Pho! In Kapaa!
Finding this Vietnamese restaurant was great on Kauai, since I had been craving Pho since the day before. I guess you would call me a pho junkie. Being that said, I thought that the reviews here were kind of the same. It was just okay. I tended to say the same. The Pho itself was delicious and the service was simple, but just average you would find in any Vietnamese restaurant in Hawaii. I came here on a recent Saturday afternoon after picking up my race packet @ the 2014 Kauai marathon and needed that Pho fix. You know how it is when you need that daily fix. Talk about coffee lovers! I guess it's how it is with addicts. :)
Pho Kapaa is located in the heart of Kapaa at the Kailua Village Shopping Center in Kapaa, kind of borders on Wailua, but Kapaa all the same. The parking situation can be a mixed bag of busy and not so busy, but there are plenty of parking here. This Vietnamese restaurant very much accepts major credit cards, which is awesome as always. The restaurant itself is relatively small, simple and clean. Several artworks are displayed and the decor is good. Prices here are consistent with other Pho restaurants I have visited, although the server asked if I wanted the Super Bowl, which was 1/3 more meat and soup, but costs like $3.00 more. I declined about that, but wanted extra bean sprouts to make the meal extra crunchy. The ambiance here was quiet, calm, and comfortable. The place was kind of empty on a Saturday afternoon, but I'm glad that it was open.
I also ordered an order of summer rolls, which was prepared on ordering. The taste was good and delicious. Dipping it into the shiracha infused peanut sauce made the world fade away. Pretty good bliss. With the Pho, I ordered the combination pho, which was already standard in the lexicon, so that was a tight meal to enjoy. They gave more broth than noodles, but that's probably the conventional practice. The broth itself was darker than most I have seen, so it was richer and more flavorful than the others. The extra bean sprouts proved to be one of the game changers here, but could've been better with extra noodles, but that can be done next time.
I would say that the experience here at Pho Kapaa is positive and good, but average to be honest. The location is perfect in Kapaa, if you don't want to drive to the nearest Vietnamese restaurant, which is in Lihue. Recommended for a good meal if you are in the area, but wouldn't call it stellar or extraordinary. You get good service here, but find it just ordinary.
3.5 stars, but rounded to 4.
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