Thai Rama

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Thai restaurants seem to come and go at a high frequency in Phoenix, expanding and contracting in loosely affiliated networks with establishments of the same name owned by different family members or business associates. One local veteran, Thai Rama, has varied its suburban locations over the years but has remained a consistent presence at its original address in central Phoenix. Near the Melrose and Grandview neighborhoods, Thai Rama has stood for several decades in a standalone building a few blocks west of the 7th Avenue / Camelback light rail station. Continue reading →

Mekong Palace

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Mekong Plaza, the shopping center in west Mesa that caters to shoppers of east Asian heritage, as well as the adventurous of all ethnicities, is so many things at once: a collection of restaurants and food vendor talls, a supermarket and specialty food shops, and a place to get one’s hair cut or nails done. It’s no surprise then that one of its namesake tenants, Mekong Palace, is three (or more restaurants) in one. Located at the north end of the building just beyond the food court, Mekong Palace has several distinct ways for customers to approach its mostly Cantonese food. Continue reading →

Thai Lotus

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In many Asian religions and cultures, the lotus flower has long been associated with purity and beauty. Thai Lotus, a restaurant in a former IHOP that shares a parking lot with a bare-bones strip mall, is definitely not going to be confused with a delicate flower in terms of appearance. The converted chain restaurant has been enlivened on the inside with a little bit of southeast Asian decor, but the outside is still a plain design. Nevertheless, the delicacy and complexity of the food, rather than the aesthetics of the space, are what makes Thai Lotus worth a visit.

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China Chili

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Third Street may be the Rodney Dangerfield of Central Phoenix. For many drivers, it’s just a less congested alternative to Central Avenue or Seventh Street. Although it passes by elegant historic districts such as Alvarado and Ashland Place, the street itself gets almost “no respect” because relatively few businesses or institutions lie along its length. One exception is China Chili, which despite an official mailing address on Flower Street, faces Third Street. The restaurant’s Midtown location is about a third of a mile east of the Osborn / Central light rail station. Continue reading →

The Blue Fin

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Every February, Downtown Phoenix’s Heritage Square is home to the Arizona Matsuri, a festival of Japanese culture. Of course, that means dozens of vendors selling popular Japanese-influenced foods like teriyaki. When the tents have been folded and the taiko drumming has stopped, the question then becomes where to enjoy teriyaki the rest of the year. One of the best answers is the Blue Fin, a quick service Japanese restaurant located just a mile to the north, across the street from the McDowell / Central light rail station. Continue reading →

Pho Nhat

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The unassuming Tempe Towne Plaza shopping center has long been home to restaurants serving foods from all over the globe. Indian, Thai, Greek, Somail, pizza — all those cuisines and more are crammed into this strip mall, which is just blocks from the University / Rural light rail station. The Vietnamese food niche here is filled by Pho Nhat, or maybe it’s just Nhat, given that the word “Pho” is part of the restaurant’s name on the menus but not on the outside sign. Let’s just call it (Pho) Nhat and acknowledge that its speciality is indeed pho, the rice noodle soup of Hanoi.

bun cha gio tom

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Khai Hoan

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Apache Boulevard in Tempe is best known for its Middle Eastern restaurants, but there’s more to the redeveloping street than just falafel and hummus. The food of southwest Asia (Iran, Lebanon, etc.) is balanced by an outpost of southeast Asian cooking. Khai Hoan, a small restaurant serving Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, adds some variety to the stretch of Apache between the Dorsey / Apache and McClintock / Apache light rail stations. Although the restaurant is almost exactly halfway between both platforms, the walk is more pleasant from Dorsey.

cha gio (egg rolls)

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