There’s a new cuisine choice in town: authentic Vietnamese at the newly-opened IPho on Main Street. The Tran family-owned and operated business already has a successful restaurant in Wappingers Falls, the Saigon Pho Noodle Bar, but wanted to create a fresh name for the New Paltz business. Pronounced “eye-fo,” the owners kind of enjoyed the humor of the wordplay when they came up with it, the sound of it like the popular phone brand but also reflecting the signature dish, ‘pho.’ (Even though the noodle soup is actually pronounced ‘fa.’)
The family has also owned and operated the USA Nail salon up the street for the past ten years, which is how they came to be familiar with the New Paltz area.
Pho is basically a noodle soup of aromatic sweet and spicy broth with tiny meatballs, shrimp, chicken or brisket, a staple of Vietnamese cuisine priced at $8.99 for a large bowl.
Another signature item is the bahn mi sandwich, a Vietnamese baguette loaded with fillings. One version includes grilled beef with a “special sauce” for $5.25, another has a combination of pâté, marinated pork and pickled cucumbers ($4.95). Vegetarian dishes run $5.25 to $8.99, with the highest priced entrees at $11.25 for grilled, seasoned beef over vermicelli or rice, served with an egg roll.
Appetizers include a plate of ten mini shrimp rolls ($8.50) or four Vietnamese eggrolls ($7.25) made with crab, pork and shrimp along with taro root and carrot.
There is no liquor license. Beverages range from lemonade, club soda with lime juice or Vietnamese black/white coffee, served hot or cold, to hot or iced tea and cold, frothy “bubble tea” ($4.25), so-named for the chewy tapioca “pearls” that sit on the bottom of the drink.
Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Décor is casual.
Join the family! 
