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We haven't been here in years but it's still delicious as last time. The service is friendly and we were immediately seated and placed our order. I ordered the "House Special " which is basically all meat and tripe also vegetables with a delicious broth. The place was busy since it was dinner time but our meal arrived quickly. The portion was generous and I ended up bringing some home to eat latet.
Pretty delicious pho for this area. I highly recommend asking for the beef on the side so it doesn't get overcooked in the soup when they bring it out. The service is fast and the restaurant is pretty massive and spacious. The broth is flavorful and very cozy. With so many good pho places in the south bay, this is a great option when you're not in the south bay!
Ao Sen is probably my favorite pho/Vietnamese spot in the East Bay. I've been coming here since college and the service and quality of food has not changed. They have renovated the restaurant so it looks more modern with ample seating. We ordered 2 rice plates and 2 phos and both portions were generous and tasty. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area!
The food was fine, a little on the salty side, but I was thrown off by the color since I've never had a Bun Bo Hue that wasn't entirely red. That said, the broth was salty but not that strong at the same time. I am very particular with my Vietnamese food so take this with a grain of salt. My friends did like their orders tho! The staff were friendly, service was quick with no wait, and there's plenty of seating. It's a nice little hidden gem in Albany, and I'd definitely come back to explore more of their menu.
If you're looking for traditional pho flavors, this is the spot! I've been coming here for over 5 years and have never left disappointed. I recently tried the fried egg rolls for the first time--10/10 TASTY! My go-to is the chicken pho, especially when I'm feeling under the weather. It's comforting, flavorful, and always hits the spot. The service here is top-tier--friendly, respectful, and consistent. The vibe is chill and casual, perfect for showing up in comfy clothes and enjoying some comfort food. Pro tip: Ask for their free hot jasmine tea Taste: 8/10 Service: 10/10 Portion Size: 10/10 Happy? Absolutely
Came back and tried their bun bo hue. It's the first time seeing this light of a color; bun bo hue are usually pretty red. Flavorwise I got a lot of the lemongrass flavor but I felt the overall flavors was a bit lacking. There wasn't a whole lot of proteins either. I'd say it's still pretty serviceable. In fact it's actually pretty good for the area.
It was cold and rainy, so soup was on our mind! I suggested we get pho and try Ao Sen. Both my friend and I had never been, despite living close, so we're excited to try it. We arrived on a weekday evening for dinner. The parking lot was busy, but the restaurant not so much. We were seated immediately and our order was taken relatively fast. The layout is quite spacious with lots of booth seats plus some smaller tables. Service was fine, your items were delivered and water refilled but you weren't checked on, it's self-service with the condiments and utensils on the table. I had the Pho Ga and my friend had the Seafood Noodle Soup. My pho had a light and clear broth. The chicken was fine but not tender, a bit tough. The noodles were okay but I found them to be short as if they were cut. The toppings were okay but they didn't give much. This area doesn't have many pho-specific restaurants, but I'd say it's decent if you're living nearby. The restaurant is located off San Pablo with a shared parking lot plus street parking. Glad we could try a new spot!
I can't believe after living in El Cerrito so long we finally visited Ao Sen over the break. What a huge space, and quite crowded for a Sunday afternoon. Service was quick and efficient, love that the staff brings out all meals on a cart. We ordered Vietnamese Egg Nog after glancing at the menu and wanted to experience/try something new. Tasted similar to an East Coast Egg cream, love the Perrier soda water add on. Essentially it's egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, and soda water. Probably wouldn't order again, but hey, there's a first for everything. Also ordered Vietnamese Iced Coffee, egg rolls, chicken noodle soup, and a beef pho. For the chicken noodle soup I subbed egg noodles for an additional couple bucks and that was the winning ticket. Mixed with the broth, pulled white meat chicken, and a little hot sauce/hoisin, it was super yummy. My husband enjoyed his bowl and thought the meat was juicy/hearty. The chicken noodle soup was in my opinion the perfect fixture to feeling a bit under the weather ~ clean, simple, easy. My only qualms were that the egg rolls, although packed with flavor and all the pork/shrimp ground yumminess, were a bit excessively greasy (the kind of greasy where ya have to actually wipe your fingers on the napkin). Flavor was still there and maybe it was just our batch, but would try this spot again in future if we're feeling a pho trip, fasho :) I did love that they were playing Get Hard with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, and the small koi pond/waterfall next to the TV. Plenty of parking in back/street parking, reasonable price points, and located next to Ocean View if wanting a fun local brew stop before/after.
Delicious food and big restaurant interior almost like a diner with plenty of seating and a parking lot outside. Extremely fast service with attentive waiters. Never had pho in a metal bowl before. It's simple and easy to eat from.
Such a beautiful restaurant, with a large capacity to hold a bunch of people. They have a gorgeous wall of tropical plants like Monstera, Pothos, snake plants, etc. it was wonderful to admire the plants while waiting for the food. The service was pleasant, just not the fastest I've experienced. Not too slow, just a little noticeable that we were waiting for a while, but we went during a slow time so I'm sure they didn't have as many workers as normal. I got the rare steak pho, and it was great! This is actually my second time coming so it's definitely good enough to go back to. Great ratio of meat, white onion, and noodles. I didn't feel like it was lacking in anything. the broth was strong and flavorful, and the meat quality was good! Didn't seem like it had freezer burn or anything.
My friends and I stopped by for dinner on a Sunday evening about an hour before they closed and the restaurant was pretty busy. We were promptly seated and our orders were taken shortly afterwards. Very attentive service. I ordered the extra large pho with a side of beef balls to share with my wife. While the bowl was large, I would recommend adding an extra side of noodles and meat if you plan on splitting. The key thing I'm looking for in a good pho broth is depth of flavor: the broth should have a bit of sweetness to balance the deep, savory beef base. While food was delivered quickly to our table, unfortunately, the bowl of pho fell short of my expectations. The broth was a little on the bland side and my noodles arrived overcooked, resulting in them being soggier than I normally prefer for pho noodles. One thing that helped out with the blandness of the broth was the house-made lemongrass chili sauce. This sauce had the consistency of XO sauce that you'd typically find at Chinese hotpot spots. The lemongrass flavor is bold and the sauce has a good amount of spice: it doesn't linger for too long, nor does it completely numb your palette to the point that you can't taste any other flavors. I would definitely recommend trying out the sauce on whatever you end up ordering. While the bowl of pho fell short, I felt like the grilled pork spring rolls were really good. I enjoyed how well the pork was seasoned and it had a nice bouncy texture to contrast the crunchiness of the fried wonton crisp and the fresh veggies. I owe it to Ao Sen to stop by again to try the pho when it's not an hour before closing. I suspect there's a possibility that because it was the end of the night, the chefs needed to stretch the remaining batch of the prepared pho broth to serve the last diners of the evening, resulting it it being more bland than usual. 3.5 rounding up to a 4.
Came around 12pm on a Monday and was sat pretty quickly. The place is really big, lots of seating! There is a parking lot on the side. I got pho and it hit the spot! Good solid flavors, overall a warm hearty meal for the cold weather. Not too salty and not bland, sits perfectly in the middle. My mom got the vermicelli with pork. There were many different textures and flavors that just blended so well. The noodles were soft, the meat was flavorful, and the veggies were crunchy. It also comes with 2 egg rolls which was good for sharing!
I was craving Asianfood and tried here.Service is very quick than expected.Ambiance is good. The interior is cute.
Likely the best Vietnamese restaurant in this area. Broth is very well flavored and carries every dish. Given the seal of approval by my Viet parents. Pho comes out quickly, and different dishes have different cuts of meat (I chose 12 with the brisket and round steak). You also get vegetables with your order (bean sprout, basil (eating it definitely changes the flavor of the food), and jalapeño). Would recommend the pho here. Servers were nice and took our orders quickly as well, and interior of restaurant is clean and decorated with plants. There's even a little goldfish pond. read more
3 months ago
Went here based on Google reviews since I was in the area and craving Vietnamese food. I believe the owners may be Vietnamese-Chinese, as the menu includes both languages. The pho was a bit off in terms of the broth-to-noodle ratio. I usually like to taste the broth first before getting a bite of everything, but as soon as I dipped my spoon in, I could already tell how many noodles were packed into the bowl. Once the noodles loosened up, there wasn't much soup left. The broth itself was darker, but not in the rich, deeply flavorful way. It tasted more like it had been seasoned heavily at the end with too much bouillon, fish sauce, or something similar, making it too salty without much aroma. The brisket was good, and I did enjoy the traditional toppings like tripe and tendon, but I probably wouldn't come back for the pho. The rice plate with lemongrass pork and shrimp was decent. I just wish there had been more scallion oil, and the salad didn't add much to the plate. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots would have gone a long way. read more
We haven't been here in years but it's still delicious as last time. The service is friendly and we were immediately seated and placed our order. I ordered the "House Special " which is basically all meat and tripe also vegetables with a delicious broth. The place was busy since it was dinner time but our meal arrived quickly. The portion was generous and I ended up bringing some home to eat latet. read more
Pretty delicious pho for this area. I highly recommend asking for the beef on the side so it doesn't get overcooked in the soup when they bring it out. The service is fast and the restaurant is pretty massive and spacious. The broth is flavorful and very cozy. With so many good pho places in the south bay, this is a great option when you're not in the south bay! read more
19 days ago
Ao Sen is probably my favorite pho/Vietnamese spot in the East Bay. I've been coming here since college and the service and quality of food has not changed. They have renovated the restaurant so it looks more modern with ample seating. We ordered 2 rice plates and 2 phos and both portions were generous and tasty. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area! read more
The food was fine, a little on the salty side, but I was thrown off by the color since I've never had a Bun Bo Hue that wasn't entirely red. That said, the broth was salty but not that strong at the same time. I am very particular with my Vietnamese food so take this with a grain of salt. My friends did like their orders tho! The staff were friendly, service was quick with no wait, and there's plenty of seating. It's a nice little hidden gem in Albany, and I'd definitely come back to explore more of their menu. read more
If you're looking for traditional pho flavors, this is the spot! I've been coming here for over 5 years and have never left disappointed. I recently tried the fried egg rolls for the first time--10/10 TASTY! My go-to is the chicken pho, especially when I'm feeling under the weather. It's comforting, flavorful, and always hits the spot. The service here is top-tier--friendly, respectful, and consistent. The vibe is chill and casual, perfect for showing up in comfy clothes and enjoying some comfort food. Pro tip: Ask for their free hot jasmine tea Taste: 8/10 Service: 10/10 Portion Size: 10/10 Happy? Absolutely read more
Came back and tried their bun bo hue. It's the first time seeing this light of a color; bun bo hue are usually pretty red. Flavorwise I got a lot of the lemongrass flavor but I felt the overall flavors was a bit lacking. There wasn't a whole lot of proteins either. I'd say it's still pretty serviceable. In fact it's actually pretty good for the area. read more
It was cold and rainy, so soup was on our mind! I suggested we get pho and try Ao Sen. Both my friend and I had never been, despite living close, so we're excited to try it. We arrived on a weekday evening for dinner. The parking lot was busy, but the restaurant not so much. We were seated immediately and our order was taken relatively fast. The layout is quite spacious with lots of booth seats plus some smaller tables. Service was fine, your items were delivered and water refilled but you weren't checked on, it's self-service with the condiments and utensils on the table. I had the Pho Ga and my friend had the Seafood Noodle Soup. My pho had a light and clear broth. The chicken was fine but not tender, a bit tough. The noodles were okay but I found them to be short as if they were cut. The toppings were okay but they didn't give much. This area doesn't have many pho-specific restaurants, but I'd say it's decent if you're living nearby. The restaurant is located off San Pablo with a shared parking lot plus street parking. Glad we could try a new spot! read more
I can't believe after living in El Cerrito so long we finally visited Ao Sen over the break. What a huge space, and quite crowded for a Sunday afternoon. Service was quick and efficient, love that the staff brings out all meals on a cart. We ordered Vietnamese Egg Nog after glancing at the menu and wanted to experience/try something new. Tasted similar to an East Coast Egg cream, love the Perrier soda water add on. Essentially it's egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, and soda water. Probably wouldn't order again, but hey, there's a first for everything. Also ordered Vietnamese Iced Coffee, egg rolls, chicken noodle soup, and a beef pho. For the chicken noodle soup I subbed egg noodles for an additional couple bucks and that was the winning ticket. Mixed with the broth, pulled white meat chicken, and a little hot sauce/hoisin, it was super yummy. My husband enjoyed his bowl and thought the meat was juicy/hearty. The chicken noodle soup was in my opinion the perfect fixture to feeling a bit under the weather ~ clean, simple, easy. My only qualms were that the egg rolls, although packed with flavor and all the pork/shrimp ground yumminess, were a bit excessively greasy (the kind of greasy where ya have to actually wipe your fingers on the napkin). Flavor was still there and maybe it was just our batch, but would try this spot again in future if we're feeling a pho trip, fasho :) I did love that they were playing Get Hard with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, and the small koi pond/waterfall next to the TV. Plenty of parking in back/street parking, reasonable price points, and located next to Ocean View if wanting a fun local brew stop before/after. read more
11 months ago
1 year ago
Delicious food and big restaurant interior almost like a diner with plenty of seating and a parking lot outside. Extremely fast service with attentive waiters. Never had pho in a metal bowl before. It's simple and easy to eat from. read more
Such a beautiful restaurant, with a large capacity to hold a bunch of people. They have a gorgeous wall of tropical plants like Monstera, Pothos, snake plants, etc. it was wonderful to admire the plants while waiting for the food. The service was pleasant, just not the fastest I've experienced. Not too slow, just a little noticeable that we were waiting for a while, but we went during a slow time so I'm sure they didn't have as many workers as normal. I got the rare steak pho, and it was great! This is actually my second time coming so it's definitely good enough to go back to. Great ratio of meat, white onion, and noodles. I didn't feel like it was lacking in anything. the broth was strong and flavorful, and the meat quality was good! Didn't seem like it had freezer burn or anything. read more
My friends and I stopped by for dinner on a Sunday evening about an hour before they closed and the restaurant was pretty busy. We were promptly seated and our orders were taken shortly afterwards. Very attentive service. I ordered the extra large pho with a side of beef balls to share with my wife. While the bowl was large, I would recommend adding an extra side of noodles and meat if you plan on splitting. The key thing I'm looking for in a good pho broth is depth of flavor: the broth should have a bit of sweetness to balance the deep, savory beef base. While food was delivered quickly to our table, unfortunately, the bowl of pho fell short of my expectations. The broth was a little on the bland side and my noodles arrived overcooked, resulting in them being soggier than I normally prefer for pho noodles. One thing that helped out with the blandness of the broth was the house-made lemongrass chili sauce. This sauce had the consistency of XO sauce that you'd typically find at Chinese hotpot spots. The lemongrass flavor is bold and the sauce has a good amount of spice: it doesn't linger for too long, nor does it completely numb your palette to the point that you can't taste any other flavors. I would definitely recommend trying out the sauce on whatever you end up ordering. While the bowl of pho fell short, I felt like the grilled pork spring rolls were really good. I enjoyed how well the pork was seasoned and it had a nice bouncy texture to contrast the crunchiness of the fried wonton crisp and the fresh veggies. I owe it to Ao Sen to stop by again to try the pho when it's not an hour before closing. I suspect there's a possibility that because it was the end of the night, the chefs needed to stretch the remaining batch of the prepared pho broth to serve the last diners of the evening, resulting it it being more bland than usual. 3.5 rounding up to a 4. read more
2 years ago
Came around 12pm on a Monday and was sat pretty quickly. The place is really big, lots of seating! There is a parking lot on the side. I got pho and it hit the spot! Good solid flavors, overall a warm hearty meal for the cold weather. Not too salty and not bland, sits perfectly in the middle. My mom got the vermicelli with pork. There were many different textures and flavors that just blended so well. The noodles were soft, the meat was flavorful, and the veggies were crunchy. It also comes with 2 egg rolls which was good for sharing! read more
8 months ago
I was craving Asianfood and tried here.Service is very quick than expected.Ambiance is good. The interior is cute. read more
2 months ago
2 years ago
The ambiance and service are a cut above most Pho and Vietnamese noodle cafes. It's a comfortable place and roomy. Their servers are very pleasant. The food wasn't as good as I was hoping. Not bad, but not outstanding. read more
I've been to the Oakland Pho Ao Sen and remember it being good so why not try their sister restaurant. For a group of 4 at 5:45 pm on a Friday evening there was no wait. Parking lot on the side and back that's connected to the Taco Bell. The service was fine and what you'd expect at most pho restaurants. As far as the pho, the #12 broth was lighter than usual in flavor. You do neeed to pay an extra $2 to upgrade regular to large bowl. If in the area and craving for pho, not a bad option. read more
9 months ago
9 months ago
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3 years ago
Very affordable and good quality pho! It's hard to find a good pho place that's under $15 near Berkeley, but my bowl was around $13 before tax and tip! The restaurant is large and has plenty of seats. It's not too busy either. read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
1.5/5 rounded up to 2 for the egg rolls and decent rare beef slices. Pho is bad. I was astonished to see that many reviews complimented the pho. Maybe I got a bad batch, but it tasted like powder flavored pho (you know like the instant pho in a cup?) The first flavor note, though, was that it tasted sweaty? I don't know how to describe it well, but it's that flavor that comes from cheap meat. Also, the broth was extremely salty, with barely any spice aftertastes. I couldn't taste any star anise, cinnamon, cloves, or anything else really! Usually, I feel refreshed after drinking the broth in pho, but after this meal, both my bf and I just kept chugging water all night because of how dry it made our mouths. - We both got Pho Tai (rare beef slices). Surprisingly, the rare beef slices were actually pretty good quality, and the noodles were cooked just right. It's just that broth- I don't know- something was just really off with it. My bf also got a side of meatballs $2.50. $12.95 Egg rolls were on point and this tasted freshly fried. Yummy meat filling. Mint leaves and lettuce were fresh as well. $8.95 Service is standard and efficient. It's a pretty large restaurant with tons of booths- not a ton of patrons on a weekday night, but they get a lot of takeout orders. Price is decent for the area, I just wish the pho broth was a lot better. Not sure if I'll be back, I have to try other Vietnamese places in the East Bay to compare, but of course, San Jose is where it's at for great Vietnamese food. read more
4 years ago
Took Moms here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. She was in the mood for soup as you know its been a lil chilly here in the bay area so we stopped in and grabbed lunch. Breakdown: I ordered the number #3 I believe. Moms ordered the rice plate with the short ribs. We had spring rolls for the table and we both had chai teas. The broth on the pho was traditional and it was very flavorful. Meat was tender and the rice noodles we perfect. Moms short ribs were also very flavorful. It was a big portion came with rice salad and soup. The spring rolls was also fresh and very good served with peanut sauce. Chai Tea was perfect not to sweet. I would come back here a million times over, Also food came out quick and it was busy in there. Sevice was good too. read more
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More info about Ao Sen
665 San Pablo Ave
Albany, CA 94706
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(510) 679-5000
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http://albanyaosen.com
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