Yes :-) Remi's review (Oct 23rd 2008)

Imagine if Panda Express actually served decent food, and you’d have Vina.

I like Vina; they have some very interesting variations on de facto standards. Take the orange chicken (or pork or beef) for example. It’s not glazed in orange, it comes in a creamy orange sauce. A little different, but also very good.

Their specials aren’t bad either. At lunch or dinner you can choose between three combo meals ranging from $5-$7. The $6 I went with came with a selection of two entrees, fried rice, and a cup of soup. The aforementioned orange chicken and a spicy beef dish were both acceptable for the price.

Some might say the “hot pot” is the star of the show. Pretty much identical to a fondue, it is just a selection of meats and vegetables you cook in hot oil, and eat with noodles. Kind of a good, affordable alternative to The Melting Pot.

Vina is a good stop for cheap eats. It might not blow your hat off, but it certainly has its place.

Yes :-) Collin ratboycom's review (Jul 13th 2006)

I’m no Pho king (hahaha) but when I decided on a whim to try
Vina for the first time (it was suggested by a friend and a coworker both of whom are Vietnamese). When I entered I was not impressed, it looked like a mall Chinese restaurant. After I was greeted they asked me to seat myself, which directed my eyes to the dining area. The dining area was about standard restaurant fare, a few little decorations here a plant or two there.

I had to remind myself that I was here for the food not for theatmosphere. I was surprised to find the amount of diversity on the menu. They had a selection of your traditional Asian foods such as Thai and Chinese, but that is not what I was there for. The last page of the menu was all about the Vietnamese food.

Their Pho was available in the normal Beef, Chicken, or seafood. I went with the beef, the waitress asked me if I would like it with everything. I said sure, not quite knowing what that meant (I figured it was just gonna have more veggies and spices in it). Imagine my surprise after I ordered when I found out that it included tendon,testicles, and tripe in addition to the beef steak strips. I ordered
the large bowl and it was LARGE, it was easily enough to feed two or be two meals for myself. Dinner was served quickly and very hot, they also left me a side of extras such as been sprouts and Jalapenos. On first taste it was not nearly spicy enough so I went straight for their ample
spice and sauce rack that sits at the end of every table. There were no less than 6 bright red peppery sauces available. Not knowing what or how spicy some of them were I went with the old reliable rooster sauce. A couple of good squeezes of that into my pho and I was good to go.

My next obstacle was figuring how to eat the soup. I was the only white guy in the whole restaurant (usually a good indication of authenticity)so I fell back on my old reliable and ate it like I were at a ramen restaurant in Japan. Luckily I didn’t get too many weird stares when I slurped the piping hot and spicy noodles into my mouth.

Unfortunately, it was a busy night and only one member of the waitstaff was on duty so service wasn’t exactly quick after I received my food. After eating I sat for a while not sure if I was going to get my bill or if I was supposed to pay up front. I decided to try the later, after waiting patiently not eating for 15min. It might have been because they were understaffed but when I walked to the front I was
promptly given a total on my meal. Less than $10 and I was very full,and still had half a bowl of food to take home, now that’s a good deal!

So forgiving the boring decorations and lack enough of waitstaff Vina was definitely somewhere I could be a return patron, even if just for take out.

Yes :-) Thomas's review (Dec 6th 2006)

This a small restaurant that does not have all of the fancy decor of some of the other Asian restaurants in town. However, their food rocks!

If you like pho you must go to Vina and have theirs. Hot, spicy, cooked well, and an assortment of condiments that allows you to season your pho, it doesn’t need it, to your liking. The seafood pho is especially good.

My first visit was for a take out order and it was fun to watch the cooks and other staff size me up when I ordered my food as spicy hot. I’m a life long fire eater and I found it amusing to see the American guy being evaluated for his heat tolerance.

That being said, the food at Vina is well worth a visit, the prices are great, portions are large, and I found the staff to be friendly and enthusiastic. Go for lunch and listen to a lot of Vietnamese being spoken by other customers. That is a sure confidence vote in my book.

Vina is a definite yes!

Yes :-) okthatsright's review (Mar 14th 2008)

We love this place! It is so cheap, yet so good! Their Pho is great, The hot pot is fun and wonderful, and the have a wide variety of other dishes to pick from. I have never been there when it is too busy, so I can’t complain about the service. The only thing I dislike is the water tastes really bad, so I have to order a sprite. We like to go to Vina’s and then to the Bubble Garden next door for some Boba tea (which is amazing by the way). I really recommend the Spring rolls, they are delicious!

Yes :-) Ryan's review (Mar 24th 2008)

Reasonable prices? Check. Best Chinese dishes in town? Check. Delicious pho? Check. Incredibly fun and scrumptious hotpot? Check.

Yeah, Vina kicks butt. Constantly frequented by Vietnamese which says a lot about an ethnic restaurant. Highly recommended.

Yes :-) A-Gar's review (Oct 30th 2008)

Hot pot heaven. Exactly like they do it in Taiwan. Fresh napa cabbage, fresh meats and fish, fresh noodles, steaming broth. A meal for two could feed three or four easily.

In the six or seven times I’ve visited, I’ve only seen three Caucasion couples. Everyone is Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, etc. And I find this a good thing. This place reminds me of Asia.

Excellent pho, as well. One of Spokane’s little known wonders.