Egg Roll Number 1 — Restaurant in Beech Grove

Honestly, I do not understand the hype about this place AT ALL. We moved here about 6 months ago and have been looking for a good pho place (and a good Chinese place), so when someone mentioned this place and we saw the reviews, we figured we would try it.

Humanity has let us down...again.

I ordered the General Tso's dinner special and my wife ordered the pho. The pho was very meh, and that's just being generous. A lack of aroma and flavor that's usually accompanied by an assortment of meat was just not this.

As for the General Tso's chicken, it's just frozen chicken that is defrosted and reheated en masse, left out to die, then drizzled in any number of sauces they have off to the side for the respective order. The sauce was runny and the saltiest thing I have ever had the displeasure of tasting in my life - I even said audibly, involuntarily "f#$k this is salty". It tasted like it was from a concentrate that was poorly diluted. On top of that, the breading was thick and soggy. An absolutely disgusting menu item that shouldn't even be served - it's an embarrassment honestly. But then again, what do you expect from a place that serves Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai dishes all on one menu? I swear this area does not understand the importance of specializing in doing a few things very well, rather than offer everything very poorly.

The service was pretty poor too. I would like to say it's a symptom of how busy they were, but there's no excuse for it. Utensils were forgotten, so we had to chase after them to get a set, then the soup was forgotten, so we had to go back up and compete with the line just to get it (and even then, it was the worst hot and sour soup I've ever had, so I'm not sure why I bothered asking for it after I tasted the General Tso's - I ultimately didn't finish it after the first two bites).

Overall, I think the key reason this place is busy is for their prices, but I would argue their prices aren't that competitive. As much as I typically hate pushing for a chain, I would honestly eat Panda Express over this any day of the week, and I don't even rate Panda Express highly, but for a similar price, you get better tasting food that has some degree of quality control, not whatever I ingested this evening. My stomach has been in knots since eating the meal and I will never go back.

The standards surrounding food in this city is precisely why Indianapolis isn't known...

Ah, the unforgettably noticeable efforts of a clean, inviting, establishment! Well lit, this eatery brings forth a desired element to the ambiance here. There is a surprisingly vast amount of food options that range from Vietnam, China, all the way to Thailand. I went with a pho Tai Sach & general Tso chicken that came with crab rangoon & egg drop soup. Good pho broth should provide you many things: clarity, lip-smacking umami note of fish sauce; complex flavor in which individual spices both harmonize and demand attention; a buttery, rich plethora of collagen coating on your tongue. A slight acid tingle from lime is always welcoming; and the alkaline bite of ginger and onion complete an excellent broth. A great pho broth is more noticeable for not causing any palate fatigue. I tend to abandon most bowls of pho once all the solid material has been depleted, but Eggroll Pho So's elixir had me tipping my hat until the bottom. They covered me fully in the meat department, with the 3 options of unctuous, cartaliginous, bible tripe teeming over the edge, balancing out the beefy purity of the lean round steak, with sliced gelatinous tender beef balls floating effortlessly in a bath of extraordinary, meaty, broth. Deploying the well-stocked herb plate to buoy the springy meatballs once you've slurped up all the rice noodles I'd say is a must here! The mass added by the crunchy cilantro and bean sprout soaking in the broth are almost like getting a second course out of the same bowl. The general Tso chicken was a hearty portion of fresh all white meat breast lightly breaded, fried, and drenched in a sweet, tangy sauce with a touch of heat. No chilies surprised me, but the broccoli was adequately stramed, & I was pleased with the amount of crab in my rangoon purses. The egg drop soup was carefully made. I could tell by how light it was, not over saturated with chicken broth and egg whites. The egg yolk was properly integrated in with the flavor of scallions & chicken broth presence. The soup slightly coated the tip of my tongue but grabbed hold of my taste buds as it glided over my palate. Authentic egg drop soup takes effort, and you'll find it here. I recommend you try different items here, and come often! With the low prices, (under $10 an entree) it could quickly...

If you’ve never been to Egg Roll Number 1, here’s what to expect when you walk in: it’s counter service only, so you’ll place your order, get a number, and either wait for your to-go order or grab a seat in the dining room. Restrooms? Clean.

Before you step up to the counter, make sure you know exactly what you want. Be clear when asking questions because the language barrier can get tricky. Also, if you want specific condiments like fresh hot mustard cups, make sure to ask—otherwise, you’ll end up with those basic, manufactured packets that can ruin your meal.

For my vegan/vegetarian folks, they’ve got a decent selection of veggie dishes and sauces, but tofu’s the only protein option I found. Make sure to tell them how you like your tofu cooked for whatever dish you’re ordering. On the bright side, the staff is super friendly and accommodating.

Now, about the sauces—they’ve got some winners, but I wasn’t feeling their General Tso’s. I prefer a thicker, spicier sauce with that perfect balance of sweet and savory, but theirs was watery, super sweet, and had no heat at all. I even asked for extra spice, but whatever they used didn’t do the trick. No chili peppers, no kick, nothing like the traditional recipe. Just saying.

The egg rolls looked a bit overcooked, and their fresh spring rolls are decent, but heads up—if you’re asking for veggie only, they still might slip in shrimp, which sucks if you’re like me and allergic to shellfish. So if you’ve got allergies, I’d say skip those.

On a better note, I’ve tried their curries and some of the other sauces, and they’re delicious. My only issue? The rice. It’s cheap and overcooked, so it doesn’t soak up the sauces like it should. But even with these few hiccups, I’ll definitely be back. Overall, it’s still...