For the uninitiated, Vietnamese food can sometimes be a bit intimidating. But don’t fret, in my experience, there are always welcome offerings I’ve never heard of alongside dishes I’ve come to love—and all are guaranteed one-way ticket to an adventurous, flavor-filled destination.

Bored with the standby last-minute “breakfast for dinner,” my husband and I stopped by Pho Saigon after a gym session. Disheveled from the workout, we were relieved to be immediately greeted and seated.

The lengthy menu was packed with hard-to-pronounce offerings, but thankfully each item had an alphanumeric next to it—so rather than awkwardly stumble our way through pronunciation blunders, we simply recited the numbers and were on our way. 

First up was A-12: fried vegetarian egg rolls, which came out remarkably crispy and chewy. They were heavier on the dough, and lighter on the veggies, which made my husband pretty happy as he crunched his way through, dipping the golden brown rolls into the accompanying sweet, tangy sauce.

Pho is quickly becoming a personal favorite, so I opted for C-28: Pho Tom, also known as rice noodle soup with shrimp. The gargantuan bowl was filled with an incredibly aromatic beef broth, which perfectly complemented the toothsome rice noodles and sweet, tender shrimp. I always taste the soup before adding anything from the requisite mountain of fresh herbs and garnishes, but this time I sprinkled in some bean sprouts, jalapeños, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. Perfecto!

A beef vermicelli bowl, E-57 to be exact, immediately grabbed my husband’s attention. Featuring beef sautéed with fragrant lemongrass, onions, bell peppers and vermicelli noodles—all atop fresh lettuce and bean sprouts—the spices subtly accentuated, allowing the fresh flavor of the meat and veggies to shine. 

Craving something sweet, I was delighted to see a great lineup of both smoothies and teas with the option to add tapioca pearls. While contentedly sipping (and chewing) my way through a creamy mango smoothie with boba, I briefly contemplated trying the durian—but I think I’ll leave that for another adventurous night out.

Pho Saigon, 6827 Lonetree Boulevard, Suite D-104, Rocklin, 916-780-2999.