Phuc Yea

I give Phuc Yea props for trying something new. I feel like they priced it just like an expensive food truck. What I mean is it’s all a gimmick. They work, believe me, I’ve been a part of few and surely will be a part of more, but the execution must be on point. It’s new, it’s different, okay it’ll be gone in 3 weeks. That’s great. I missed where the hype was from though. I hope I’m wrong and we went on an off night. But should there really be an off night at place charging that much money for simple small portions and $ 9 for bottle beer? If you were served most food truck in a nice restaurant, would you pay the same price? Probably not. Same applies for me here.
Awesome concept! I give 5 Stars for it. The service was great btw! Staff was friendly and the owners seemed cool… Until we didn’t order any more food. What was I to do? She got mad and approached us after a little powwow in the kitchen. I had to say something when asked repeatedly why we weren’t staying to eat more. It woulda cost $ 100 easily for us to get our fill, and we didn’t see a point after tasting our first 3 dishes. The mackerel tasted just like the papaya salad, the fish sauce they use is awesome, I loved it, just woulda changed up the seasoning a tiny bit. Especially for a $ 12, 2 ounce portion of mackerel. It’s not Hakasan at the Fontainebleau where I’d expect to pay that or up to $ 15 for it and $ 9 for a miller light and $ 15 – 25 for a signature drink. Yakkosan has similar pricing for larger portions in a full on restaurant that’s had sick food for years! Phuc yea is banking it and I hope they open a fixed establishment somewhere soon and figure out exactly what they’re amazing at and I order that when I go try them out next time!
I’m really glad that I went, it’ll be a part of history in my life. I can’t say I’d go back, that disappoints me. If it was a bit cheaper I couldn’t complain at all and could see the value. I just felt a little cheated outta my $ 47 plus tip for one beer and three small portions.
Sorry guys, don’t hate me for it.

PHUCGETABOUTIT! Not so hard now that this pop-​up has ended its reign of terror but I still couldn’t let their atrocities go unpunished. Here’s how I suffered –
DÉCOR: Kids In The Hall isn’t just a sketch comedy show from the 80s, or a hip-​hop duo from Chicago, it was our party. Stuck sitting on nursing home furniture in the middle of a hallway, in a dilapidated mall. I don’t know what grade their interior designer was in, but I did appreciate the Viking-​Animé design theme he chose.
FOOD + PRICING: pre-​fixe menu includes 10 items for $ 45 per person. Excessive, considering most diners spend about $ 25 per person.
Self-​proclaimed «Modern-​Traditional Viet Cuisine». Emphasis on MODERN. The portions are elegantly presented and enormous, if you’re an elf. And those little gift-​making slaves only eat candy, candy cane, candy corn and syrup.
Golden Glazed Chicken Wings: paying almost $ 2 a wing, you’d think the chef would do me the favor and at least cook the damn things. Now while living in Japan I had Tori Tataki (thin-​sliced seared raw chicken) but that country has the lowest incidence of food borne illness in the world. This country does not, and though I’ve never known a person to have ever contracted salmonella, I don’t think Phuc’s bloody chicken is worth the risk. See below –
Imperial Rolls: 3 fried pork filled spring rolls cut into 1″ x 1″ nuggets. Tasty but tiny.
Crispy Pork Belly Bao Bun: one bite for a full grown man, two bites for your date that wants to appear dainty.
Good 4 Ur Belly Papaya Salad: Usually it’s pickled to death and has a soft cucumber like texture; animals that chew their own cud would think this was tough.
Crispy Pig Ear: one of the highlights of the meal but it’s cartilaginous nature may offend some palates.
Get In My Belly!!! Crispy Pork Belly: almost $ 20 and I could fit everything on the plate onto the palm of my hand. Regardless it was the headliner. Crispy, savory, and melted when it needed to melt. Many a Unilocaler sweats Pubbelly for their version, but Phuc’s takes their lunch money, every time.
Pork Canelloni: blueberries and squash purée propel this dish into the realm of creative and sophisticated. I give credit where it’s due, and it was a generous serving for me… had I wanted to eat off a kid’s menu.
No «Phở». Not necessarily a bad thing for me as I hate everything about the ubiquitous noodle-​soup, but I’m sure many were expecting to see it on a Vietnamese restaurant’s menu.
BEVERAGES: Corkage $ 15 per bottle/6-pack…PHUC THAT!
Chanh Muoi: the Vietnamese pack limes in sea salt and when they’re nice and funky, they juice ‘em. This drink was elegantly presented with a salt rim, but had a strong cardamom flavor that though pleasant, was completely unfamiliar. Imagine the lime-​green Gatorade mixed with chai iced tea.
SERVICE: first two items I ordered were sold-​out and the third came with an unwanted substitution. To which I responded, «It’s true that chickens and pigs both live on farms, but does that make them interchangeable?.»
Remember that that one time I told you they were out of the first dish? It was the Imperial Buns. As I was writing my review and comparing the menu to the receipt, my memory of the dish escaped me. That’s because I DIDN’T have it, but they charged me for it. Had I not had to argue my case with two different people about removing the bloody chicken of my bill, I would have noticed this –
December 8^th, Unilocaler Dong O. and I went back to PY and celebrated our own closing party. We sat there swiggin’ Russian Standard vodka from a flask and eating green papaya beef salad from… Green Papaya Viet restaurant, and yelling out things like –
«At least one of use will be having something Vietnamese tonight»
Phuc Yeah in a nutshell, prices don’t match the level of service, quality of food, or ambiance.
If the Federal, their permanent location, is anything like this attempt. PHUC THAT! I’d rather let this guy spoon me in a sleeping bag on a cold night –

I love any place you can bring your own wine :0)
So I know this little treat has already closed. and I am JUST NOW writing a review but if you missed it, too bad. You’re obviously off your game or you just weren’t cool enough to know it was even ever there.
It was a little pop-​up joint and the clientele was def. «hipster» but it was still actually cool.
The plates were small but packed with deliciousness
We had duck as the biggest plate and it was awesome– we had Foie Gras as a little plate (if you’ve been you know what I’m talking about with the plate sizes)
The Foie Gras was my favorite !
We even had the wings that weren’t on that weeks menu but we had heard so much about so we asked about them & we got them!
Great Service, Great Staff, GREAT Food, I would def. go back if they popped up again :0)

If you haven’t been to Phuc Yea yet, stop reading and get there NOW! Seriously, they’re only open for another 2 days!
I wish I’d made it over to Phuc Yea many more times during its brief tenure on the Downtown dinner scene, but c’est la vie. I’m just thankful that I was able to eat there once, and during that visit, was able to sample quite a few delectable offerings from their ever-​changing menu.
We all know the concept — pop-​up restaurant, temporary in nature, offering awesome and unique takes on Vietnamese food. But in reality, it’s all about the execution and delivery, and Phuc Yea’s got that in spades. Every dish I tried was mouth-​wateringly delicious, and left me wanting more.
Among four people, we shared about 8 dishes from all areas of the menu, and definitely left very full and satisfied. The imperial rolls, the foie gras-​and-​peanut butter «When Elvis Met ‘Nam,» the riblets, the «Piggy Smallz is da Illest,» the crispy, beefy bits, and everything else I tried was awesome.
The staff and owners are helpful and friendly, the prices are on point (considering the uniqueness and the quality of the food), and parking in Downtown isn’t so bad after 6pm. So if you’re still reading this review and haven’t made it to Phuc Yea yet, you’ve totally done yourself a disservice. I only wish they were sticking around for another 3 months!

I got lost tring to phind this place. It was in a business building downtown. When we phound it, it was quite interesting. 6 – 8 tables… very different menu then you will see anywhere. The food was interesting and i wanted to try everything, and i pretty much did.
my favorite was the small fish…
i liked everything, but really thought that is was quite expensive for what it was and for the portions. Our bill was almost 80 bucks, and we were still hungry afterwards. I appreciate the different food, but know that they are probably cashing in on the buzz they are getting paid… they need bigger portions or lower prices for me to come back…

I thought this place was fantastic. It is a «pop-​up» and I was informed by their staff that this particular restaurant will be closing in mid-​december, but they will be opening a new permanent location (new ‘secret’ concept that they wouldn’t divulge to me, not asian) soon. That’s a little disappointing given that I really enjoyed the food and the concept here. But these are good, innovative cooks, so I am going to trust that whatever they end up doing, it will be good.
I want to start by saying that this food is not supposed to be 100% traditional Vietnamese. These are dishes that are *informed* by Vietnamese favorites, but are not attempting to be completely faithful to the originals. Anyone expecting to get «authentic» Vietnamese food should go elsewhere.
Second, we got the chef’s tasting for $ 45 a head. I thought it was an exceptional deal. They brought us 10 items to eat, including a dessert. If they brought out another course, I would have had to be carried out in a wheelbarrow (it was that much food). The food is high quality and carefully crafted so $ 45 for 10 different dishes is the kind of deal you just cannot expect to find at most places with food this caliber.
Foodwise, we had: a fried tripe dish, some summer rolls, a sweetbreads dish, a banh mi sammy, a beef salad, a foie gras dish, a charcuterie plate, a pork belly dish, wings, and a coconut tapioca dessert. The sweetbreads were my favorite part of the meal. Served on a soft delicious coconut bun, perfectly cooked with a nice curry sauce. Just a very nice, very memorable dish. The banh mi pork head was prepared in-​house apparently. Very nicely done. The foie gras dish was incredibly inventive. Foie gras, peanut butter, banana, french toast, and jalepeno. Good stuff. It was just a very nice meal from start to finish.
The staff was very friendly and eager to get some feedback about how the food was and what we thought.
I wish these folks the best of luck with their future endeavor, and I personally can’t wait to eat there. Great job!

Came here one night after art walk. My Vietnamese friend insisted we try it out before it closes. I have never tried Vietnamese food before and was very curious.
The place: It is a night time takeover of a daytime deli. The tables are situated in what seems to be a hallway. Very casual. It’s all about the food here. Most of the dishes are tapas size so we sampled quite a few.
Here is what we tried.
Imperial roll (out of sumner roll which was our first choice). Hot, crispy, delicious with the dipping sauce and pickeled carrots on the side.
Banh mi– an unusual sandwich (mini) on french bread. Some sort of meat with herbs, cilantro. This was the best dish of them all.
Good 4 ur belly papaya salad– very delicious with a toasted almond crunch
Crispy soft shell crab salad. Wow. There was a whole fried crab sitting on top of my salad. I was brave and tried it. Good. Woudn’t do it again, though.
Mussels– coconut ginger broth. The sauce was outstanding. We asked for some rice to go with it, as none came with any of our dishes. This was the 2^nd best dish of the evening.
Overall, the prices are pretty reasonable and the food was different than usual and quite tasty. I can’t wait to see what their next «pop-​up» project will be.

Again, I visited, and again, they delivered excellent food and service. I am trying to eat here as often as they can to ensure that their pop up restaurant becomes a permanent fixture here in Miami, because their food is excellent.
I decided to get the same drink I loved so much before, the 5 spice limeade, and it was great. As usual, there was a wait to sit but it didn’t take too long, and trust me, the wait is worth it! For an appetizer, I got the Banh Cuon, which is the same as their Oodles of Noodles, but this time, there were a lot more noodles than last time. Unfortunately, they had sold out on their Summer Rolls as well as other items. I also got the Ghost of Ha Long Bay, which is in tribute to the season of Halloween and contained 5-​spice pumpkin on braised short ribs. I know that when you think of 5-​spice, you’re probably thinking of something sweet, which sounds odd on meat along with pumpkin but trust me, it is delicious and you just have to mix the pumpkin with the meat and have an open mind. It was finger-​licking good and if it weren’t for the fact that it is considered rude, I would have stuck my fingers inside and licked the last bit of that pumpkin sauce, LOL.
The last item I chose to try consisted of the Stuffed Calamari in Red Curry which are calamari rings stuffed with crab. It was also delicious, and I kind of wished there was more to eat because it was gone in a blink. I was full, but not full enough to skip dessert. They had 2 options: a coconut tapioca or (I think) some chocolate thing. I’m sure you know which one I chose considering I cannot remember the other choice… the tapioca came with pieces of fruit, such as banana, mixed in. Although I don’t really like bananas, I really enjoyed this delicious and exotic dessert. This place is always full and there’s always a wait. I recommend that you come when you’re hungry but not so hungry that you cannot afford to wait 10 – 15 minutes to be seated. Your patience will pay off!

The W and I finally dined at Phuc Yea, Miami’s newest Pop-​up restaurant. We arrived for a very early Friday night dinner, just after they opened at 5:30 p.m. There are less than 12 tables at Phuc Yea so make sure you arrive early. We started with glasses of Limeade, Spring Rolls and Fried Imperial Rolls. The Limeade was excellent and the rolls were also very good. The server explained that you wrapped the Fried Imperial Rolls in the lettuce and added the pickled carrot, then dipped it in the sauce. Next, we had the Softshell Crab Salad, Chicken Wangs, Viet Steak and Eggs and the Pork Riblets. The tender pieces of meat that fell off the Pork Riblets were exceptional. The menu changes daily so you never know what will be on the menu. For dessert, the W had an Iced Vietnamese Coffee, made with Condensed Milk. I had the Hot Vietnamese Coffee that was served in a French Press with a large cup filled with sweet condensed milk.
Don’t expect too much as far as the restaurant décor. The walls are covered with curtains that looked like shower curtains. There was SOBE club like music playing in the kitchen. The standing room only waiting area is in the strip mall looking into the Sprint Phone Store.
Finally, on Friday night this was the most number of Asians I have ever seen in a Downtown Miami Restaurant. When I go to an Asian restaurant, I usually look for not only the number of Asians in the Kitchen but the number of customers. In other words, usually the more Asians I see, the better the food. I didn’t see any Asian in the Front Kitchen, but I heard the owner is part Vietnamese.
That night, Patrick, the prolific Miami Unilocaler and Foodie was dinning at the table next to us. He is a regular diner there.
For Miami Foodies that like Vietnamese Food, Phuc Yea is certainly the place to go. I understand they will be closing in a couple weeks and «popping-​up» at another location in Miami. As we left, the W saw several of her friends in the restaurant waiting for their table. Make sure you get there early!
Phuc Yea!

It pains me to do this but i’m going to have to disagree with most of the reviews below.
Bare with me, I’m not trying to be malicious here, but since the purpose of a pop-​up restaurants is to give it a trial run to see how it would perform, I feel I wouldn’t do it justice if I gave it any more than 1 star.
Random dinner plans pop-​up (no pun intended) so my fellow Unilocalers and I decide to go for something different. We arrived and gave the lady our name and number and she guesstimated about 20 min wait, no biggie, having read all the hype, it was expected. We decided to go pick up a bottle of wine but before we left we were informed that the BYOB thing was false advertisement… still alright, the food in itself should be worth it.
Communication is key here, and there were some misunderstandings about who was getting the next table… still, no big deal, it was resolved fairly quickly and we proceeded to sit down and were handed 2 menus for 5 people.
Now granted there weren’t that many tables, still the kitchen was small so I guess I also have to make an excuse for that… but then again, I shouldn’t. If you can’t pull your weight, even if its close to closing time then you shouldn’t be in business.
The rest of our dinner was beyond disappointing and chaotic. The first plates to come out were my friends appetizer an entrée (together). Followed 30 mins later by the small sandwich that our couple ordered, followed by their «oodles» of noodles (please be advise that the dish’s name should be changed to NUMBERED NOODLES… they need to look up the definition in the dictionary)
My boyfriend and I proceeded to wait an extra 30+ minutes for our dishes, when all of a sudden the waitress approaches our table and informs him that his order was the last of its kind and they had given it to another table who had promptly devoured it. UGHHH whatever, whats quick? because everyone else is already done with their dinners… that sanwhich? get him one… my plate is still MIA.
His meal still manages to come out before mine and when mine arrives its literally 7 FRIED FISH on a small bed of greens… 0₀
this must be some sort of joke right??? THIS TOOK AN HOUR PLUS TO MAKE IT TO THE TABLE??? everyone had finished their dinner ages ago,
It gets better, the check comes and its super expensive for what seemed like hardly SNACKS and they had the audacity to charge my boyfriend for that shitty sandwich alternative, even though they had messed up royally. They heard us complain and I guess to be diplomatic they offered to treat us to some dessert… but wait, you know how long it took for a bowl of corn flakes with condense milk to come out… AN EXTRA 30 MINUTES. GET OUT OF TOWN, NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY, THERE’S JUST NO WAY I CAN OVERLOOK THAT MUCH!

They had me at «Phuc Yea»
The name itself should tell you that you are in for fun surprises that are delicious to the tastebuds and amazing for the psyche. Even before they opened I was telling my friends this was a place that I was looking forward to visiting. Loved how the name of the restaurant was an excuse to say a word my abuela would not approve of.
The day it opened ~ Fashion Night Out ~ was a trying day for me to visit anything that didn’t had to do with fashion, but I found my way to Downtown chanting the «Phuc Yea» mantra until I found the first pop-​up restaurant in Miami. A group of my truest Foodie friends were already there and the always wonderful Aniece Meinhold was the Queen Bee letting us know what to have in the menu.
There are 15 plates in the menu divided into three categories and I was lucky that my friends had already ordered half of it ~ so my tasting began in earnest! From the Mot section I tried the 2 classes of Rolls ~ Imperial and Rice Paper which were fresh and tasty. The second ~ Hai ~ brought the Belly Papaya Salad, the Chicharrones, the riblets, and the Crispy Pig Ear Salad. O.M.G. «Phuc Yea» succulent ~ especially the riblets which were tender and savory.
Sweet tooth that I am, I needed to try the Tapioca and the Frozen Avocado ~ my fav being the avocado.
Phuc Yea, the only thing I could wish for is that it would stay opened for longer that three months ~ but I know that the team behind it will come up with another fantastic foodie fantasy!

2 stars for effort.
I’m Vietnamese so I had to come in with an open mind… but this was just bad.
Vietnamese eggrolls are some of my favorite things in the whole world. I told our waitress upon ordering that I’ll need an order of eggrolls togo as well. After taking the first bite of the eggroll, I immediately cancelled the togo order. The rolls were entirely too small and they were burned. They were literally the size of my thumb.
Next was the Oodles of Noodles. «Oodles of Nothing»? I am not expecting an abundance of food… but come on! You can’t name something OODLES (which implies a lot) then bring out a dish that has four or five noodle things. Plus, their nuoc mam is all wrong. it’s too tart when it should be savory with hints of sweetness.
Their softshell crab was the worst that I have ever had EVER. They were a take on cua rang muoi (salted crab) but all you taste is salt and no crab. Tsk Tsk.
The only thing that was good was the braised ribs. but honestly, they tasted like bbq ribs with nuoc mam drizzled on top (just to call it vietnamese).
Sorry ya’ll. Phuc yea is a Phuc NO.

After reading all the stellar reviews and the not so stellar, I decided that I should put my two cents in.
Phuc Yea is not the place you go for ambiance, so I threw out my rating component on that one. What Phuc Yea lack’s in ambiance they sure do have in service. The wait staff is well educated in the menu and the food. There’s a great deal of energy at Phuc Yea, and they exude it on to you!
Phuc Yea bases part of there menu as a Vietnamese tapas style restaurant. I tend to disagree, as the courses are kind of small. I ordered the Crunchy roll, which is pork and shrimp fried in rice paper, and it comes with lettuce, mint and carrot on the side. It was good, but it lacked big flavor that I have found in Vietnamese food. Next, was an order of soft shell crab’s with salt and paper in a siracha aoli sauce. This too was good, but again i was looking for that big flavor and lastly I ordered the drunken mussel’s. Absolutely killer broth, one of the best broths I could spoon into my mouth; however, this too was a small portion, and the mussel’s were minuscule.
Phuc yea has such tremendous potential it’s hard to say anything bad, Is it a 5 star pop up restaurant, no it has it’s work cut out for them. Is it 3 stars no, Phuc Yea hovers between ³¹⁄₂ to 4 stars. I think if they had a more permanent place they could explore endless possibilities and take there food to another dimension. Miami doesn’t have enough Vietnamese restaurants, and most of the ones we have are tame, so I will still look forward to Phuc Yea’ success.

I know nothing of Vietnamese food, nor have I ever been to a pop-​up restaurant. That being said, I effin’ loved Phuc Yea!
If you’re on Unilocal and you heard of Phuc Yea the idea would be that you’re somewhat savvy on all things interweb and research. I know I am so I proceeded to make a date with some fellow fat kids. We armed ourselves with plenty of delicious brews and nommed out on the delicious menu items offered.
I would never show up to a place like this during peak dinner hours. I do this for a few reasons, 1. I don’t like waiting 2. I like the extra bits of attention that come with showing up for the geriatric seating. 3. I, unlike some others did my research and knew that being able to sit in this restaurant during the time it would grace Miami with it’s presence would be a fat kid blessing all it’s own.
We pretty much covered the whole menu, everything from the Gran Pubah to the frosted flakes dessert left me wanting more!
No, I’m not kidding, we ordered the whole menu:
Oodles of Noodles
Gran Pubah Ban Mi
Chicharrones
Riblets
Spicy pig ear salad
Lil Fishies
Then, the second time I went I ordered the new stuff:
Viet Steak n Eggs
Spicy beef salad
Jellyfish salad
Diver scallops in green curry — I spooned up all I could from this bowl.
The best part, there is no ketchup or soy sauce here, nope. We were using delicious Sriracha and fish sauce on everything — God such intense and amazing flavors.
I also didn’t think our bill was bank-​breaking, I know I ate my fill and did not mind paying for it, even if they were using a cell phone to run my card.
My advice to those who didn’t have a stellar experience is, when you go some place that’s ridiculously popular don’t read the buzz, instead do some footwork and give the place a chance to stand on it’s own.

I am torn between 3 and 4 stars. This place has potential if some things could be fixed. Even the atmosphere of this pop up restaurant, currently in the hallway of an abandoned strip mall, was fun in a kitschy way. But a long wait for the table and no booze (liquor license pending and no byob) was a bit trying.
The proprietor is super sweet and even pointed out her parents who contributed to the offerings that night. Go with the summer rolls, grilled romaine, mussels, and chicken, but skip the banh mi as it’s a little bready and dry. The fried fishies were surprisingly not too fishy, but the spring rolls surprisingly were.
In conclusion– I really wanna root for this place, it just needs a couple changes.

Phuc no…
My experience here was so bad I actually walked away laughing at the series of unfortunate events that progressed throughout dinner.
Visited Phuc Yea at around 9pm on a Friday night, excited to try this Vietnamese pop-​up restaurant, only around for 3 months. I rarely have a chance to have Vietnamese food, so we were definitely pumped.
Overall:
They just opened a week ago and I hope a lot of these things below can be improved quickly during their short time here. Waiting time was slow. Food serving was slow. Dishes kept selling out. Food itself was unexciting.
—
Arrival:
Waited around a solid 30 min before being seated. Worked up a hearty appetite in the meanwhile.
Ordering:
They serve no booze and you can’t BYOB, which was a momentary cause for concern for my group, but not a deal breaker. At ordering time, 3 items were no longer available. Seeing as the menu is pretty small, all these things were disappointing, but no biggie.
Food Time:
— I ordered the Oodles of Noodles which should actually be called Not Many Noodles. One of the puniest meals I’ve had, especially one with such a big name. Nothing to note about this dish whatsoever.
— Also ordered the Bahn Mi which left much to be desired. I’ve had legit Bahn Mi in Toronto and this was nowhere near that standard. It was plain tasting (and I can certainly appreciate plain food), but I seriously had to dip that thing in a ton Sriracha for it to be anywhere near tasty. Once I did that, it became pretty epic.
— For dessert, we had the condensed milk ice cream with Panther Coffee and Frosted Flakes. It was total stoner food, but probably the best thing we had all night. We also had the Tapioca dessert which was a-​ok.
— Our bill for two people came out to $ 16 not including tip or dessert (which was comped)
Where Things Went Wrong (er): Our dishes (for 5 people) came at erratically different times. OK, whatever. The last of our friends to be served (1 hour later) were told at the last minute that their dish was given to someone else by mistake and that it was the last one. Oooouuuch.
Patching Things Up:
The servers gladly noted this issue and attempted to correct by offering us some desserts and coffee which was a nice and appreciated gesture. Nothing worse than a restaurant that won’t own up to a crappy situation, so that earned them the extra star here.
Trapped:
Since we ended our dinner near closing time, the entrance to the building had been locked. We were taken down some seriously shady hallway and led outside the back of the restaurant where the trash is. I immediately saw myself completely unable to bring my parents here or something because they’d get really skeeved out.
I was really hoping for Phuc Yea to really deliver a delicious Vietnamese punch to my soul, but it fell unbelievably short, and other issues didn’t leave a good impression on myself or my fellow diners. I hope they can figure themselves out soon.

I wish I could share the enthusiasm that my fellow Unilocalers have for this place, but I’m not that easily impressed.
My first two dishes; the fresh spring rolls and oodles of noodles were not good. Negative stars apply here. Fresh? Not even close The roll was hard in spots, like it sat out too long uncovered. I should have complained but I let it pass, maybe the next dish will make up for it.
It didn’t.
The Oodles of Noodles looked alright, but it was really tiny, but I expected that because our waitress already gave us the breakdown.
What I didn’t expect was the shrimp. It was not listed as an ingredient on the menu, and as followers of my other reviews will know, I AM ALLERGIC TO SHRIMP!
I’m not the only one to have an allergy to our bottom feeding crusteacean friend, it’s extremely common. Since this was also the dried variety, it made the whole dish fishy. Not good.
I did complain about this, I just hope it doesn’t fall upon deaf ears.
Things improved with the next dish, a potato roll version of Bahn Mi.
Again, it was small, but was tasty.
I know it was a loose interpretation of the sandwich I have come to love, but I had to point out that the main focus of a good Bahn Mi is the crispy on the outside and soft on the inside baguette.
A potato roll is the anthesis of this, but finding a good baguette that doesn’t go stale in a day is not easy in Miami.
The final entrée, the riblets, were very enjoyable.
Not a whole lot on the plate but was good enough to forgive the bad spring rolls.
Desert was the highlight of the meal.
A «vietnamese» take on the Italian Afragatto, which I’ve never had before, was simply awesome.
The condense milk ice cream on it’s own was amazing, the coffee and frosted flakes added to the amazement.
Very good desert, well worth the $ 5
As for the rest, well, I think I’ll continue to make Bahn Mi at home.

Something wicked this way comes…
Dangerously delicious and so packed with flavor and creativity it breaks my heart to think it isn’t permanent. Dinner at Phuc Yea left me wanting to take up permanent residence in this amazing little pop-​up. The ambiance is nothing to write home about, but really, if the food is good, or in the cause of Phuc Yea, stellar, who really cares?
Luckily for me my dining companion had already tried most of the menu, so trusting him to take the lead meant some pretty exceptional choices. The lil’ fishies with salt n peppa were the first offering and could not have been more incredible. Pretty fried slivers of what looks like Conestoga wagon style wheels (actually daikon), and a mountain of whole miniature fish. Surprisingly though the taste was not at all fishy like I had feared, it was like a more unique flavored crispy chip with a delicate inner flesh. Furthermore, it balanced especially well with the light lemon aioli. Visually a little disconcerting at first, the flavor is well worth it if you’re up to the challenge!
The pork riblets were another huge success, as the meat was so tender and flavorful. I’m not sure there is any dainty way to eat them, but they are juicy, cooked to perfection and a mouthful of carnivorous heaven. The crispy pig ear salad with watermelon was a zen-​like balance of crispy bacon-​like strips (with the occasional extra texture of cartilage, which tastes far better then it sounds) and the crunchy freshness of the watermelon. Watermelon and feta salad is so over as far as I’m concerned, but please, bring on the pig ears! The sweet and sour chicharonnes too made for another phenomenal twist on the classic dish. Crispy, chewy, it was a pork lovers dream, in a very light and not too overpowering sauce. Another bonus point for using fresh pineapple instead of the usual sub-​par cubes that seem like the chef just opened a can of Dole.
Next up, was one of the entrée dishes, a tender duck marinated in a lovely plum sauce with pieces of lettuce to make your own wraps. I pretty much am always a fan of the crispness of fresh lettuce as the vessel for some filling, but the duck was an extra satisfying choice. Since it was also great on it’s own, it worked either way.
Finally, just when I was ready to collapse in foodie bliss, I made room to try the tapioca pudding dessert, complete with peanut brittle bits for extra crunch. WOW! What a satisfying and perfect finish to an already exceptional meal!
I’ve always enjoyed Vietnamese food but they really elevated the cuisine to another level. I can’t wait to return and to sample some of the other delectable choices, and if you haven’t been yet, you really should go now. Phuc Yea, it’s a meal you won’t soon forget!

FOOK YAY! This pop-​up restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside — in fact, similar to some other downtown Miami holes-​in-​the-​wall, it looks like nothing, save for a sign out on the sidewalk directing the intrepid diner into some nondescript building. Once inside, you see an open kitchen at the end of the corridor, and a few tables lining its walls. This is Phuc Yea — probably as punk-​rock a fine dining establishment as they come in the Miami dining scene. The brainchild of animé-​cartoon alter egos Cee Roks, LuLu Bangs, and BoBo-​T, Phuc Yea brings to my mind a culinary equivalent of the band Gorillaz.
To the uninitiated, all of this might sound somewhat gimmicky, but Phuc Yea backs it up with fresh, riotously flavorful Vietnamese cuisine. Old fans of the Blue Piano may recognize Cee Roks’ famous chicharrones plate, incarnating anew here, with its crispy pork rinds now dressed up in pungent, sweet and tart Viet duds.
Crispy pig ear salad marries crunchy, chewy pig ears with watermelon and chilies, leading me to believe that dishes of all stripes could be improved with the addition of watermelon cubes.
Lil fishies salt ‘n peppa style was another favorite of mine, with a mound of light-​fried smelt minnows resting in a thin layer of aioli among a sprinkling of lotus chips and chili slices. I know it might seem disconcerting to some to crunch on whole little fish that look like bait, head and all, but don’t knock them until you try them.
Pork riblets were outstanding, the meat so juicy and perfectly caramelized — this plate might be my «order three, hell, order four of them» recommendation.
For dessert, we tried what tasted like an tapioca dish sprinkled with Frosted Flakes with condensed milk ice cream; I don’t remember what it was called. No matter, it had a robust earthy-​vanilla tapioca flavor we all enjoyed. Pouring Vietnamese coffee (made with Panther Coffee) over it amped up the flavors even more, making for an incredible finish to our meal.
Speaking of amping up the flavors, at each table, there will be found sauces — Sriracha, fish sauce (better than most you can buy at the supermarket), and a odd-​looking jar of wildly pungent hot, vinegary sauce that smells like a nuclear explosion. Use these sauces. Use them on everything. Go ahead! Pour some more nuoc mam on it, because it makes pretty much everything even better! Well, check that, don’t use them on the dessert, of course.
Phuc Yea was BYOB, a condition of affairs that our party took full advantage of, marrying the flavorful food with saisons, IPAs and brown ales of every persuasion, but there will be beer and wine on offer in the near future, so that has ended.
File under: «A Welcome Addition to Downtown Miami.»

fuck yeah bro, i made it out to phuc yea the other night for an early dinner before going to see manu chao. about their location mmm its definitely different but it feels nice. pop-​up restaurant. its small but cozy, besides the music was good. from cypress hill to the cure!
few things on the menu that i would love to try, the crispy duck confit and the char sui pork. i actually had the imperial rolls. very good, nice and crispy, comes with a sweet dipping sauce and theres sriracha on the table as well other hot sauces. i also had the caramelized pork riblets. those were awesome too! i wish they had some rice, sticky rice maybe?
the dishes here are more like tapas i guess but its byob so its good. they are brand new and the night i was there they were very busy but things seemed to be flowing smooth. my meal was great, the service was very attentive and i wanna eat every single thing on their menu so im going to have to come back and bring some friends!