By Amy E. Pittman, DVI Intern
Hidden above an iron staircase at 21 E. Adams St. sits the cozy, casual, candlelit Thai restaurant, Indochine. Tucked under the bright red Chinese lanterns just blocks away at 117 W. Adams St. is Indochine’s friendly Vietnamese sister, Pho. A Noodle Bar. Along with 16 other restaurants, Indochine and Pho are participating in Downtown Jacksonville’s two-week dining promotion, Eat Up Downtown, which ends this weekend. Hurry and make plans to visit Downtown this Sunday so you don’t miss out on these fun deals!
Eat Up Downtown restaurants developed prix-fixe $15, $25 and $35 menus which include three courses. At Indochine, guests are presented with a $25 menu and have the option of one alcoholic beverage, house salad or appetizer soup for their first course; one starter for their second course; and one entrée for their third course. At Pho, $15 gets you one starter, one entrée, and one wine, beer or dessert.
For those hesitant to try Thai or Vietnamese dishes, you are not alone! For starters, the modern and stylish interior of Pho is chic, urban and inviting. When I first visited, I was curious about the steamy soup I often saw on Instagram and Twitter. After one sip of the delicious make-your-own pho, I knew I would be back. The banh mi sandwich at Pho, which is a type of Asian Po’boy, is a fan favorite, and the cool coconut sorbet rounds out any meal perfectly. An ideal setting for any plans you might have this weekend, Indochine’s atmosphere is clean and elegant, and the service is welcoming and quick. The sweet peanut sauce on the chicken satay skewers is delicious, and the spicy lemongrass tom kha gai soup was a tasty introduction to the classic shrimp pad thai stir fry.
Indochine received the “Best Thai in Jacksonville” award by the readers of Folio Weekly for the past three years, which makes perfect sense to anyone who dines there. David Williams of First Coast News reported that Indochine and Pho owner Ladda Salter’s sales increased $10,000-$15,000 during Eat Up Downtown, but Williams says “it’s about more than money.” In the interview, Salter said she is “happy that there’s energy Downtown.” Don’t miss out on this Eat Up Downtown energy — the promotion ends this Sunday!