Photos by Evie Carpenter and Amelia Goe
Location and Hours:1011 N. 3rd St.
Phoenix Az 85004
602 254 1168
Mon. to Thur. | 10 to 10 p.m.
Fri. to Sat. 10 to 12 a.m.
Sun. | 10 to 10 p.m.
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Pallets Food and Bar, located on Roosevelt and Third streets, is a hodgepodge of Asian cuisine from Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches to Korean BBQ. They have an impressive list of pho soups and an even more extensive sushi menu.
Food: 22/30
During Pallets’ soft opening in March, I dove into my comfort zone and ordered the pho ga, a Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. I’ve been eating pho long enough to know what it takes to constitute a delicious bowl. The broth cannot be too greasy, the meat should have been plopped into the boiling water literally right before it got to your table so you don’t have a rubbery mess, and the rice-noodle-to-broth ratio should at least be 1:2, if not heavier on the rice noodle portion.
I ordered the large bowl at $8.99 and, had I not previously read that it was a large, I probably would have assumed they gave me an extra large, monster version. The size of the bowl may be the biggest you can get in downtown Phoenix for the price. While there was a fair amount of grease floating at the top, it was not sickening nor did it upset my very sensitive stomach.
On a separate occasion, I tried the sushi and spring rolls. I ordered the goi cuo, which is rice paper rolled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, mint and green leaf served with a side of peanut sauce. The meat was still a little warm and the mint gave it a refreshing kick alongside the savor and saltiness of the peanut sauce. For an innovative play of sauces, I added some hoisin sauce and let the flavors dance on my tastebuds. While I’ve had better spring rolls, these were still delicious in their simplicity.
I’d find it hard for any restaurant that serves sushi to ruin a spicy tuna roll, but, at the same time, Pallets did not do much to make it spectacular, either. It certainly wasn’t anything special. The bites were rather small and the spicy part in the tuna needed a bigger kick if I was going to actually imagine what I ordered was spicy. I found myself piling on lots of wasabi and even adding some hoisin just for more flavor. From the looks of other rolls, my order may have just been too boring for my eclectic taste.
Service: 23/30
Two out of the three times I’ve been to Pallets, I’ve had great service. There are friendly waiters who make great conversation and I even learned an absolutely incredible amount from a man who served me my pho. The one off night was simply when the tables were full. If the place is packed, you may stay clear of Pallets, simply because your service will not be the best experience. Not only did my party have to wait a long time altogether for our food, but one of them even had to wait long after we had all finished our meals. Pallets is a new restaurant and simply needs to learn how to handle a full hoard of hungry customers.
Atmosphere: 29/30
I love the vibe Pallets emits with the outdoor patio and the open-air concept indoors. It was a smart move to be open to the outdoors while being located on the corner of Roosevelt and Third streets. During a First Friday, the area is pulsating with the liveliness of the city, and it would be a pity to miss it simply because you wanted to sit down to eat. My only complaint is that the tables for two are too tiny. When I have a big bowl of pho, a plate of garnishes and sauces galore, I need more table space in order to keep all the food where it belongs and not on the floor or in my lap.
Wildcard: 10/10
The wildcard is definitely the variety factor. If you’re in a large group of people who have a diverse taste in food, then Pallets is the place to go. It is decently priced, especially for a college student budget, and if you don’t like sushi, you can grab a sandwich or a bowl of soup. Everyone wins.
Final Score: 84/100
Contact the reporter at angoe@asu.edu
