$18 & Under: Hidden Gem of the Vietnamese Cuisine

Pho Nom Nom’s Cha Giò Thit Gà, an inexpensive, crispy and filling appetizer,   differs from other local Vietnamese restaurants with its generous content. --Camila Torres

Pho Nom Nom’s Cha Giò Thit Gà, an inexpensive, crispy and filling appetizer, differs from other local Vietnamese restaurants with its generous content. –Camila Torres

Pho Nom Nom's Cha GiA? Thit G , an inexpensive, crispy and filling appetizer,   differs from other local Vietnamese restaurants with its generous content. --Camila Torres
Pho Nom Nom’s Cha GiA? Thit G , an inexpensive, crispy and filling appetizer, differs from other local Vietnamese restaurants with its generous content. –Camila Torres

Vietnam, more like Viet “nom.” Immediately after walking into Pho Nom Nom, a Vietnamese restaurant on Rockville Pike, you are hit with a thousand aromas that will tantalize the senses.

After being seated, a dish of bean sprouts is brought to the table to hold back the customers’ hunger while they review the menu.

Looking at the menu itself can be difficult because all the food names are in Vietnamese. However, there are helpful English descriptions and each item on the menu corresponds with a number.

When making an order, one can just order by saying the number next to the item, so there are no ordering issues between customers and the waiter.

We began our journey into Vietnamese cuisine with four crispy chicken rolls stuffed with chicken, shrimp, mushroom, noodles and vegetables complimeted with a side of sweet and sour fish sauce.

Known as “Cha GiA? Thit G ,” the crunchy appetizer only costs $3.95. Other local restaurants sell egg and spring rolls for less; however, they do not have as many ingredients stuffed inside and are often sold individually.

Although Pho Nom Nom provides a decadent menu with a wide variety of choices, the most popular and economically pleasing item on the menu is the pho soup, a simple yet very popular Vietnamese meal. This dish can be ordered in a small, large or super large size and comes with broth, noodles and a meat of the customer’s choice.

To get our money’s worth, we ordered a “super large” pho soup with shrimp. This was more than enough for two people and costs a mere $10.95.

The server kindly brought us two bowls so we were able to share the massive portion of hot, delicious soup. The separate bowls made it easy to customize the soup with the various sauces provided, including fish sauce, hot sauce and peanut sauce. Customers can also add bean sprouts, which are brought to the table as a free addition to their soup.

At the end of the meal, we left the restaurant satisfied with what we ate and the price we paid. With good food, prices and service, Pho Nom Nom is truly a local treat.

Students might not think to try Vietnamese cuisine, but these exotic delicacies deserve to be tasted.

Pho Nom Nom is located at 842 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. To contact the restaurant, call 301-610-0232.

Restaurant hours are 10 a.m. a�� 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. a�� 9 p.m. on Sundays.