Monthly Archives: June 2020

Angelina’s Pho & Grill – Lemongrass Vietnamese Bistro – VERY GOOD Modern Vietnamese Food Glendale AZ #UpperWestSide and my take out

Angelina’s Pho & Grill is a modern Vietnamese Restaurant that is always changing. The decor changes often. The menus change about every several weeks. Now even the name might be changing according to Lemongrass Vietnamese Bistro according to their Facebook Page and latest menu.

But one thing doesn’t change and it’s the pho that is painstakingly made with a 24 hour broth. The pho here made a top pho list of metro Phoenix from the Arizona Republic Newspaper.

A few years ago they added sushi to the sign out front. Periodically some sushi has made it to the menu but I haven’t seen sushi here in a while.

The chairs, the wall color and decorative accents have changed a number of times over the past few years.

entrance to the patio

Today it looked like this.

I must have been here well over 20 times and every time I visit I see a new menu.

From my last dine in visit only days before Angelina’s closed due to the pandemic is next.

Yum this new appetizer sounds delicious! Miso lemongrass Chicken Tots with Cabbage. We order it to start with.

Soon our dinners arrive. My husband said to the waiter that he might as well take the appetizer off our bill since we didn’t get it. The waiter replied that he forgot to order it so it wasn’t on the bill anyway… 🙁 I hate to be overly honest but I do have to tell THE FORKING TRUTH….Service can be very poor here at times…Often someone takes our order and never comes back. It’s rare that a server here will ask if you want a beverage. Usually they just drop off water and run. I don’t think anyone has ever re-filled a beverage here. Usually nobody clears your plates. They put in a nice dessert case a few years ago. Not once has anyone asked if I’d like to order dessert. I come back only because the food is very good and very reasonably priced. (on my take out visit I didn’t notice the dessert case)

Tonight I tried the Spicy Chicken Pho in Coconut Broth Special $11.00.

WOW IT’S SCRUMPTIOUS DELICIOUS!

It is spicy but not too spicy. It has this perfect acidity to it with a delicious twenty four hour chicken laced coconut broth. There are large slices of chicken breast in the soup with lots of long rice noodles. I added some Thai Basil, Bean Sprouts and one lime wedge to the pho. WOW really delicious!

My husband had the #18 pho.

This one is called beef hue style bun bo hue $10.00. It’s beef shank, pork rolled in banana leaf, with smooth thick noodles and Thai Mint in spicy 24 hour beef broth.

Some of the past plates we tried are below but I note many have been replaced by new dishes.

fried rice with shrimp and sausage
steak on screwers
salmon papilotte
poulardine
tofu eggplant stack
lettuce wraps
chicken bird’s next
salmon cakes
green tea noodle mango tuna roll
pho
la vong style cod (Hanoi’s National Dish)

I always call before bringing my dogs. They always tell me that my dogs are welcome.

Smoked salmon salad

Angelina’s Pho and Grill did close during the pandemic and newly reopened only a week ago. I did take out since I don’t feel comfortable yet dining in but I would consider patio dining if it isn’t too hot in temperature because there is less virus risk outside in the open air. To walk into the restaurant I wore a mask with a five layer filter and shielded my eyes with onion goggles because some scientist believe you can catch the virus by your eyes. I also used Angelina’s (or is it Lemongrass) hand sanitizer. Nothing is for certain and this still is a risk.

Here’s my take out.

On the left is my husband’s three rice plate (shrimp, chicken, beef) and I got the yellow chicken curry. The flavors in the curry are very brilliant and delicious. It’s ULTRA flavorful. I’ve had it here before here a few times. They always add lots of vegetables that nobody else adds like cauliflower (and today some cucumber) The chicken is so tender it’s falling apart. I LOVE how so much Thai basil is penetrated into the flavors.

Angelina’s Pho and Grill – The Food is Worth a Fork!

The food is usually very VERY good……..service can be hit or miss

I haven’t found a website for Angelina’s Pho and Grill but they are on Facebook and might be changing name to Lemongrass Vietnamese Bistro…..

Every THING is subject to change and we hope it does for the better.

The Forking Truth

Take Out During the CoronaVirus Pandemic in Metro Phoenix AZ Week 11- Chula Seafood, Kabob Grill N Go, Twist Bistro & Gallery, Angelina’s Pho & Grill (Lemongrass Vietnamese Bistro)

All restaurants are struggling to stay in business. Several restaurants have already permanently closed from lack oof business due to the pandemic. Many restaurants have opened their dining rooms with limited seating. Nothing is for certain but take out seems like a safer option with less risk.

Our first take out this week was from Chula Seafood in Phoenix.

I enjoyed the Chula Chopped Salad with added Salmon and my husband got the Tuna Melt with Spam Macaroni Salad and chips. My fur buddies were booth highly interested in the foods but my bigger fur buddy is well behaved and waits till she is served.

Next take out was from newly opened Kabob Grill n Go in Phoenix.

This is a postage sized kabob take out restaurant with around three small tables. Prices are low. Portions are big.

We tried on the left is a chicken tenders kabob. In the middle is the beef (steak) kabob and on the right is the whole Cornish chicken kabob. My dogs were waiting for theirs.

Next take out was from Twist Bistro & Gallery in North Scottsdale. We got the amazing take out special of one appetizer, two dinners and one dessert for $55.00.

We shared muffins with honey butter and then southern fried chicken breaded shawarma kabobs with minted cucumbers, marinated olive and jalapeño preserved lemon basil syrup. For my dinner was that AMAZING loch dart salmon with tomato salad, asparagus, black rice and basil pistou. My husband had the shrimp and sausage diablo. It came with spicy Italian sausage, shrimp, asparagus, olives, tomato confit and three cheese polenta. WOW! all this was really great and then we enjoyed mascarpone cheese cake with pistachio praline, salted caramel, whipped cream and strawberries. Gosh Twist Bistro and Gallery really knocked it out of the park again! I have some fur buddies that are also excited about the food here.

“Twist Bistro was a GREAT choice”
“I can’t wait for mine”

Last take out of the week was from Angelina’s Pho & Grill that is possibly changing their name to Lemongrass Vietnamese Bistro.

current menu

Angelina’s is officially one of the best places in metro Phoenix for pho. I’ve been here bunches of times and often do get one of their amazing pho bowls but felt like having something different today.

The dining room had customers when I arrived and I noticed the fresh new paint job.

We did take out and got the yellow chicken curry and the mixed three rice plate.

Both plates were delicious and also were very large portions but we had help with that.

“We are in this thing together”

That was week 11 of take out in metro Phoenix. This week we did take out from-

Chula Seafood – PHX

Kabob Grill N Go – PHX

Twist Bistro & Gallery – North Scottsdale

Angelina’s Pho & Grill (Lemongrass Vietnamese Bistro) – Glendale/UpperWestSide

Everything is subject to change and we hope it does for the better

The Forking Truth