Restaurant Review:

By John Reger

Aug. 13, 2009 12 AM PT

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It is rare that I visit a pho noodle place and order something other than the Vietnamese soup.

Photastic, though, isn’t just about the pho and while I liked their version of the soup, the menu encompasses much more than just that one item.

That was exactly the thinking when Vu Tran and his family opened the restaurant in October.

Tran and his relatives had a background in fine dining and were partnered at an upscale restaurant. When the partnership dissolved the family quickly looked for another restaurant.

It was then they realized there was a need for quality food, but with modest prices.

They found an abandoned Burger King on Brookhurst Street near Garfield Avenue and went to work converting the facility. They brought in ovens and other machines to ensure the food was fresh and that they could make most of it on site.

Then they incorporated pho as the marquee item, but extended the menu to include other items with Vietnamese influences.

The baguettes for the sandwiches are baked on site, the soups made fresh daily and the smell of fresh-baked desserts comes through the kitchen toward the counter to entice diners.

Most people will not need any other encouragements, but the restaurant still provides them. Samples of snickerdoodles were awaiting my friend and I when we reached the register. The buttery moist cookie has a hint of cinnamon and practically melted in my mouth.

It is one of five desserts Photastic offers and if you mention it is your first time at the restaurant you will get one of them for free.

We had lunch at the restaurant, which not only has tables but offers take-out and a drive-through, as well.

The grilled pork sandwich was my choice.

It is one of five sandwiches, all of which come on the fresh baguette that is slightly crunchy on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside.

The pork is marinated and then cooked over an open flame. The juices from the marinade were evident and the meat was tender. Accompanying the sandwich on the side were pickled carrots, daikon and cucumbers.

The other sandwiches are rotisserie chicken, grilled beef, white fish and vegetarian.

The four salads are made with fresh vegetables and include such items as dried cranberries and candied walnuts.

One of the specials was a goi ga salad.

My guest ordered that and was extremely satisfied. It had shredded white meat chicken and shredded carrots, cabbage, coriander, onions and shallots.

The dressing was a mixture of a fish sauce and lime vinaigrette that is served on the side and had a nice flavor with just a hint of the tang from the lime.

I couldn’t pass up another favorite of mine from Vietnamese cuisine, so we ordered spring rolls.

There were three shrimp rolls that had coconut-infused pork, garlic, vermicelli, cilantro, cucumber, carrots and daikon wrapped in thin but sturdy rice paper.

I got three rolls at $4.50, which I thought was a bargain, especially given how good they tasted.

Most of what I had at Photastic I thought was a bargain.

My pork sandwich was $3.25, the salad was about $5 and there isn’t anything on the menu that is more than $7.

This is not only a bargain, but it is what quick food should be — filled with quality and excellent service. The person at the counter offered suggestions because it was our first time, and the food was brought to the table.

Though I was a fan before, the free pineapple upside down cake cinched the deal.

The cake was fresh out of the oven and still had puffs of steam coming off it.

The cake is made with European butter, which gives it a rich flavor.

For $2.25 I will order this when I go back.

Seeing that my lunch was less than $10 and probably worth twice the amount, this is a restaurant that I will be returning to frequently.

Photastic

ADDRESS: 19201 Brookhurst St., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 964-8373

WEBSITE: www.photasticfood.com

CUISINE: Vietnamese

SPECIALTY DISH: pho

ALCOHOL SERVED: None