Pho Is For Lovers brings good Vietnamese to Greenville Avenue

by Teresa Gubbins

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You no longer have to drive to Garland for a fine bowl of pho.

DALLAS — If you want decent Vietnamese food, including a nice bowl of pho, and don't feel like driving to Garland to get it, you'll be glad to discover Pho Is For Lovers, a new Vietnamese cafe on Greenville Avenue just north of Lovers Lane, which opened softly this weekend.

The restaurant has a limited but well-curated menu of pho, banh mi, eggrolls, and summer rolls, says owner Diana Tang, who previously owned J'Adore Frozen Yogurt place in North Plano.

"The specialty will be pho and banh mi," Diana said. "I've wanted to do banh mi since last year -- it was always in my head. I'm doing banh mi with pork belly, grilled pork, chicken, and maybe a Korean BBQ. We'll do a rice bowl, egg rolls, and summer rolls. It's a small, simple menu, but I want to make sure everything is really good."

She describes what makes a good banh mi: "It's the meat, fresh vegetables, and the bread," she said. Banh mi must have baguettes, which she's getting from a bakery in Garland; they're slightly sweet and soft, without the harsh edges that can cut one's mouth.

Her pho is meatier than the usual bowl, and the accompanying garnishes are bright and fresh.

Tang comes from Vietnamese restaurant royalty: her parents owned Saigon Kitchen in the '80s. "My parents came here in 1975, right after we lost the war," she said.

She knew she wanted to open a pho place in the Dallas area because it was so under-served, and was grateful to find a space newly created after Eagle Postal downsized. They spent a month building a new kitchen. "We got lucky," she said.

Thanks to Shane Stephens for photos.

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