It was just about three-and-a-half decades ago, way back in 1991, when rapper Ice-T released his legendary album O.G. Original Gangster. The hard-hitting rhymes heard on both the record and in the title track popularized the slang term “OG,” which has since become more broadly used to signify an original, authentic version of anything. If there’s a place likely to qualify as the OG Vietnamese restaurant in Phoenix, it is most likely Da Vang, which coincidentally opened on 19th Avenue in the early ‘90s, just around the same time that Ice-T’s classic album came out.
When Da Vang first opened in its storefront location just under half a mile from the current B Line station at 19th Avenue and Camelback, Vietnamese food was still somewhat rare and exotic in Phoenix. Only a handful of places on the city’s west side served the food, mostly to a clientele of Vietnamese ancestry. Da Vang brought pho and other favorites a little closer to central Phoenix, and a favorable review by Elin Jeffords in the Arizona Republic helped with exposure to a broader population, making it an OG in a city now full of Vietnamese restaurants.
Decades later, the restaurant is still at the same location. It’s in an ordinary, unpretentious strip mall on 19th Avenue with a tight parking lot and nary a bike rack in sight. In other words, little has changed since the ‘90s. On the inside, there are a few differences: Smoking inside hasn’t been allowed for 20 years, and Vietnamese 33 beer, or any beer for that matter, is no longer sold as it once was. The decor remains simple with just a few pieces of art depicting bicycles, conical non la hats worn for sun protection, and other motifs of Vietnamese culture on the wall.
Although quite informal, Da Vang does operate with full service. Customers are shown to a numbered table and given lengthy menus that cover a broad range of Vietnamese food representing both regional cuisines and a strong French colonial influence. One popular starter that reflects a blend of Asian and European traditions is the banh xeo, a large crepe made of rice flour and served sizzling with fillings of shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. The accompanying leaves of lettuce and mint provide a means of protecting one’s hands from the heat of the crepe.
As expected, Da Vang offers a variety of rolls as appetizers. Those include not only cha gio, crispy fried egg rolls with a ground meat filling, but also goi cuon, cold rolls with a variety of filling tightly confined within rice paper. The OG roll at this OG restaurant is a simple blend of shrimp and pork, both minimally seasoned, but capable of being enlivened with a quick dip in either peanut sauce or nuoc mam, a fermented fish-based condiment. Other rolls fillings include seasoned barbecued pork with a reddish color, strips of meatball, and a meatless option of tofu.
Pho is by no means the entirety of Vietnamese cuisine, but it has become the entry point for many people trying the nation’s food for the first time. The rice noodle soup, itself influenced by French colonists who introduced the Vietnamese to eating beef but left them with the tougher cuts that benefit from long simmering in broth, is served at Da Vang in a dozen configurations. There is the simple classic pho tai with rare beef and the restaurant’s namesake Pho Da Vang with multiple cuts and meatballs all in one bowl, offered in both regular and extra large sizes.
For those who like rice noodles but prefer a protein other than beef, the soup is also available with chicken, shrimp, and tofu. Vegetarians should be aware, however, that all the soups incorporate a beef broth and may be more comfortable with one of the stir-fry dishes. While pho may be Vietnam’s best known soup, it is really just one of many types available here. Bun mang vit features pieces of duck meat and chewy mushrooms in a light broth that can be enlivened with the accompanying ginger fish sauce. The congees are smooth rice-based porridges.
Slightly thicker than the soups are stews like bo kho, made with beef and carrots in a dark sauce redolent of spices like cinnamon and star anise, and chicken curry, with a lighter sauce and entirely different flavor profile. Both can be ordered with noodles, rice, or a baguette as the accompanying starch. Speaking of baguettes, that particular French influence reaches its peak in Da Vang’s selection of banh mi, Vietnamese sandwiches made from fresh bread stuffed with filling like beef, pork, chicken, or tofu with abundant cilantro, cucumbers, carrots, and jalapeños.
Additional categories of dishes include bun, cold rice noodle salads topped with ingredients like barbecued pork or patties of ground shrimp. They’re a refreshing choice during summer heat. On the other hand, family style hot pots feature warming combinations of ingredients like catfish and tamarind. The menu here is so extensive that one could eat here every day and take several months to repeat a main dish. The dessert selection is not quite as large but includes a wide variety of items like red beans in coconut milk or a simple flan inside a cold display case.
Although Da Vang has served bottled beer in the past, it currently does not hold a liquor license. Instead, customers can enjoy beverages like fresh lemon or limeade, soy milk, sodas, and, of course, the OG cold drink: iced tea. Like Chinese, Mexican, and Thai food before it, Vietnamese cuisine has become ubiquitous in America, including Phoenix. Pho joints of varying quality can be found in strip malls throughout the metropolitan area. While it is no doubt convenient to enjoy a bowl of noodles close to home, it is also worthwhile to make the trip to one of Phoenix’s OGs.
4538 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix AZ 85015
http://davangrestaurant.com
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