Info: 2621 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996

You can’t keep Danny away from strip mall Asian cuisine. This time, we’re on Ocean Blvd in Stuart for Vietnamese. I’ve actually already had Asian food in this exact strip mall before at Twin Dragons when I got some Chinese takeout. Recently opened, Pho Yummy offers many of the usual Vietnamese suspects. Pho, spring rolls, banh mi, vermicelli noodles, salads, broken rice platters, stir-fried noodle dishes, and more. Each noodle dish comes with a choice of protein, and I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of choices. Instead of just “chicken” as a choice, you can choose dark or light meat. Because a basic bitch like me usually goes for the chicken, I appreciated the additional level of customization.

There is a large bar running nearly the entire length of the dining room, but no one was seated there. The interior is simple and unassuming, fairly standard for quick-service Vietnamese places like this. I usually go for the pho, but this time I was tempted to get the vermicelli noodles, which I will discuss shortly. I will likely return to Pho Yummy soon to get the pho, so I may update the article as needed.

I was promptly greeted and seated by the staff. Whether because they just opened or because they are nice people, the staff was friendly and checked in a few times to ask how the food was. Even the chef came out to talk to everyone in the restaurant. The food came out very quickly, which is always appreciated. I can understand being suspicious when ordering a steak to see it come out in 5 minutes, but when all you need to do is boil some rice noodles and throw all of the prepared ingredients to a bowl, it really shouldn’t take that long. So the quickness of service is a plus here, although they did forget the water I asked for.

Skipping ahead to when I left, I have a chicken or egg question. Did Italian-American stereotypes come about to accurately represent the behaviors of real people, or did Italian-Americans simply embrace and play up the stereotypes ascribed to them? I’m genuinely curious because as I was leaving, this middle-aged guinea was sitting outside talking loudly on speakerphone with his mother. I tried not to laugh as I was walking to my car. If I was a walking stereotype like this guy, I would hope I had the wherewithal to change my behaviors or just not display them so publicly. Anyway, let’s get into the food.

Appetizer:

Veggie Spring Rolls [Tofu, vermicelli noodles, cucumber, shredded carrots, cilantro in a rice paper wrap with peanut sauce]

• The Good Shit: These were your standard Vietnamese spring rolls, so they are hard to mess up. The vegetables looked and tasted fresh and provided a great crunch, and there was plenty of tofu in the two rolls. The noodles were cooked well, and there were just enough to make the rolls more filling, but not so much to steal the show.
• The Nit Pick: While the vegetables tasted fresh, the rice paper wrap was a bit dry and tough, indicating that these may have been sitting out for some time. The wrap was still plenty tender to eat, but the toughness did knock these down a notch. My other nit pick is that the peanut sauce was lacking a punch. It tasted like any other peanut sauce, but was just a bit bland. It needed more spice or acidity to make it stand out. With unseasoned tofu, fresh vegetables, and plain noodles, the rolls really needed a flavorful sauce.

Entree:

Dark Meat Chicken Vermicelli [Dark meat charbroiled chicken, lettuce, carrots, scallions, vermicelli sauce]

• The Good Shit: As I mentioned, I usually go for pho, but I do enjoy an occasional bowl of vermicelli noodles. Instead of the typical bland chicken breast, I opted for dark meat, which was charbroiled and tossed in an unspecified brown sauce, likely soy-based. The dish had a good amount of chicken, which was sweet and smoky. The noodles were cooked well and did not stick together, and the lettuce was fresh. I really enjoyed the sauce, which was sweet and spicy, but not overly sweet, which is often my biggest complaint of vermicelli sauce.
• The Nit Pick: While I did enjoy it, my main nit pick is also with the chicken. For whatever reason, the unspecified brown sauce did not have a discernable flavor. So while the dark meat had plenty of flavor on its own, the sauce didn’t add much to the dish. This was especially apparent when I made all gone with chicken, and some of the sauce was left on the noodles. When trying the noodles with the sauce, I really didn’t get that much flavor until adding the fish sauce/vinegar/sugar/chili sauce to it.

The Verdict:

If you’re looking for a quick, affordable, and tasty meal in Stuart, Pho Yummy will meet all your needs. With a large menu and large portions, you will not leave hungry. The staff was friendly, and the service was lightning fast. So give it a try. I know I’ll be back soon. For this visit, Pho Yummy gets 4 Plops.