Pho Ngoc Tranh - Vietnamese, Petaluma

1390 N. McDowell Blvd, B1, Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 665-9888
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Daily 10:30am - 9pm
http://www.phongocthan.com

Last Visited: May 12, 2012

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

I saw a friend check in to Ngoc Tranh and was excited to find that another Vietnamese restaurant has opened up in Petaluma to give Thang Long some competition.  Thang Long has been able to monopolize the Petaluma Vietnamese food marketplace for a long time.

Located in the OSH shopping center in the former location of Jerome's BBQ, Pho Ngoc Tranh has remodeled the interior so that the bright colors on the walls and dividers, semi-open kitchen, and new furniture give the restaurant a very fresh, clean feel.  Open for about two months now, Ngoc Tranh is a family-owned restaurant.  Their menu features a lot of very appetizing photos to help you decide what to order and to educate customers about what to expect from their dishes.  Ngoc Tranh also seems very tech savvy in that their take out menu even contains a QR code (those funny squares with blotches in between that you scan to your phone).

It feels like they are still working through some of the kinks of a opening a new restaurant.  Service is warm and friendly, but not particularly fast - it seems a little amateur in nature in how they serve bowls of noodles and other plates.  The check also takes a while to come. 

- Special Combo Beef Noodle Soup - Rare steak, well-done brisket, flank steak, tendon, tripe, and beef balls are served in hot beef broth with vermicelli noodles.  These noodles were a bit wider than what you typically find at most Vietnamese restaurants.  A plate of lemon wedges, jalapenos, bean sprouts, and thai basil were also served with the soup. While the flavor was good and the broth was fairly light, I found the quantity to be smaller than what I expected.  The price point is about a dollar too high, especially after considering the quantity.  Presentation is clean and simple. $7.95

Ngoc Tranh offers a lot of the typical items found at Vietnamese restaurants including spring rolls, Vietnamese sandwiches, vermicelli, and BBQ meats.  In the display refrigerator out front, desserts like 3 color pandan jelly entice patrons.  One of the more unusual items that they service is imitation chicken over noodles listed in the vegetarian section of the menu. 

The flavors are good and the service is friendly, although there is room for improvement.   These prices will hopefully be sustainable in this area, but are notably about 10% higher than what you would find in places with greater competition.  It will be interesting to see how locals respond to some of these new offerings.