Why: Dop Pho is celebrating its grand opening in Hazel Dell and is already attracting return visits for dining in and pick-up orders. The casual-style restaurant is open seven days a week serving traditional pho and a selection of other Vietnamese favorites.
Atmosphere: Located in a strip mall space that has housed several restaurants, Dop Pho has a simple, uncluttered appearance. Upholstered benches run parallel on opposite walls and are faced with tables and chairs. A rear wall and a canopy above the kitchen are covered with artificial greenery. The color palette is earthy, giving the restaurant a mellow vibe. Condiments are placed at each table, and water is served in a large glass bottle with accompanying glasses for diners to serve themselves.
What I tried: I started my meal with the pot stickers. From the pho options, I settled on the eye round steak pho. Although I don’t usually find tofu appetizing, there was a photo of the vermicelli lemongrass tofu that looked appetizing, so I gave that a try, as well. To drink, I had some hot Vietnamese coffee. The pot stickers are prepared fried with a nice, crisp exterior and a tasty, savory filling. Dipping sauce and julienned vegetables doused in some variety of sweet vinegar are served alongside. They were a delicious kick-off to my meal. The pho arrived piping hot with the traditional basil, bean sprouts, sliced, fresh jalapenos and a lime wedge to add in. The steak serving was generous and the portion was large. The flavors were sweet, salty and hearty, and it had a wonderful aromatic quality that added to the experience. As good as the pho was, the vermicelli lemongrass tofu was equally impressive. It was served in a bowl of rice noodles and bean sprouts with shredded lettuce, cucumbers and carrots. The tofu was topped with a yummy fried peanut type of crumble and possessed a surprisingly hearty flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. I delighted in every sip of the sweet Vietnamese coffee.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Among the appetizers are salad rolls, egg rolls, and grilled, coconut and tempura shrimp. There is a papaya salad made with diner’s choice of either beef or shrimp. Rice plates include a house special as well as grilled pork and grilled chicken. Vermicelli is available with a single choice of protein or a combination, including pork, chicken, shrimp or egg roll. Kitchen specialties offer a spicy beef noodle soup and an egg noodle soup with shrimp and pork, as well as vermicelli lemongrass. I thought the Vietnamese chicken wings sounded intriguing. There are 11 pho options, and vegetarian options include tofu dishes and veggie and vermicelli veggie egg rolls. Boba smoothies come in avocado, mango, strawberry, taro, greek tea and honeydew melon flavors. Other beverages include Thai tea and Japanese matcha milk tea in addition to Pepsi products.
