Out to eat in Sioux Falls: Affordable, cozy dishes at Pho Thai

Having to shuffle in through the backdoor and weave through a construction area is not the usual entrance one imagines when thinking of high-quality, Asian restaurants.

Pho Thai in the Shriver Square building in downtown Sioux Falls is just that: a high-quality Thai and Vietnamese restaurant currently acting as the prize at the end of a maze of renovations. 

For a Monday night, the place was lively.

Entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a large group of Augustana international students also enjoying a night out and some good food. A handful of other Asian patrons populated the booths and tables, making us feel confident in our choice of restaurant. Our server was leading us to our table almost immediately after we stepped through the door.

Like most Asian restaurants, Asian-style knick-knacks decorate the shelves behind the host stand to establish the vibe without making the space feel crowded and over-cluttered.

Walls with dark wood wainscotting and a deep plum hue made the restaurant feel warm and inviting. Asian-style light fixtures over each table embellish the restaurant with dim lighting, adding to the intimate atmosphere.

We had two servers throughout the night, bouncing back and forth to offer us prompt service. Our servers were friendly and took the time to chat a bit and answer any questions we had about items on the menu.

The menu offered a long list of drinks, including standard American soft drinks, juice, coffee, Thai tea, Vietnamese iced coffee, Japanese soda, bubble tea and various alcoholic beverages. Preparing for the onslaught of unfamiliar flavors, I opted to order a familiar lemonade.

First up, an appetizer of fried gyoza. The fried outer shell is the perfect balance of crispy and soft. While not incredibly flavorful, the chicken filling is well-seasoned and, paired with scallions, makes the taste bright. 

Most of the flavor comes from the sauce and is improved with the addition of chili oil and other sauces that are available on every table. The aftertaste is warm and comforting, almost like the feeling of eating a nice bowl of soup. At $7.88, the gyoza is the perfect option to introduce us to the flavors without ruining our appetites.  

Next up comes the entrées. Each dish is customizable in its level of spice. Ranging on a scale from one to 10, our server said most guests tap out at a level eight. The vegetable pad see-ew, a traditional Thai drunken noodle, with level three spice, was a mediocre dish with the perfect amount of spiciness. 

The wide rice noodles, steamed vegetables and eggs are stir-fried and doused in soy sauce. Unfortunately, this dish tastes nearly identical to every other soy sauce noodle dish I’ve ever had. Priced at $13.88, this entrée is a bit pricey for something so average. It wasn’t bad, but I won’t be going out of my way to eat it again. 

The real star of the show is the vegetable pad thai with level five spice. The rice noodles don’t carry a lot of flavor, but they're the perfect texture for this dish. The Thai peanut sauce is phenomenal. It is the perfect blend of nutty and sweet with a spice that's not overpowering, yet blends perfectly with the sweetness of the sauce to give a warm, cozy feeling. 

The fried eggs in this dish add another layer of richness, and the bean sprouts and onions add a refreshing crunchiness and a bit of zest. The crushed peanut topping brings the whole dish together. 

I ate my fill of my meal and still left the restaurant with two small to-go boxes of leftovers. With entrées ranging in price from $13.88 to $17.88, you certainly get your money's worth of delicious food.

With the low-key atmosphere, the fantastic food and the college-student-friendly prices, I expect to become a regular at Pho Thai.