Egg rolls, from left, beef with rice noodle soup, and chicken and rice are served at Pho in the Coffee Shop at Treasure Island. Photos by Craig L. Moran. The 30-seat restaurant takes up a small space inside the Coffee Shop at Treasure Island.

For Vietnamese food on the Strip, there's only one place to go: Pho at the Coffee Shop inside Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

The restaurant is named after the Vietnamese signature dish pho (pronounced "fah" or "fuh"), which is a beef broth with vermicelli noodles, spices and herbs.

"We always try to ensure we're authentic," says restaurant general manager Steve Katz.

Pho is a small restaurant, seating 30 in a part of the Coffee Shop, but can expand when there are large parties, Katz says.

Because of the restaurant's popularity with Asian customers, the Pho wait staff is being trained to speak basic Vietnamese so they can explain the menu.

A nearby television set plays Asian channels.

Diners are offered a plate of mint, basil, jalapeños, sprouts, cilantro and lime at the table for the restaurant's soups and egg rolls, plus a rack of spices enables customers to spice up their dishes to their own taste.

Open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to the last seating at 3:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant's traditional Vietnamese menu is overseen by chef Tien Dinh.

Starters: Vietnamese egg rolls ($6.50); pork and shrimp spring rolls ($6.95); pork, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeños and mayonnaise on a French roll ($8.95).

Entrees: Noodle soup items include shredded chicken with glass noodle soup ($9.50); raw beef with rice noodle soup ($9.95); beef stew with rice noodle soup ($9.95); cooked beef with rice noodle soup ($9.95); shredded chicken with rice noodle soup ($9.50); beef stew with vermicelli soup ($9.95); assorted meat with vermicelli soup ($9.95); and crab and tomato with vermicelli soup ($10.95).

Rice dishes include curry chicken with steamed rice ($9.50); special marinated chicken with fried rice ($9.95); beef stew with steamed rice ($9.95); charbroiled pork chop with steamed rice ($9.95); sauteed beef and broccoli with steamed rice ($9.95).

Vermicelli noodle dishes include sauteed tender beef with lemongrass and vermicelli ($9.95); curry chicken with vermicelli ($9.50); barbecue pork with vermicelli ($9.95); and fried spring roll with vermicelli ($9.95).

Appetizers is a weekly informational column about new developments on the Las Vegas dining scene. Items should not be considered reviews or recommendations and none is a paid advertisement. Contact Ken White at 383-0256 or e-mail him at kwhite@ >reviewjournal.com