a squeeze of lime.
Pho Tasty
Castleton / 6044 E 82nd St
Don’t come for us and our strip mall restaurants, because sometimes, strip mall food is incredible. No one illustrates this quite as well as the folks behind Pho Tasty and their massive fish bowl-size servings of pho — naturally. They, too, serve other traditional Vietnamese dishes like spring rolls and bahn mi, but their loyal customers overwhelmingly return for bowls of noodles and broth.
King Wok Co Do Vietnamese Restaurant
International Marketplace / 4150 Lafayette Rd
While the restaurant might have an identity crisis with its branding, the food definitely does not, and it turns out Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese food are better together than apart. Get a bowl of ramen with a side of cold spring rolls, or Mongolian beef with a bowl of pho. Anything goes, and it’s all really delicious.
Egg Roll #1
Beech Grove / 4540 S Emerson Ave
There are a handful of Asian restaurants in Indy that will never, ever be slow, and Egg Roll #1 is definitely on that list. The southside restaurant draws everyone from locals to folks all the way up in Carmel, and it truly is perhaps the best affordable Asian restaurant in town. As the name indicates, the menu is somewhat “pan-Asian,” meaning you can get Vietnamese pho along with Chinese and Japanese favorites.
