Pho An: Vietnamese Fare in Naples

Pho An

Pho An in Naples

is an establishment serving Vietnamese Cuisine in Kings Lake Square in East Naples. They have been open since June of 2023. My dining companion (DC) and I had heard good things about Pho An and decided to take a peek.

The inside of the restaurant is small, seating about 20 patrons. They also have outdoor seating for approximately ten or so diners.

Pho An operates as a Fast Casual eatery, where one orders at the front counter and their food is brought to them tableside.

We started with an order of pork and shrimp spring rolls.

Pork and shrimp spring rolls

These were okay, and as with many Vietnamese spring rolls, their Sine Qua Non is the condiment served with them. At Pho An, this was peanut sauce, which really brought their flavor profile into focus. There were other versions of this appetizer on the menu. Perhaps the spring rolls with grilled pork sausage would hold their own a bit more.

We also tried one of their sandwiches, the grilled pork.

Grilled pork sandwich

Traditionally, a Banh Mi is a French-Vietnamese fusion dish, served on a baguette with meats and vegetables. This was more like a sub sandwich you would find in the U.S., with ingredients seen on a more traditional banh mi sandwich such as pickled carrots, cilantro and cucumber.

As with the spring rolls, this was just okay, the pork not being the star of the show as it should be. I suppose I prefer a lighter, thinner bread like the usual baguette here, and maybe a schmear of pate instead of mayo, but it was not to be this day.

We split an order of flank pho, served with steak and brisket.

Flank pho

DC and I finished with a Vermicelli salad with pork and shrimp.

Pork and shrimp vermicelli salad

I thought this was the best dish ordered that day. Vermicelli (here thin rice noodles) are topped with pork, shrimp, lettuce, pickled carrots, cilantro, cucumber and a side of egg roll. Ground peanuts and that wonderful Vietnamese dipping sauce, Nuoc Cham are served as a condiment and a dressing substitute, respectively. Nuoc cham is that wonderful dipping sauce usually made from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and water. This salad was great and highly recommended.