Elle's Cafe Asian Cuisine — Restaurant in Catoosa

My review is based on two visits 8 months apart. On both occasions, the same appetizers were ordered as well as my main entrée. Service was friendly and attentive, during both visits. Ordering was simple and straightforward. They offer self-serve chilled water unless you order an actual drink. The decor is simple and minimal, with background music playing.

You order at the front counter, and your food is brought to your table when it is ready. Appetizers arrived first, followed by entrées as one would expect. Up first was the pork steam rolls accompanied by two dipping sauces , one was a thinner peanut sauce and a sweet chili sauce, and an order of summer rolls with a thicker peanut sauce. The pork steam rolls are very delicious by themselves, but the sauce help add a nice element of enjoyment to an already great dish. The thinner peanut sauce was a little conflicting for us. It tasted good but was so thin it didn't really cling to the pork rolls. Who doesn't love a good sweet chili sauce? It was good.

Their summer rolls are very voluptuous and fresh. The peanut sauce is thick, as one would expect for the Vietnamese food, and flavorful. In our humble opinion, the pork steam rolls were the star of the show two times over. Top notch as wife says. Up next was my entrée of their beef rib bone pho. Portion was average in size and appearance. Their pho is served accompanied by a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, thinly slice jalapeños, a few lime slices, and, and a micro floral green (in appearance reminded me of dill but very mild in flavor, not dill).

I always sample the broth prior to adding any veggies, oils, or sauces. It had a decent flavor but lacked something for my personal taste compared to other pho broths I've had at nearby local Vietnamese restaurants. Upon adding chili oil, veggies, and sriracha, I still felt it lacked a little something. I'm a huge fan of cilantro in my broth, and the veggie plate lacked that ingredient.

The highlight of their beef bone pho is the beef rib. Meat wise the dish doesn't lack. However, I miss tendon from the traditional Vietnamese pho I usually order. Outside of that, I found a good amount of round beef, but I couldn't identify brisket that I'm accustomed to in a combination beef pho. It was plentiful, but I felt like I enjoyed it more, my first encounter.

As a whole, they have many more strengths than downfalls for myself. The pork steam rolls are awesome. The fresh, plump, summer rolls are very good as well. If their pho broth encompassed more depth of flavor, it could be an overall homerun. Service with a smile has been embraced...

I can’t speak for the quality of the food on opening weekend because I unfortunately couldn't make it. But I think they definitely took notes from previous reviews because the food we had today was on point!!!

We had: Dino bone beef pho- SO GOOD. The broth was less fatty, on the cleaner side, and flavorful from the star anise. The beef was so tender! Steamed rolls (fawm kauv)- There’s an appetizer size of 3 rolls for under $3, or a platter size of 10 for $9.99. We got 10 rolls and they were huge! Definitely worth it for the price point. Served with a sweet fish sauce. Chicken soup (kopiak)- So flavorful!!! I can tell they used organic chicken and the chicken literally melts in your mouth. Papaya Salad- I got 2 chili peppers and it was made exactly how I liked it! And the papaya sauce was pretty balanced. Just the right amount of sour, sweet or salty. Kids fried rice- Comes without meat and was steaming hot and fresh! Very flavorful too. Strawberry boba- Not overly sweet! I was surprised that I liked this since I’m not a huge boba fan.

The only thing I would have changed is the sauce for the steamed rolls/fawm kauv since I’m not use to eating it with a sweet fish sauce and would have preferred a dry chili or thai chili w/ fish sauce. Which they would have immediately brought out if I asked because they had really good service.

All in all, I was very impressed! Really excited that they’ve brought diversity to the Catoosa community. I think it takes courage to open a restaurant and I hope they continue to add to the menu because we will...

The quality of the food is amazing. Their food is straight up comfort home food for any of us Hmong people. They have a blend of Vietnamese, Thai, Hmong, and Laotian food. Their service is impeccable as well, always providing an excellent experience every time I dine in. The vibe of the restaurant itself is very peaceful and clean. It Reminds me of a nice cafe you would go to when it's pouring out. When I am inside, it feels like a place I would come to for comfort and socializing with friends and family. If you do decide to go, you have to try their famous steam rolls, especially with their Thai pepper sauce. Their beef bone pho is to die for, it comes with a huge slab of beef that is cooked to perfection. The flavors of the slow cooked pho broth is so rich in flavor. The meat is so tender and juicy, literally melting off the bone and into your mouth. If you're feeling a little spicy, you have to try their coconut Thai curry with vermicelli noddles. These are just a few of the many highlights this place has to offer. I definitely recommend coming to place multiple times and...