Fresh Bowl in North Austin is a Must for the Best Vietnamese Food

Fresh Bowl is one of the newest Vietnamese restaurants in Austin. There’s no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants, especially in North Austin, but this one stands out.

This restaurant took over a restaurant, one that I wasn’t a fan of, but I looked forward to giving this new place a try. Read on to learn more about Fresh Bowl.

Fresh Bowl Austin

Since opening last summer, Fresh Bowl has made waves in Austin and many are quick to hand out superlatives. What is it about this place?

First, the food is excellent. They make their dishes with extra care, and it shows in the flavor. They are also striving to make most ingredients in-house, like noodles and bread.

The location, standing alone and surrounded by neighborhoods, might be strange, but it has become a regular spot for locals. Being on the farthest edge of North Austin, it can be a trek for those on the other side of town. Put it into the schedule the next time you’re north and you won’t be disappointed.

What to Order

I’ve dined at Fresh Bowl plenty of times now, aiming to try something new every time. Their menu has a lot of variety, and everything I’ve gotten has been good. It makes it hard to try something new.

Spring rolls are a popular appetizer and you can choose from shrimp, pork, grilled sausages, shrimp and pork, grilled pork, and tofu.

Another good appetizer is salt and pepper, and you can choose from calamari, shrimp, and crab.

Their banh mi is amazing. It’s one of the driving factors why I think Fresh Bowl is one of the best in Austin. I like the classic cold cuts, House Special, and their grilled chicken is tasty too. Get it toasted! They don’t skimp on the butter or the sandwich filling. They’ve also started making their own bread.

Pho, especially with fresh noodles, is another popular dish. The pho soup here is supercharged with a strong spice flavor. Fresh and regular noodles are both flat rice noodles but fresh noodles are less dense.

If you want a more complex dish, Bun Bo Hue is the order. Spicy lemongrass beef-based soup gives a lot of flavor to the thin udon noodles. This dish is not for those who are afraid of unfamiliar meat cuts. It has rare steak, shank, sausages, and tendon.

If you don’t want a hot soup dish, vermicelli bowls satisfy the noodle craving. Thin rice noodles are topped with lettuce, pickled carrot, mint, peanut, and your choice of protein. I like lemongrass beef. Don’t forget to pour the fish sauce to tie all the flavors together.

Another noodle dish is Crunchy Stir Fry Egg Noodle. This has fried noodles with a stir fry you pour on top. This softens the noodles while also leaving some crunch. It’s a tasty texture!

For crispy stir-fry noodles, try the Ap Chao. This dish has thick and crispy noodles pan-fried with vegetables and your choice of protein.

Shaken Beef is one of my favorite dishes with seasoned steak and veggies.

If you love a crawfish boil, the Crawfish Fried Rice is what you need. It’s got lots of crawfish, scrambled eggs, sausages, corn, and mushroom.

Green Thai Tea and Ube Coffee are two beverages on the menu and both will get you the caffeine you need.

To finish your meal, get the Lychee Panna Cotta Dessert (chè khúc bach). This refreshing cold dessert has lychee, cubes of different panna cotta flavors, almonds, ice, and lychee juice.