Cyclo owner Justina Duong is known for bringing her personal style into Vietnamese dining. Duong was born in Vietnam and grew up in Los Angeles, where her parents were in the restaurant business. She vowed never to go into the industry, but after moving to Arizona, she knew it was what she wanted to pursue. After years of hard work and numerous awards, Duong says she can’t imagine doing anything else.
The menu at Cyclo (sick-lo) has something everyone can enjoy and is easy on a college budget. Adventurous or hesitant, Duong is happy to guide customers to make delicious selections. The recipes come from her family, but she has thrown in a few touches of her own.
“It doesn’t matter how hard of a day people have,” Duong says. “I can cook for them and they can be happy.”
The menu has a variety of Vietnamese dishes that are abundant with flavor. Some popular dishes include the spicy garlic green beans and the crispy lemongrass chicken. Be sure to try the Vietnamese coffee and the desserts as well, but be warned that Duong insists her guests try to use chopsticks. She says it’s a part of the experience of going to a Vietnamese restaurant.
The Chandler restaurant, which opened in 2003, was recently remodeled into a chic, and often busy, hot spot. Duong says she wanted to update the look. “I wanted it to be more like you’re coming to my home, not just a restaurant,” she says. “It’s my playground.”
She named Cyclo after the form of transportation used in Vietnam she remembers from her childhood. Now, miniature versions of the bicycle carriages decorate the walls. The feel of the restaurant is authentic, even after its recent makeover. Menu items are college-budget friendly, with appetizers running about $5 and main dishes around $10.
Duong and her family currently run one other restaurant, Khai Hoan, and are working on developing a third in downtown Phoenix near the light rail.
Khai Hoan is located at Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive and serves a menu of half Chinese and half Vietnamese. The location in Phoenix is located at Central Avenue south of Camelback road, but has yet to open.
Reach the reporter at jvanzale@asu.edu.
