It’s been a good four months for the new Pho Kapaa restaurant that opened in the Waipouli Plaza.
With a menu that caters to local tastes and traditional Vietnamese tastes, the bright and cozy dining room seats just under 50 people with a friendly and professional staff. The restaurant draws a lot of visitors and repeat local patrons.
“I want to thank the community of Kauai for coming to this restaurant and supporting us,” said owner Kenny Ton.
The popular items include the pho beef noodle soup, of course, a 24-hour process of boiling meat and bone for a tasty broth. Along with the chicken pho, Ton added a tofu and vegetable pho version to cater to the vegetarian clientele, he said.
“The vegetarian pho broth is made separately without meat or bones,” said Ton.
The papaya salad and a variety of fried and fresh egg rolls are very good, Ton said. The lemongrass chicken is also becoming a signature item for its fresh lemongrass and baked dark meat (unless the customer prefers white chicken breast) and served as a rice platter or a sandwich.
“Our pork chop is very good too,” Ton said. “We use a lot of garlic powder and Hawaiian barbecue sauce.”
The traditional Vietnamese pork Bánh mì sandwich is popular, but more so the tailored versions with teriyaki beef, chicken or tofu.
The stir-fry menu is made “Chinese local style” with a vegetable variety to include eggplant and tofu version that is also aimed to the please the vegetarian clientele.
The local menu includes pork ribs and barbecue chicken. A house fried rice is prepared with an Indian-style sauce to make it peppery spicy, Ton said.
The fish sauce is mixed with a variety of local ingredients to include garlic and pineapple.
“We try to do a mix,” Ton said. “We serve a thousand people with a thousand tastes and so try to find a middle ground of tastes and seasonings.”
Ton learned the restaurant trade from working at his uncle’s 150-seat buffet in California. He moved to Kauai 13 years ago for “the peace and quiet of a beautiful island and people,” he said.
The beverage list includes Vietnamese French press coffee with condensed milk. There are a few versions of Thai tea and a full array of tapioca bubble tea drinks.
Ton also owns Kauai Nail Spa that opened two years ago in the same plaza. His wife runs the salon while he concentrates full time at Pho Kapaa now that it has added Mondays and is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The family restaurant employs around five people and he is looking at possible locations to open a second restaurant on the Southside at some point.
There is a surprise coming to the Kapaa restaurant in February, Ton said, but its not the right time to make the announcement yet. Pho Kapaa is at 4-831 Kuhio Highway.
