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One rainy afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting  PhoNatic  at their Cedar Park location. Upon entering, I was greeted by their warm and welcoming staff. Their  menu  features a wide variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes, all reasonably priced.

They had a sauce bar with large, full bottles of everything you could possibly need for your pho or noodle dish; sriracha, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, and soy sauce were lined up next to an assortment of chopsticks, straws, and napkins.

During my visit, I got to try three different appetizers and two different entrees. Besides Cedar Park, PhoNatic currently has two other locations : Round Rock and Austin .

Two fresh shrimp spring rolls with bean sprouts, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, and, of course, shrimp were beautifully displayed within a shiny piece of translucent rice paper. They were served with a house-made peanut sauce topped with finely chopped peanuts. They had great structural integrity and were a nice, fresh appetizer.

The pork egg rolls were served on a bed of lettuce and thinly sliced carrots, and a side of fish sauce. What I loved about these egg rolls was how thin they were compared to traditional ones. They were lighter and acted as the perfect appetizer, allowing me to leave more room for the main entrees. 

Words cannot describe how good these “Bahn Mi” sliders were. Served in a fluffy bao bun, this slider was made of sliced charbroiled pork, cucumbers, pickled carrots, and jalapeno, and garnished with cilantro and house-made aioli. This was my favorite dish during my visit. Between the smoky flavors of the charbroiled pork and the melt-in-your-mouth fluffy bao buns, it was ultimately a match made in heaven.

All of their soups are made fresh daily, and you can definitely tell, the aromatics of the herbs alongside the bone broth paired perfectly with their vermicelli rice noodles. This traditional noodle soup came with thinly sliced red onion, green onion, chicken breast, and cilantro. On the side was a plate of bean sprouts, mint leaves, jalapenos, and two wedges of lime to complete the flavor profile of this wonderful chicken pho. If you enjoy spicier food like me, you can try adding sriracha and chili garlic sauce for even more of a kick.

Another delicious dish was Pat’s plate, a PhoNatic special, consisting of steamed white rice, lettuce, and charbroiled pork topped with an over-easy fried egg, thinly sliced cucumbers, and carrots served with a pork egg roll, and a cup of fish sauce. Everything on this plate was seasoned to perfection, and the fresh cucumber complemented the smoky flavors of the charbroiled pork, balancing it out to create the perfect bite. 

PhoNatic serves some of the best Vietnamese dishes I’ve ever tried. From the incredible food to the excellent service, this is one restaurant you don’t want to miss. With their ample portions, fresh ingredients and use of aromatic herbs, I will definitely be coming back for more.