Wyoming
Eating Wyoming: Casper's Pho Saigon Has Loyal Following For Its…
CASPER — Customers say the little family restaurant on the corner of East 12th and South Beverly streets may be nearly 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but serves up some seriously legit pho, or rice noodle soup.
Just ask Anna Tran who, with companion Jim Thompson, were checking out Pho Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant for the first time on a recent afternoon.
“I usually don’t like to go out for pho. I think most restaurants don’t make it very well, and so far this is excellent. I say that truthfully,” said Tran, who recently moved to Casper. “I usually don’t like to order pho when I go out to Vietnamese restaurants.”
“And she was born in Vietnam,” Thompson interjected. “Her parents only speak Vietnamese, that’s what they cook at home a lot. She is very familiar with this.”
The small, 10-table eatery in the Beverly Plaza offers traditional Vietnamese fare from a family that arrived in Wyoming from Vietnam in 2003.
Manager Hieu Le, the only family member who speaks English, said staff includes his father, mother and his wife, Thuy.
They’ve been serving up their family recipes since Jan. 1, 2014, Le said.
Pho Specialty
The specialty is the pho, pronounced as fuh, soup with bone broth, rice noodles and thin slices of meat. It’s garnished with spices, fresh herbs, onions, while bean sprouts, lime, hot peppers and various hot sauces that can be added for taste.
Le and most others in the culinary industry believe the dish began in Saigon, but its true origin isn’t known for sure.
Pho Saigon offers six varieties of the soup that, depending on the selection, includes either rare steak, meatballs, chicken, shrimp or a combination. The soup is served in a big bowl steamy hot with plenty of long rice noodles. A large spoon, chopsticks and fork are the utensils needed to conquer it.
Kisa King, visiting Casper from Oklahoma, uses chopsticks.
She said whenever she visits the Oil City she always goes to the restaurant.
“It’s the best food, it has the best flavor,” she said. “Other places I’ve tried in Oklahoma are no match for it. My favorite is … the meatball pho and the spring rolls.”
The spring rolls come in rice paper with lettuce, shrimp, and “a really good peanut sauce,” she said.
Her companion, Daniel Groom, characterized the food as “good” and “something different than burgers and quesadillas.”
Le said in addition to the menu, which lists the restaurant’s dishes in Vietnamese names, he created a companion photo book that shows each dish, so people know exactly what they are ordering.
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Anna Tran and Jim Thompson were checking out Pho Saigon for the first time. Tran said the pho soup was “legit” and the broth better than what she can make. She grew up in a Vietnamese family. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) -
Cowboy State Daily recently tried the Pho Ga dish at Pho Saigon. The pho soups come with hot broth seasoned with spices and herbs filled with rice noodles and a side of bean sprouts, lime and hot peppers that can be added to the soup as desired. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) -
Emma Plett and Nate Holloway ordered takeout from Pho Saigon. Hollway, of Laramie, said he always tries to stop at the restaurant when he is in town. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) -
Pho Saigon has seating for just more than 20 people with individual tables. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) -
Pho Saigon Manager Hieu Le said in his spare time he likes to make clay figurines and create paintings. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) -
Pho Saigon Manager Hieu Le has painted all of the poster-like artwork that covers the walls at Pho Saigon. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Egg Rolls, Rice Noodle Bowls And More
In addition to the pho, the restaurant offers egg rolls, a selection of rice noodle bowls with different meat and vegetable selections such as bun tom, a dish that includes noodles, shrimp, vegetables and a lime chili fish sauce.
There are also five lo mein dishes with stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and one’s selection of meat. The menu also includes five different rice platters such as com suon dai han, rice and barbecued beef with vegetables in their version.
Laramie’s Nate Holloway was visiting Casper with his girlfriend, Emma Plett, and ordered some takeout.
“I usually go for lo mein, it’s a stir-fried soft noodle with veggies and whatever meat you like,” he said. “This is actually the first Vietnamese restaurant I came to when I was younger and lived in town.”
In addition to the food, the drink menu includes a variety of milk teas and tasty fruit flavored ice teas.
Le said from time to time the restaurant will offer specials that he advertises on Facebook.
Cowboy State Daily’s visit included a big bowl of pho with chicken and some peach iced tea.
Core Following
After 10 years in business, Le said the restaurant has developed a relationship with a core group of customers. A family atmosphere is the goal.
“They have supported us. And sometimes we take care of them, too,” he said. “It’s not about the money we want from customer, we want them to have a good time here and know that it’s a place that feels like home.”
The restaurant interior includes colorful plastic plants that resemble the plants and fruit that can be found in Southeast Asia. On the walls are distinctive poster-sized paintings Le has created in his off time. He also has several hand-crafted clay figurines he makes for sale.
“When I am not working, that is my hobby,” he said. “I didn’t take any art classes, that is just me and me alone.”
The family was able to make their way to Casper thanks to an aunt who married a World War II veteran stationed in Vietnam during that war. She came to the country in the early 1950s.
In Vietnam, Le said his family moved from place to place until they, like many other immigrants, came to America for a better life.
“Over there the poverty is really bad. You eat what you make,” he said.
Le said his mother and father generally run the restaurant’s kitchen and his wife helps as a waitress. He fills in and does whatever is needed. They make enough for a living, but not enough quite yet to hire help.
They just continue to trust the restaurant for their future.
Pho Saigon is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“It’s all about having a good time, have a good meal, you come happy and you leave happy,” Le said.
Contact Dale Killingbeck at dale@cowboystatedaily.com
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Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Jayesh Patil via Google) -
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Kyle Green via Google) -
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Joshua Baughcum via Google) -
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (John Hettgar via Google) -
Casper may be 8,200 miles from Vietnam, but Pho Saigon is as legit as it gets. (Pho Saigon via Facebook) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Grace Woolfolk via Google) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Daniel Garcia via Google) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Brian Bassett via Google) -
Customers rave about the authentic food at Pho Saigon in Casper, Wyoming. (Aaron Kaylor via Google)
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
The expansion would open the spigot for 550,000 barrels per day of crude, the company says. Although the crude would mostly pass through eastern Wyoming, the venture opens opportunities for Wyoming oil producers in the region for more transportation access to U.S. refineries and shipping ports, according to Bridger and local industry officials.“It would be the biggest project in our history, if it comes to fruition,” Bridger Pipeline spokesperson Bill Salvin told WyoFile on Friday. “We are, however, in the really early stages of the project. But we’re very excited about it.”Industry trade groups speculate the Bridger Pipeline Expansion is part of a competitive scramble to fill a gap left by TC Energy’s Keystone XL project. That company, in 2021, abandoned the controversial project in the face of major opposition and protests. It would have transported Canadian tar-sands oil into the U.S. market via a route extending through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Among many challenges for Keystone XL was acquiring new rights-of-way easements. Though the Bridger Pipeline Expansion proposal requires some new rights-of-way, that’s not the case for the 210-mile Wyoming segment, according to Salvin.“All of that distance is within, or parallel to, existing pipeline corridors,” Salvin said.
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The Wyoming segment would pass through Crook, Weston, Niobrara, Goshen and Platte counties.Bridger Pipeline, a subsidiary of Casper-based True Companies, submitted a notice of intent to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in January and noted it will formally initiate environmental applications to the agency. Salvin told WyoFile he’s uncertain about the full spectrum of regulatory requirements in Wyoming.However, the company regards the Cowboy State as a great fit for the project, he said. “This [project proposal] just highlights how important the region is and how Wyoming is a very good place for energy projects like this.”Reached for comment, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming said the proposed pipeline only stands to benefit Wyoming producers and the state.“Investments like these, along with continued growth in areas like the Powder River Basin, show Wyoming will continue to play an important role in the nation’s energy markets,” PAW Vice President and Director of Communications Ryan McConnaughey told WyoFile. “Connecting in Guernsey allows product to be transported to refining hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma.” WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
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LARAMIE — Nasir Meyer converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining to give Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball the lead for good, and Wyoming held Air Force Falcons men’s basketball scoreless over the final two minutes to secure a 66-62 victory Saturday night.
The win marked the 13th home victory of the season for Wyoming, which improved to 16-13 overall and 7-11 in conference play.
“Air Force deserves all the credit and let’s talk about a team that has every reason not to fight, but thats why they are Air Force and the cadets and I have a lot of respect for them,” Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said. “They were not going to quit, and I didn’t drive that message home enough and hats off to Air Force because they deserved to win. We snuck away with a win. Adam Harakow showed when we need him and he was massive for us. Simm-Marten was made big plays and Naz was clutch for us late.”
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Wyoming shot 35% from the field and went 7 of 28 from 3-point range, making just two from beyond the arc in the second half. Air Force shot 49% overall and 44% from 3, hitting eight shots from long distance. The Cowboys made 13 of 16 free throws (81%) and scored 22 points off 15 Air Force turnovers while holding a 39-36 edge in rebounding.
Damarion Dennis led Wyoming with 16 points and three assists, going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Meyer finished with 14 points and tied a career best with eight rebounds. Adam Harakow added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, his first double-figure scoring game since the first meeting with Air Force. Simm-Marten Saadi had nine points in 13 minutes, and Kiani Saxon grabbed seven rebounds.
Air Force opened with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 6-0 lead. Meyer scored Wyoming’s first basket, and Leland Walker added a 3-pointer to make it 8-5 with 16 minutes left in the first half.
Wyoming responded with a 9-0 run over nearly four minutes, with Saadi and Harakow each connecting from beyond the arc to give the Cowboys an 11-8 lead with under 14 minutes remaining. Air Force regained a 12-11 advantage as Wyoming went scoreless for more than two minutes.
Harakow’s second 3-pointer pushed the lead to 22-16 with nine minutes left in the half, and Wyoming used a 6-0 run while holding the Falcons without a field goal for more than four minutes to build a 28-18 lead with six minutes remaining. The Cowboys closed the half on a defensive stand, keeping Air Force scoreless for the final two minutes to take a 35-25 lead into the break. Wyoming scored 15 first-half points off turnovers.
The teams traded 3-pointers early in the second half, and Air Force cut the deficit to 40-31 with under 17 minutes left before trimming it to seven 90 seconds later. Walker answered with a 3-pointer to make it 43-33 with 15 minutes to go.
Air Force used a 9-0 run during a stretch in which Wyoming went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point to pull within one with nine minutes left. The Falcons later tied the game at 51-51 with 5:30 remaining after forcing six straight missed shots.
A pair of free throws by Meyer and a basket from Saadi gave Wyoming a 57-53 lead with under four minutes to play. Air Force answered with three consecutive 3-pointers from Kam Sanders to take a 62-59 lead with two minutes left.
Meyer scored with 90 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. On the next trip, he converted an and-one to give Wyoming a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left. The Cowboys added late free throws to close out the 66-62 win.
Sanders led Air Force with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Eli Robinson added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Wyoming closes its home schedule Tuesday against Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball at 8 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Cowgirls.
The 2-time defending champ Tongue River girls, along with both teams from Big Horn will represent Sheridan County in the small school version of March Madness.
Click here to see results from the regional tournaments.
2A Boys:
First Round:
Thursday, March 5th: (All games played at Casper College)
(#2E) Big Horn vs. (#3W) Shoshoni – Noon
(#1W) Thermopolis vs. (#4E) Sundance – 1:30pm
(#2W) Wyoming Indian vs. (#3E) Wright – 6:30pm
(#1E) Pine Bluffs vs. (#4W) Rocky Mountain – 8pm
Friday, March 6th: (All games played at Ford Wyoming Center)
Consolation Round:
Big Horn/Shoshoni loser vs. Thermopolis/Sundance loser – Noon LOSER OUT!
Wyoming Indian/Wright loser vs. Pine Bluffs/Rocky Mountain loser – 1:30pm LOSER OUT!
Semi-Finals:
Big Horn/Shoshoni winner vs. Thermopolis/Sundance winner – 6:30pm
Wyoming Indian/Wright winner vs. Pine Bluffs/Rocky Mountain winner – 8pm
Saturday, March 7th:
Friday Noon winner vs. Friday 1:30pm – Noon at Ford Wyoming Center Consolation Championship
Friday 6:30pm loser vs. Friday 8pm loser – 3pm at Natrona County High School 3rd Place
Friday 6:30pm winner vs. Friday 8pm winner – 7pm at Ford Wyoming Center Championship
2A Girls:
First Round:
Thursday, March 5th: (All games played at Casper College)
(#2W) Wyoming Indian vs. (#3E) Big Horn – 9am
(#1E) Sundance vs. (#4W) Shoshoni – 10:30am
(#2E) Tongue River vs. (#3W) Greybull – 3:30pm
(#1W) Thermopolis vs. (#4E) Pine Bluffs – 5pm
Friday, March 6th: (All games played at Ford Wyoming Center)
Consolation Round:
Wyoming Indian/Big Horn loser vs. Sundance/Shoshoni loser – 9am LOSER OUT!
Tongue River/Greybull loser vs. Thermopolis/Pine Bluffs loser – 10:30am LOSER OUT!
Semi-Finals:
Wyoming Indian/Big Horn winner vs. Sundance/Shoshoni winner – 3:30pm
Tongue River/Greybull loser vs. Thermopolis/Pine Bluffs loser – 5pm
Saturday, March 7th:
Friday 9am winner vs. Friday 10:30am winner – 9am at Ford Wyoming Center Consolation Championship
Friday 3:30pm loser vs. Friday 5pm loser – 10:30am at Ford Wyoming Center 3rd Place
Friday 3:30pm winner vs. Friday 5pm winner – 5:30pm at Ford Wyoming Center Championship
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