Viet Kitchen Lakewood — Restaurant in Lakewood

My spouse and I are big fans of the original Viet Kitchen in Tacoma’s Lincoln District, so we were excited to check out their new second location in nearby Lakewood during its soft opening week. My parents, who are native Vietnamese and obviously discerning when it comes to Vietnamese food, absolutely love the original location. They haven’t been to the new spot yet, but if it’s anything like the first, they’d likely be just as impressed. While they haven’t tried every Vietnamese restaurant in the country, they’re confident Viet Kitchen is their favorite.

Whenever we go, we typically order the soft shell crab appetizer, a noodle dish like pho or vermicelli, and treat ourselves to Vietnamese coffee and a salted lemon soda. That combo never fails—but it’s also well worth branching out. The sour soup, stir-fried water spinach with garlic, and bún bò Huế are all excellent, and honestly, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

The menu at the new location is the same as the original, though it feels a bit more curated for the space—at least for now. The seating is more abundant, and the atmosphere is a bit more polished compared to the cozier, hole-in-the-wall vibe of the first location. I honestly don’t mind either style, as long as the food holds up—and it definitely does.

Parking is shared with a few neighboring businesses—a barber shop, bakery, and another restaurant—so it might take a little patience depending on when you go, but...

Pho-nomenal

Alright, folks, gather 'round, because I've found my new happy place, and it involves noodles, broth, and a whole lot of deliciousness. This pho kitchen? An absolute gem. First off, the pho itself was a masterpiece. Seriously, it was so good, I almost started writing poetry about it. Each slurp was a warm, savory hug.

But here's where it gets wild: they had fish sauce at the table. Now, I’m not saying I'm a fish sauce connoisseur, but that's like finding a unicorn that dispenses pure joy. Unique? Absolutely. Brilliant? You bet your sweet chili sauce it is. Speaking of which, let's talk about that sweet chili sauce. It's not just "out of this world" — it's like it hitched a ride on a UFO, abducted my taste buds, and took them on a flavor expedition to another galaxy. Prepare for liftoff! And then there were the lumpia. Oh, the lumpia! These weren't just lumpia; they were gigantic, crispy, golden logs of pure happiness. I almost needed a wheelbarrow to carry them back to my table. Highly, highly recommend. The vibe was a little quiet when I went, right before the lunch rush, which was actually perfect. It felt like my own private, delicious sanctuary.

If you're looking for a lively mosh pit of pho enthusiasts, maybe wait until noon. But if you want to commune with your noodles in peaceful bliss, this is your spot. My only regret? Not ordering more lumpia. I'm still having dreams about them. Go. Now. You...

I ordered the beef and meatball pho, but the kitchen messed up my order. I saw the server take it back, and when they returned with it, the bowl still had meats I didn’t ask for—plus tripe, which I definitely didn’t order. It seemed like they just tried to pick out the wrong items instead of making a new bowl. The flavor overall wasn’t impressive either.

On the positive side, the portions are generous and the prices are reasonable compared to other pho spots.

My girlfriend got the chicken pho and said it was a chore to eat. The chicken tasted like low-quality scraps, “weird” was her word for it. She said it might be the worst pho she’s ever had.

We also tried the Thai tea, which was extremely mild, so much so that my girlfriend didn’t even want to finish it. It just wasn’t enticing enough to keep drinking.

The pork spring rolls were okay, but the meat had a lot of fat.

The waiter apologized a few times and mentioned the kitchen had made a mistake, but that was about it.

For reference, two large bowls of pho, the pork spring rolls, and one Thai tea came out to just over...