6
Pho Thanh Huong Restaurant
Ichiza’s deep-fried spicy chicken
A godsend for the University District, Pho Thanh Huong is Vietnamese for “OMG, that hit the spot” (we think). The grilled chicken banh mi ($2.75) is the usual French roll filled with shredded meat and veggies, but great for the price and a little spicy with extra peppers. A small iced coffee with milk ($3.23) and small pho khong (rice noodle soup, ($4.49) won’t break a student-sized budget, but service can be spotty. (MA)
1131 E. Tropicana Ave, Suite. D, 739-8703
7
Retro Bakery
25 $5
UNDER
Cupcakes are super-trendy, but not to Retro’s bakers. Cupcakes are deadly serious here, and the flavor explosion from just one of these crazy-moist, buttercream-mountaintopped beauties ($2.65 each) might be too much for a Retro rookie to handle. Break yourself in with the signature Hop Scotch, vanilla dipped in butterscotch ganache, and work your way into extremes like Chocolate Covered Banana and Peanut Butter Cup. (BR) 7785 N. Durango Drive #130, 586-3740
8
Super Mex
It’s Mexican, it’s open 24 hours, and it’s not Roberto’s, which means you can feast late-night minus the mating cries of drunken frat mooks. Super’s 24/7 value menu has a glut of $4.99 deals. The best: the Super Burrito or the taco salad with shredded chicken. Stuff yourself, share or doggie bag ’em. (AK) 3460 E. Sunset Road, 436-5200; 6450 S. Durango Road, 312-8000
42
Desert Companion
9 Ichiza You don’t need a fat wallet to eat at Ichiza, but you do need a strong finger — ’cause you’ll be pointing manically at the walls of this clamorous Japanese beerhall, ordering from the hand-scrawled fliers that hype everything from wasabi octopus to fried crab rolls to seaweed salads — many under $5. On the menu, the $4.50 half-bowl of ramen is a surefire drunkbanisher, and the chefs will cheerfully skewer pretty much any kind of meat on a stick for $1.50. (AK) 4355 Spring Mountain Road, 367-3151