Pleiku

We came here for dinner before a concert at a neighboring art gallery (Art270) on Fri night. They were fairly busy but the service was on par.
Their spring rolls were ok but not worth ordering again in my opinion. The order came with 2 rolls cut in half with peanut sauce on the side. I did enjoy the Phở Tai as my main dish. Standard phở noodle soup with the beef slices and done well. My friend ordered the shark dish and I enjoyed the taste he offered.
Check out their drink menu. They do have beer, wine, and mixed drinks. My friend’s mother really enjoyed their plum mule. My husband and I each had a beer and my friend ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio. Everyone should be able to find something to their liking.

Viet Namese tapas. Sounds unusual. It’s amazing! Phở Shooters were so cute. And the prices were amazing. You should try Pleiku.

I thought this place was pretty good I’ve been wanting a nicer Vietnamese place to try. I didn’t get to try their phở unfortunately but that’s just an excuse to go back. I got the cubed steak dish and thought it was pretty good. I wasn’t thrilled… What I was thrilled with though and keep thinking about is the lettuce wrap!!! Holy cow!!! Best lettuce wrap and I can make some damn good lettuce wraps! This thing was on an entirely different level! I wanted to go back to the kitchen and kiss the hands that prepared it. Pretty solid joint!

Phở is good but not the best I have ever had. It gets the job done when it’s cold outside

It was all hallows eve and the streets of downtown SLC were dead… literally…there was nobody out and about! Blue and I were grabbing a meal before we hit up the Bo Burnahm show at the Capital and decide to give Pleiku a try. Being a fan of Keys on Main and The Off Broadway Theater, I have passed this place a million times and kept trying to remind myself to remind myself to try it out.
When we walked in we were met by another ghostly sight… Meaning there were literally no other customers inside. I’ll admit, I was a bit concerned being that it was peak dinner hours and all, but we chose to be brave little toasters and give it a go.
The place has a very…“uppidy” feel? Very modern, sterile, straight lines with some sort of new age vogue music playing in the background. The music, I personally didn’t care for and actually found a bit distracting, but maybe that is because there weren’t any other bodies in the restaurant to help absorb the sound.
We ordered some soy pods for an appetizer which were served hot and in a martini glass. We then ordered a noodle dish (at the recommendation of our server) and a traditional stir fry. Once the meals arrived and we sampled both, we both decided that the correct course of action was to literally combine both of the dishes into one… and so we did… and it was glorious.
Overall, I am sorta torn about this place in the sense that I think we had a «not typical» experience. Not that more people being there would have changed the food quality, which was decent, but not exceptional, but I think that the prices are reasonable and the location prime for downtown antics, and so for that reason, I would for sure give it another try.

This is my go to spot whenever I’m in need of Asian food near the office, probably thrice a month.
The phở (beef noodle soup) is refreshing and service is quick, but sometimes there’s a rancid smell in the restaurant and sometimes there isn’t. It really depends if you’re hungry that day and you can ignore the smell. Ordering a beer helps too.
Sometimes service can be slow if there are many diners and only one waitress, so be sure to get your check early if you’re in a rush.

I went there with six co-​workers, 5:30ish on a Thursday, the week of the Winter Outdoor Retailer Show. There was no one else in the restaurant. The waiter was reasonably attentive. Waters, drinks and food came quickly.
I ordered the Caramelized Pork & Eggroll Pleiku Bowl with Noodle. Though the fish sauce was a bit bland, the eggroll was flavorful and crunchy and the noodles were cooked just right. It’s definitely Vietnamese FUSION.
Thirsty? Give the yogurt soju a go. So tasty!
Located in the heart of downtown, Pleiku is still reasonably priced and has a nice, classy vibe.

First time trying this place. I’m Vietnamese and I really liked this place. Had the Phở, crispy egg rolls and pork banh mi. All very yummy!

I have mixed feelings about Pleiku, they are one of the few Vietnamese places in the heart of downtown, and I applaud their effort to bring upscale Vietnamese cuisine to town. The décor here was definitely on the trendy side. It can be conveniently accessed being next to Gallivant Center and Trax stations.
We started with Pineapple Salad, and it had a nice touch of spice to it. I would try that if you are into salad and want a bit of «Asianiness» in it. The service was actually decent for an Asian place.
We rolled in the Fried Rice with a fried egg on top, since you cannot go wrong with a fried egg unless the fried egg went wrong, and the yolk was overcooked. Toasted Chow Fun Combination was an interesting dish, it looked the same a stir fried flat noodle dish, but all the noodles were crunchy. Shaken Beef was the similar to the traditional Vietnamese pork chop rice plate, excepting subbing them out with diced beef. XO Noodles was on the bitter side, their XO sauce was not very well made, may even be a store bought, and the noodles was decent. Snowball Shrimp, aka mini Walnut Shrimp that costs the same at other restaurant, but at less than half of the portion.
Pleiku had some interesting takes on traditional Vietnamese dishes, and there were few vicissitudes. Even if money were not an issue, I would definitely not be a place I go regularly, maybe just once or twice for the gags. For now, I would categorize them as a pretentious upscale Vietnamese place.

The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because of the service. The food was incredible! I got a mango Mojito to start and we split spring rolls, dumplings, and lettuce wraps. All food was incredible and I got the mi wonton phở and it was unbelievably delicious. This was my first Vietnamese food experience and it did not disappoint! I saw several people come in for take out orders too while we were there.
The service on the other hand was atrocious. We came in and were only the third table in the entire restaurant and it took at least 10 minutes to even get drinks ordered. Another 10 – 15 to get our drinks delivered and appetizers ordered. Our waiter never stopped to check if we wanted to order another round of drinks which I would have if asked and we had to almost physically grab him a he walked by to get his attention for water refills. Splitting the checks was also apparently extremely difficult. It wasn’t done correctly or efficiently as it took another 15 minutes for that. We weren’t in a hurry and the food was delicious so it’s fine but just completely unbelievably bad service.

When I think of phở, it’s usually a very down-​to-​earth restaurant with the food turning up as soon as your mutter «I would like a #2…» Pleiku is very sophisticated. A phở who went into the city and shed its country ways. The ambience is super modern. The waiters are dressed to match the ambience. The presentation of the food is very pleasing to the eye. I didn’t see the usual plastic red Chinese plates. Things like spring rolls are plated on slick black plates and arranged in an appetizing fashion. The eggrolls came out in similar fashion. Also there is actually an option for phở as a tapas here. They bring it out in small cups filled with soup, noodle, and beef (3 servings). We also got the cubed steak, good source of tasty protein. All four items were delicious.
I admit, it’s weird eating phở in a ultra modern setting. Initially, I felt uncomfortable when I sat down but it was soon forgotten with the delicious food and good service. So on the outside it feels pretentious but it’s soul is still the same good old phở. Also at the end, it felt great that I tried multiple items without the need to unbutton my pants.
Tip: They sell soju by the bottle here.

It’s 8:30 pm on a Saturday night and I’m looking for a local spot for dinner.
After browsing through the options, I come upon Pleiku.
First thought, «They named a restaurant after that game on ‘The Price is Right?’»
Anyway, the reviews look promising. A light soup sounds nice on this October evening. So I walk over to Main and head inside.
Back in the pre-​Yelp days I would have been worried, walking into a place like this. The restaurant, which looks like seats just under 70 people, has only four people in the window seats and two at the bar.
But I just read all of the reviews, so I’ll accept the general consensus on this.
My waiter/​server seats me. He’s about 5’2″ and he’s prettier than I’ll ever be. I think I counted three rings on his various fingers.
So I order ice water, a beer, the Snowball Shrimp as an appetizer, and the Mi Wonton Phở, said to feature BBQ pork, wontons and egg noodles.
After I order, four ladies who seem to fit every stereotypical perception of sorority girls, walk in and are seated across from me. Out of all of the 62 available chairs in the joint.
«Oh great,» I say to myself as I put my head down and text my wife.
Right about then, my beer and water show up. I take note that the water doesn’t have the ice I requested, but the chilled glass and the Hoegaarden kick push that thought to the back of my head.
Right about then, my new neighbors start packing up and they depart. Apparently the temperature was a bit on the warm side, which I did notice when I walked in, but dismissed as I was about to consume some 129-​degree beef broth. Plus I had ordered ice water. I make a note to ask Mr. GQ about that later. I also meant to suggest that air conditioning goes hand in hand with a soup kitchen. After all, you’re about to lose 33% of your customers because of it, but I forgot entirely to do that. Possibly because…
…My shrimp shows up and it is as wonderful as expected. It’s slathered with mayonnaise and sweetened goodness. Here it is Snowball Shrimp, but this dish has many names, depending on where you are, including P.F. Chang’s Honey Walnut Shrimp.
When my phở arrives, I ask my host if I can have a water refill, but with ice this time.
He disappears and I hear the distinct clink of an ice shovel against cubes, and said scoop falling into a glass. «So the ice does actually exist,» I say to myself as I load my chopsticks with the perfect proportion of cilantro, pork, noodles and a jalapeño pepper. And I take a bite.
Inevitably, Mr. GQ appears at this moment and refills my glass from a tall Pitcher-​With-​A-​Strainer-​On-​It.
AAAARRGGHHH! I want to scream. Strained ice water is… wait for it… Water! I asked for Ice.
But my mouth is full and the soup is really good. So I just nod my head and finish the entire bowl. The flavor was amazing, just as the chef made it. I felt no inclination. To add soy sauce or other seasonings, just some bean sprouts. The sorority gals really missed out.
In Los Angeles, I am used to Phở that’s more on the liquid side, meaning there’s a ton of broth. Pleiko puts a substantial amount of noodles in the dish I had. I noticed it, but I was not disappointed that there wasn’t more broth.
When my new favorite water brings the check, he’s holding the water pitcher again. He looks puzzled as I again ask for actual ice, but then he successfully executes a rotation maneuver that allows several cubes to bypass the strainer.
Success! The perfect ending to a night out. And at just over $ 23, before tip, I’m very pleased.
I walk out truly refreshed and energized. As I head north I hear a quartet of women singing «Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.» It’s karaōke night at Keys on Main, and I laugh as I presume that’s where the Chi Omega ladies ended up.

Want a bowl of happy phở,…look no further. Phở is truly the staple of life, & I crave it on a daily basis. These guys do it right here. They are extremely knowledgable about gluten free, & I’ve never been sick here. I get the veggie phở & throw in an oxymoron by adding a protein. The beef & chicken are amazeballs. This whole place is amazeballs. Portions are huge, get the beef broth it’s on point & so flavorful. Throw in those jalapeños, & dump in a vat of siracha & be prepared to sing the new phrase AMAZEBALLS as you skip out with a full belly and a new zest for the cure all Phở! Amen

Hands down the best Dine O’Round find ever.
We were on a date, looking for a new place to eat, and decided on Pleiku. I was surprised my girlfriend wanted Vietnamese, but excited! We walked in, were seated, and looked at the Dine O’Round options.
The atmosphere is great. Cool, relaxing music. Very modern décor. Comfortable chairs, not too noisy, dim lights, just a really relaxing place to be.
For our meal we went with cream cheese wontons, pork potstickers, shaken steak cube pleiku bowl, a combination beef phở, and a really good milky dessert/​jelly thing. The cream cheese wontons and potstickers came out first and were fantastic. These were easily some of the best wontons and potstickers I’ve ever had. Both were perfectly crispy, yet cooked through, and just really good. After a bit the entrees came out. The best compliment I can give my bowl was that I ate the onions. I HATE onions so, so, so much… but these were good enough to make me eat everything in my bowl. The noodles were great, the steak was great, everything was just great. The eggrolls on the side were awesome as well. I tasted some of my girlfriends massive phở and really enjoyed it as well.
Dessert came out, and I’m not sure how to describe it. It was really good, milky like stuff with ice. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, or even what to call it, but it was good.
Service was fine too. It was the kind of service you just don’t notice, which is what I love.
Overall it was a great trip. We’ll be back again in the future and can’t wait to take some friends. What a great place.

I was excited to try this modern Vietnamese fusion restaurant downtown, trying it out because it will be a part of the Salt Lake Dine O’round event. Stepping in at 6:30, we were surprised to find that we were the only ones in there. More patrons did arrive as we were leaving, so perhaps this is just a later evening type of venue. The décor is nice, the booths are comfortable, and the lighting provides a good atmosphere. The service was also friendly, and it didn’t take long to order or get our food — but then again we were the only ones in the place.
They were out of Banh Mi unfortunately, so the sandwiches couldn’t be had. I decided to try the Caramelized Pork Pleiku bowl. I will preface by saying I know very little of the Pleiku region of Vietnam beside that it is located in the central highlands. I’m not familiar with the namesake cuisine, but the Pleiku bowl didn’t have any distinguishing characteristics in my mind. It tasted like most other vermicelli noodle bowls I have had, albeit a well-​constructed and tasty one.
The caramelized pork was certainly the best part of my meal, highly recommended.
The other item I ordered was the Sapporo Green Boba Tea. My curiosity got the best of me and I had to know what these three elements would taste like together. I like all three separately, but I couldn’t imagine they would make the greatest combination together. Unfortunately my misgivings were confirmed, as they didn’t fuse together to make a desirable new drink, but instead just made all three taste weird. I won’t be trying this again.
Overall, the meal was solid, tasty, and it has potential, but nothing about it made it stand out in a way that will make me tell my friends.

The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by chic ambience in shades of slate gray and white, but slightly dark and empty I briefly wondered if they were indeed open. It was ten to six so I guess we were a little early for dinner.
We decided to try the tapas that everyone was raving about so we went for the tofu stacks plate. I like it. The tofu was crispy on the outside but soft in the inside, and the black bean sauce was indeed savory. Very nice, although I struggled a bit to eat at the beginning because the dish came out really hot and I was like a hungry monster who was denied lunch. The second tapa plate we got was the XOXO noodles. It was delicious but I think it tasted too similar to the tofu, so I wasn’t really mesmerized by it. I would suggest you don’t order these two tapas plates together.
We also ordered the Pleiku Bowl — Noodle with lemongrass tofu and sautéed onions. It was like sweet noodle salad. The lemongrass taste was subtle and sautéed onions gave interesting bite texture but not much added flavor. Overall it was delicious but there wasn’t enough ‘kick’ to it. Pleasant but not mind-​blowing.
Since I am a sucker for boba, I had the Boba Thai Tea, which was very ‘thick’ but a bit too sweet. The boba was nice and perfectly chewy while still remain soft. I considered getting their Yogurt Soju drink but decided against it when I saw the price is steep at 14 dollars. That is more expensive than the two tapas plates I ordered combined.
Overall, nice little modern restaurant with slightly above average food. Service was not as friendly but comparable to most of other Asian eateries. I will be back to try their other tapas plates, and hopefully justify myself to splurge on the Yogurt Soju drink.

Passing through Salt Lake this place was close to the Sheraton hotel. When I walked in I was super impressed with the décor, super lavish for a Vietnamese restaurant. I also enjoyed the house beats in the background. On the contrary I was immediately disappointed with my waitress, she was peep-​less like the silent movies. The other waiter was super friendly with the other guests; however, as time passed she opened up and proved that she had a tongue after all; turns out she was just a shy and gentle soul.
I ordered the Shaken Steak Cubes and the Fresh Spring Rolls as I wasn’t too hungry. The steak was very tender and marinated with rich flavor and garnished with onions to compliment. The spring rolls were fresh, had crunchy texture and the sauce was just the way I like it, easy on the peanut flavor.
All in all I was very pleased with the tapas I ordered and the swanky décor.

Impressive! The tofu salad had the best tofu I’ve had. Ever. Crisp with a little give almost all the way to the center, then a light and fluffy core of mildly sweet tofu bliss. The flavoring on the tofu was outstanding, citrusy, salty, herby and just a little briney. The produce in the salad was fresh and had a great snap. The noodles were a bit sweet, but highly edible.
The Mongolian w/​BBQ Pork was good but only just. The pork itself was mostly dry, yet the dish was quite oily. Though the portion was small, so much of it was meat that it was quite filling. The flavors in the dish hit every mark, and like the salad, tastes were impeccably balanced.
The atmosphere is upscale casual, and the restaurant has a trendy modern feel. Service was very polite on a slow, rainy Saturday lunch, but our server disappeared for maybe 7 – 8 minutes when we wanted our check.
Food prices are reasonable, drink prices not so much. Soju is not a luxury beverage, it is the much less potent Phillips Vodka of Korea. There is little reason to charge $ 14 for an ice filled carafe with a splash of the stuff. Also, $ 4 for a Vietnamese Iced Coffe could be fine, but give me a bigger glass without so much ice. I like when they stack the coffee on top so you can watch it drip drip down. Here, they just give you a little fancy glass filled with ice and the beverage is already made. Maybe 4oz. of actual iced coffee drink. However, that 4oz. will kick your tongue up your ass and out your nose. SO GOOD! Perfect balance of earthy, smooth black coffee and creamy, sweet condensed milk.
This place will not do you wrong; they are top of the heap in terms of flavors. If you are a huge fan of BBQ like I am, hit Shanghai Café instead and order the tofu here.

I was a fan of the owner’s old spot on North Temple, but now an even bigger fan of Pleiku! The décor was very trendy and had a romantic vibe — definitely a place I’d recommend for a date. It’s also popular with the downtown lunch crowd as well.
For food, I really enjoyed the Chow Fun noodles with bbq pork. It was a great portion for sharing and even came with a small bowl of soup. The Walnut Shrimp was another yummy dish and exceeded my expectations in size since it was listed in the tapas section. I liked the Shaken Steak Cubes, but didn’t care much for the Pineapple Salad.
Another standout for me was the Soju! I’ve only seen this Korean drink at one other place in Utah, and Pleiku offers a version flavored with yogurt that’s served in a carafe. It was very good and you couldn’t taste any alcohol at all… Perfect for all you weaklings out there!

Per my promise, I’m updating my Unilocal review!
After posting my review and the incident, Pleiku reached out and corrected the mistake by offering me a free lunch. Not wanting to take advantage, I ordered the same exact thing and took it to go (again). I waited until I was seated before opening and looking at the food for anything. «off.» Turns out everything was great, food was cooked, eggrolls had a crunch, and the meal in a box was a success!
Good job, Pleiku for correcting the mistake! Signed, Unilocal Eliter.