Quick Bites: New pho fusion spot opens, a favorite closes—and much more.

The melting pot that is Marina has a new spot for steaming bowls of pho.

Vietnamese fare headlines the diverse menu of fun and creative pan-Asian items befitting the name, Pho Fusian.

Weekly contributor Ivan Garcia just scouted it out at 330 Reservation Road, where the soft opening is underway.

The options include soups like the roasted tri-tip pho and the egg noodle soup ($8.95/regular; $10.50/large), Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches like the ham and pâté ($4), rice plates including salmon curry ($13.95), and even Vietnamese savory crepes ($17.50).

A selection of sushi ranges from the shrimp tempura-stuffed Marina roll ($12) to the deep-fried Philadelphia roll ($13.95).

Seafood boils are served Friday and Saturday nights, delivering a feast of shrimp and crawfish served with corn and sausage (market price).

On the sweeter side of this diverse menu are bubble teas ($4.75), fried bananas ($5.25) and the "rainbow dessert": a dynamic mixture of red beans, jelly-like agar, and sweetened coconut cream ($4.95).

Hours are 11am-8pm daily, except Tuesday.

More food news nibbles continue from there:

• Oldtown Salinas community institution Yangtse's Taste of Thai closed temporarily when its chef had triple bypass surgery. It was scheduled to reopen March 10, but it remains shuttered—and a new sign on the door indicates it will be closed indefinitely.

• The Beach Cafe at Monterey Tides gets its reintroduction as Vizcaíno Waterfront Food + Drink next week with a private media event March 21. Then the new oceanfront fourth-floor restaurant opens with new menus for brunch, lunch and dinner daily, to the public, on Wednesday, March 22. Check the blog for details and more tomorrow.

• Division I beach volleyball spikes and digs at Window on the Bay in Monterey Friday-Saturday, March 17-18 with UCLA among the six schools competing. More on the blog.

• It's official: Tanja Roos of MEarth is a badass. Disclosure: I've known that, and her, for years, but fortunately now Organic Authority is catching on, including her in its recent piece "These 61 Badass Disruptors Are Changing Your Food System."

• St. Patrick's Day hits on a Friday for the first time in years (March 17). Brace yourself.

• The Covey Bar & Deck (624-2888) has soft-opened at Quail Lodge with Exec Chef Brian Kearns' duck-fat fries, fried chicken and waffles, smoked cheddar-beef sliders, plus sassy cocktails and a strong wine selection, overlooking the lagoon. More on the blog tomorrow.

• Far West Fungi at 1186 Trafton Road in Moss Landing hosts an open house noon-4pm Sunday, March 19, providing a peek into California’s largest family-run mushroom farm—including a look at compost prep, incubation chambers and growing rooms—complete with a grilled mushroom tasting and potluck.

• The Friends of Carmel Public Library gets all foodie with a live cooking demonstration and panel discussion May 17 at Sunset Center (620-2048) with celebrity chefs Nancy Silverton and Evan Kleiman plus food writer Ruth Reichl. The evening includes hors d'oeuvres and advanced book signing ($175).

• In other CPL news, on 7pm Wednesday, March 29, it hosts Community Night at the Library—at Carpenter Hall in Sunset Center—with The History of Winemaking in Monterey County with speakers Marta Kaftzeck, wine-maker and wine educator, Dan Lee of Morgan Winery, Kurt Gollnick of Scheid Vineyards and Steve McIntyre of McIntyre Vineyards. 

• The restaurant community continues to mourn the passing of ebullient Andre Lengacher to cancer at age 69. A remembrance will appear on the blog later today.

• London-trained Chef Tony Baker of Montrio Bistro (648-8880) speaks at the Carmel Woman's Club on 2-4pm Monday, about sustainable practices and his signature British-style bacon ($10/nonmembers).