Some people only enjoy ethnic dining if it’s at a real-deal hole in the wall, where the menu’s aren’t in English. These are people who frequent Cucquita’s, but won’t go near an El Fenix. If you’re one of those people, you’ll be disappointed with Mango’s Noodle House. This trendy Vietnamese eatery looks more like Pier One window display, but if you can get past that, the food is actually quite good.

Pho, a Vietnamese clear broth soup, is the big draw here. During a recent dinner, I went with the Pho Ga, a white meat chicken and noodle soup. I eat this at least twice a month at a few other Vietnamese restaurants over in east Richardson near where I live (most of which do not have English menus, by the way) and this version was one of the best. Other places tend to make the broth too oily, but not here. The spring roll sampler is also worth trying, which lets you create your own combo of pork, beef, chicken or shrimp rolls.

If you’re not a fan of pho, there are several rice dishes, vermicelli bowls, and stir-fry entrees. There’s also a small smoothie bar here, plus several coffee drinks. Most dinners are about $8, and I don’t think I saw anything on the men that was more than $11.