Vietnamese restaurant draws critical acclaim, but still presents intimate dinner party scene

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We walked into what felt like a private, yet inviting, dinner party at 7 p.m. on a Thursday. Roughly five minutes later, we were welcomed to the soirée.

Service: Clad from head to toe in black, Cyclo owner Justina Duong was simultaneously sexy and motherly (think Trinity from “The Matrix” meets June Cleaver). She floated around her small Vietnamese restaurant — touching, chatting and kissing (sorry, babies only) — making sure everyone felt like a new friend of the Cyclo family. On the flip side, her subdued staff gave us one wrong dish and brought out one of our main plates before our second appetizer (not a big deal with Vietnamese dishes, but a mistake nonetheless).

What we liked: The dish we savored most was the one we got by mistake — the crispy lemongrass chicken. Tossed in garlic and soy and chopped into tiny nuggets, the crunchy bites had a slight citrus sweetness tempered by a chili flake or two per piece. Served with a sticky side of jasmine rice, even a culinary coward would be content nibbling on this dish. As for starters, we preferred our chopstick-ready pork short ribs smothered in a sticky tamarind glaze with Thai basil leaves over the slightly spongy, translucent spring rolls. Duong’s $3 mini desserts were perfectly sized and priced. Try Justina’s Pagoda — a stack of thin wonton crisps layered with whipped cream, diced strawberries and warm chocolate.

Scene: A humble suburban storefront hides a dining room humming with wine-fueled tables of couples and friends. It’s BYOB and everybody does.

Bathroom break: Two clean private restrooms, both with unmarked doors and newspaper plastered walls.

Tab for two: $42 with tip and tax for pork short ribs ($5), spring rolls ($3.50), crispy lemongrass chicken ($8), wokked beef and scallion rice vermicelli ($8), Thai iced tea ($2.50), jasmine iced tea ($2) and Justina’s Pagoda ($3).

If work weren’t buying: Despite the critical praise Cyclo has received both locally and nationally, this is the first restaurant I’ve reviewed that made me feel like I was in on a secret. It’s a fun feeling, one I plan on sharing with friends soon.

By CHRIS PAGE
Get Out

Wait: Arriving at 7:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, we were seated immediately in the half-full dining room.

Service: We fell in love with owner Justina Duong the moment she suggested we were about to order too much to start, that we should begin with a few items and gradually work our way to full bellies. We were also smitten because she was dressed like a tony, funky Scottsdale princess. With every new dish that emerged from the kitchen, Duong gave us a demonstration of how to prepare and eat it. (We could have figured out how to navigate the banh xeo on our own, thanks much, but her over-eager service appealed to me in a mama-used-to-cut-my-steak-for-me way that probably deserves a trip to the therapist’s couch to resolve.) Duong left the restaurant about 30 minutes into our meal, after which a rather stern, silent substitute dude took over her duties. Drat.

What we liked: We liked all three items we ordered at Cyclo: banh xeo, a rice crepe with shrimp, pork and sprouts that was both light and filling; a hearty beef carpaccio accompanied by sesame chips; and the obligatory pad Thai. The dish was slick with oil and fresh with veggies and shrimp, and left a slow burn in our mouths that was only quenched by plum soda — a drink that’s tart, refreshing and slimy with plum bits sucked up through the straw. By the end, our stomachs were full and my wallet wasn’t considerably thinned for it.

Scene: Framed fine art, a fishtank and a cheesy wall mural are illuminated by an old-style street lamp anchored in the middle of the dining room. It’s all cute, really. I may live 10 miles from Cyclo, but I bet it’ll be my second- favorite neighborhood eatery in no time. (I haven’t forgotten you, Swaddee Thai.)

Bathroom break: Whether it’s a matter of style or wallpapering on the cheap, we dug the fact that the newspapers covering the walls kept us abreast of old news on Sarah Michelle Gellar, Clarence Thomas and John F. Kennedy Jr. — apparently the troika of American bathroom culture.

Tab for two: $30 with tax and tip for pad Thai ($8), crisp rice crepe ($6), beef carpaccio ($6), plum soda ($2.50) and a soft drink ($2).
If work weren’t buying: Good food, adventurous flavors, warm atmosphere, solid service — Cyclo’s got “regulars” written all over it.

Cyclo
1919 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler

Major cross streets: Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 5 to 9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 5 to 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Reservations accepted: Yes, with parties of six or more
Health report: No major violations on Sept. 8