If I had a single dollar for every occasion on which someone asked me to list my favorite Western New York restaurants, I would be a very wealthy woman. And while I don't mind attempting this feat, there are a few considerations that must be noted before undertaking such a task. Am I being asked as a test (as is the case more often than not) or out of a genuine need for a recommendation? Does the person inquiring have any allergies or dietary restrictions that should be taken into consideration? What sort of experience are they looking for? Plenty of people consider upscale restaurants a once or twice a year destination reserved for special occasions (which I think is short sighted), but handing anyone who regularly eats food from a drive-thru window a list of my favorite upscale places is likely to be a waste of my time and a surefire way to alienate them as friends or converts.

There are few places I will send anyone, regardless of income, background or food knowledge. One of them happens to be just far enough off the beaten path to be sure that those who can't appreciate it aren't likely to venture there, yet near a major thoroughfare allowing easy accessibility to anyone willing to veer off course, if even just for an afternoon. The same can be said for the food. It is authentic without being so unfamiliar and foreign that it strikes fear in the hearts of trepidatious diners, and its staff is friendly enough to set people at ease within just a few moments of arriving. It also happens to be responsible for some of the best Asian food in the area.

Fast Food 99 (a.k.a. Pho 99) is located on Bailey, just a block or two from Main Street. Specializing in Vietnamese and a few Japanese-style dishes, you won't find sushi here or little packets of glowing orange duck sauce. Some of you downtowners may recall their initial location on Court Street, also loved for its killer chow, but for quite a few years now this spot just behind UB's south campus has been the restaurant's sole location.

The establishment is casual, as is the service, but everyone is always courteous and friendly. At lunchtime the booths quickly fill with students and lots of medical folks in scrubs. Pho (pronounced fuh) is one of the many things this little eatery really excels at, and a number of varieties are available. I prefer the offering which features paper thin slices of beef, both cooked and raw. Certainly plenty of the restaurant's patrons enjoy pho year around, but I find it especially comforting in the winter time as well as a soothing remedy for any type of congestion, be it allergy or cold-based. Plus, the broth is super tasty and can be concocted, as any good pho, in a way that best suits the palate and personal preferences of any diner through the addition of various garnishes such as coriander, spring onions, bean sprouts, Thai basil and fresh lime (see lead image).

Sweet and easy to love teriyaki is also popular, and who can't find enjoyment in a simple vegetable spring roll served with vinegar-y peanut dipping sauce? Two of my current favorites (I rotate favorites at all of my 'go-to' restaurants, what can I say), are the vermicelli served with crispy egg rolls, fresh cilantro and julienned carrots and cucumbers. Also a real pleasure is the bbq pork served over broken rice and topped with a fresh fried egg. That dish beckons to me from the menu every time. There aren't 99 items on the menu, but it almost feels like it, and every meal I have ever had at 99 is tasty, fresh, remarkably affordable and consistently well prepared. Add an intensely sweet and strong iced Vietnamese coffee for dessert and I feel as though I have dined like a queen for a fee more befitting a pauper.

At least once a week I book a lunch meeting at 99, for me the value, quality, mood and efficiency of the staff make it an ideal setting for casual meetings, especially when the meeting focuses on the discussion of food and related subjects. I strongly suggest you add it to your list of regular haunts, I think you'll find yourself recommending it whenever anyone asks you to list your favorite Western New York restaurants.


Fast Food 99
3398 Bailey Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14215
(716) 836-6058