Tony Nyugen: Vietnamese Cuisine Appleton
It was a chilly Wisconsin Friday. We were excited to be done with work. The dinner plans before us? An ever tasty frozen salmon filet over greens. There was a moment we both looked at each other and the look in our eyes was “How about nah?” The first thing out of Lindsay’s mouth post look was “I’m feeling some pho.” I immediately latched on and proposed the relatively new Vietnamese place in town.
We casually hit the town, ready to try a new place. Sure, it would be full at 5:30 on a Friday night. Sure, everyone else had the same idea for pho as us. We pulled into the lot, walked to the front door, and stood puzzled for a moment. Not a single seat, booth, or bar stool was filled. Was it even open? It was unlocked. We went in and greeted by a waitress. Yep. Open but empty. Lindsay and I exchanged another concerned glance. “Should we go somewhere else?”
We decided to stay. Despite appearances, our low expectations got boiled away in a hot, tasty bowl of pho.
In A Bite
Ambiance: Confused
Music: Pop Oldies
Service: Friendly
Price: $$
Food Style: Vietnamese
What to Order: Pho & Spiked Dessert Boba
Go Again?: Maybe? But not for awhile.
The Whole Plate
Tony Nyugen: Vietnamese Cuisine is located on the west side of Appleton, between the mall and the Walmart. It’s predecessor, Wildflower Pizzeria, went under a few months prior to the pandemic and the Vietnamese restaurant took its place next to the Galaxy Golf store. Having dined at Wildflower, it was good but over-priced for it’s location by the mall, but that’s all speculation.
When we first walked in, we noticed things hadn’t really changed too much from it’s Wildflower days. The walls were the same color with some added pictures of menu items and a big “In God We Trust” painted on the back wall. The bar had half a thatched roof attached to the top and three slot machines you might find at a supper club bar. The large, crystal chandelier, felt out of place and couldn’t bring it all together as much as it tried.
We were seated in a booth next to the big bay windows facing the mall, anxiously watching the parking lot in hopes we had just beat the rush. Spoiler: we were the rush. Only a few more couples and a single family of six showed up over the course of the next hour. Now, I get there are many still concerned about eating out but, honestly, a restaurant *should* be the cleanest place you could go other than a hospital. Regardless of the mixed interior design and number of people, highest judgement is reserved for the food.
The waitress was very friendly and consistent with refills. She kept the banter casual and was not invasive whatsoever. When asked about the differences between the two pho sizes, she did seem a bit dazed.
Speaking of the menu, both the in-person and online menu have hints of high quality design. The logo looks modern compared to other Vietnamese restaurants but inside is head scratching. One picture is professionally staged with perfect light and the next was clearly shot on a phone pictures in the back room. Some may find this eclectic, but I’d rather have no pictures and consistency. Despite a few typos, everything is understandable.
This trip was a hunt for some pho so we didn’t consider many of the other menu items. I’ll definitely have to go back to try an authentic Bahn Mi though. I’ve seen many rave about them online. Anyways, we ordered the Hanoi style dumplings to share then I got the beef pho (large) and Lindsay got the chicken pho (small).
The dumplings came and our anxieties calmed. The golden brown dumplings were great! Chewy dough with a nice textured crisp on the outside. The filling was tasty ground pork and, to my surprise, cabbage, which brought a nice freshness. The side sauce was a sweet, light soy. Overall, simple but great.
Minutes after gobbling down our dumplings, the steaming pho and it’s entourage arrived at the table. Along side the pho was a multitude of mix ins: sliced jalapenos, bean sprouts, a whole basil plant. The sauce caravan included sweet chili, soy sauce, teriyaki, gochujang, and salt in tow.
Lindsay’s chicken pho was very light. Chicken was under seasoned and a bit chewy, but that’s hard to avoid with braised chicken. The mix-ins and sauces definitely helped in that aspect. Be careful with the teriyaki though. It’s concentrated so a little goes a long way.
My beef pho was much heartier. With more flavor bombs (meatballs, sliced beef, and tendon), the broth stuck to your belly a bit more. The noodles come compacted so you gotta stab em to get proper hydration. The tendons gave me hesitation for sure but most dissolved in my mouth. I’m just thankful the soup didn’t have lager in it as the menu suggests with the bigger size.
We believe the difference between the sizes is the amount of meat and veggies; the broth looked about the same amount. We took home leftovers in deli containers. The noodles do not hold up on the second day.
However, our meal wasn’t over yet! The waitress pointed out their dessert drinks which included boba tea cocktails. We split the Cookies & Cream which had chocolate chip cookie liquer mixed with taro root tea and boba pearls. The purple bev was delicious. Not too sweet and gave us our boba fix.
Before I wrap up, let me get on my soapbox: there needs to be a thing that separates the boba from the ice. I hate sipping ALL of the tea and being left to scrounge through the ice for the last straggling pearls. Maybe it’s my shark tank invention? If anyone wants to invest, hit me up.
Over all, Tony Nyugen rose above our low expectations. Although the staff and the food were delightful, a confusing interior and menu is likely was keeps people from trying. It’s not going to be an essential spot moving forward for us but I would definitely give Tony Nyugen’s a try.
