This is one of the biggest hidden gems in downtown Salem! Some of the best pho my family and I have ever had. The man that works and owns is the sweetest and brings an aura of family into his dishes. Order To go or sit in Just try this amazing Pho spot ! Definitely try the chicken lettuce wraps ! read more

I dislike leaving bad reviews, but this is well deserving of a bad review. The food was very small portions, other than the rice, and was a huge disappointment. The egg rolls were small. Very small. The Tso sauce tasted more like a sweet and sour teriyaki. This is the first Chinese food I have bought that hasn't provided several meals. The price for what you get is high, as these 2 items cost around $20. That didn't include good ol'fortune cookies, either. I ordered online, so unsure about the ambiance or the service. I will not order from here, again, and wish I never had in the first place. Sad. read more

Fresh Elements - General Tso chicken and rice - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

I'd give a zero. Ordered two Thai teas, the pork egg rolls, and chicken vermicelli to share. What a joke! Egg rolls said it came with five and we got four- and they are tiny and freezer burnt. Like two inches each. The vermicelli is 100% incorrect. It should have lettuce, mint, ground peanut, bean sprouts... instead it's hot noodles and over cooked chicken with white onions. Nothing else on it. We will never eat here again. read more

Fresh Elements - Egg Rolls - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salem, Oregon

See all

Very family friendly down to earth type of vibe and they greet you right away as you walk in . From the time we sat down we were greeted with a great smile a menu that was loaded with options to our delicious food arriving to our table under just about thirteen minutes give or take . And I tell with great smiles , great service and fantastic setting with the most tastiest curry soup that I've ever had I am definitely giving it a five star food , service and ambiance. Great people great place . Let's support our small business owners . Thank you very much for reading and enjoy . read more

See all

This place needs to be shut down. Their "ra ra ramen" ghost kitchen is a total sham operation. Uses fake pictures on delivery apps and charges premium prices but delivers absolutely atrocious product. Dry bbq pork, soggy yakisoba noodles, overcook hard-boiled egg, and watery broth that was way too sweet. No other veggies in the app picture were included (corn, rice cake, bamboo shoot, green onion, seaweed.) not even one "element" of the ramen was acceptable. And even though I only ate a tiny bit, I've been sick all night! read more

Fresh Elements - Gross raman! Not even one "element" of the raman was acceptable. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salem, Oregon

I entered like a stealth ninja and tumble-rolled onto the carpet. I can say that, because I'm Asian. Ok, so I'm not Vietnamese or Chinese or Thai but this establish serves all three on their menu and the pictures looked very promising! As I've mentioned in previous reviews, having grown up in a Japanese family and community, my expectations for Asian food are a bit high but, reasonably so. I ordered the rare beef pho and egg rolls and an iced Vietnamese Coffee with condensed milk. The egg rolls made me very sad. Maybe the oil temperature wasn't right or, I just don't know, but they looked shriveled somehow. They tasted pretty good but I didn't care for the bright sweet-sour sauce that came with it and doused it in sriracha instead. The pho broth was very tasty and the noodles cooked perfectly! This is a big deal to me because my greatest pho-king fear is to eat a mouthful of grainy pho noodles!! But that fear was allayed as it was perfect in every way. There was plum sauce, Thai basil leaves, bean sprouts, and lime to add in to season the pho. I could have used a slice or two of jalapeño but the pho was good enough to stand on its own. One of my lunch companions ordered Thai Noodle Soup and it was really good, flavored well with lemongrass and large shrimp. When I saw Beef Chow Funn on the menu, I had to try it because I haven't found a place in Salem that can make decent chow funn noodles yet and I am so happy to say that it is actually really good! I wasn't expecting to like it but I couldn't stop eating so that was a pretty good sign. This yummy restaurant is located on Center Street right across Rite Aid and next to T-Mobile. Tiny parking lot but there's usually a few spaces open whenever I pass by. Check them out if you're in the area. ps. The plum sauce is in the red ketchup bottles. (Apparently, everyone except me, or other people from Hawaii, knows this!) read more

See all

This place is a hidden little place downtown. It's kinda hard to get to it with traffic but it's worth it on a rainy day! My husband and I were feeling a little under the weather so we really needed some soup! My husband got the curry noodle soup, really had a kick to it and he ate every single bite. They give you quite a large bowl so you'll have plenty to take home. The broth was so warming and so many different flavors . I got the spicy noodle soup. It wasn't spicy for my taste at all so I added more hot oil that they have available at the table for you. Really goes great with everything there. I'm not to happy with how they keep the forks on the side in a container. But overall a good meal. Rated it a four because it was one kind man cooking all the food and serving the customers . read more

See all

Everything seems very fresh, the waiting time was around as expected, the staff seem very hard working, and the food smells nice. I have few complaints and I definitely recommend to others in the area. read more

Fresh Elements - Seafood Soup - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Absolutely the worst Asian restaurant food I have ever gotten served. $30 for Dan Dan noodles and potstickers was pretty outrageous, but we received bland deep fried gozas with no flavor. And got a container of a flavorless both and a styrofoam container of overcooked spaghetti with half a boiled egg. Not the Dan Dan Noodles I ordered and "potstickers" were trash. Don't bother with this place, expensive and can't be bothered to correctly prepare orders or season their food. Hard Pass. read more

Very good food! I got some pho delivered when I had COVID and it was very good. I highly recommend it!

They are using the name "The Noodle Star" on UberEats, but it is the same restaurant. As you can see, we hat they advertise to get your money is completely different from what you get. The food tasted disgusting. I took a bite of each item and stopped. The average cost of each of the pictured items was between $13 and $16. Complete rip off. After posting this on the Facebook group "Salem Eats", I learned from members of the group (one of whom shared a video of a roach on their potsticker they ordered from here) that this place is notorious for false advertisements. I will NEVER eat from here EVER again. This place needs to be shut down immediately! I wish I could give it zero stars. read more

See all

My husband and I were looking for some good pho and a place to dine in. We found both here :) The staff was welcoming and very friendly. The Beef Pho was delicious! It was exactly what we were looking for. The pho is not bland, it has all the right flavors. I couldn't get enough. Definitely come here for your pho fix. read more

Fresh Elements - #14 Beef Pho - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salem, Oregon

I love this place, been going there for years. Very happy they are still open. In fact, it's about time for a trip down there lol. Not sure whats going on with the haters, having pretty much any food delivered is a crap shoot at best. Never as good as right out of the kitchen. Never have anything delivered. read more

Tried this place for the third time. Always something different. Salad rolls are terrible! No flavor at all! Pot stickers were what you'd expect, frozen I'm sure. Dirty and run down. Downtown Salem needs a good Vietnamese place. I liked Saigons but they closed. read more

With our new found walking around Salem hobby and trying new places to eat, we walked to downtown Salem on an hot Sunday early afternoon. The walk discussion this day was what we were going to do during our upcoming vacation to Vietnam and Thailand. As we crossed Liberty Street I saw the sign for 'Vietnam' with an arrow. Knowing that the country was kind of in that direction (West), I thought for sure it couldn't be a direction sign and had to be for a restaurant. Now, however, the sign lied as the restaurant is actually called Fresh Elements, and they have a selection of Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese foods on their menu. With our upcoming trip to Indo-China looming just four days away I wanted to try as much Vietnamese dishes as I could. We opted for the Vietnamese Crepes, Letttuce Wraps, and Vietnamese coffee with milk, for each of us. For our entree's, my hubby went with the Spicy Beef Pho and I went with the Beef Noodle. First out of the kitchen was the Lettuce Wraps! The portion was generous and the wrap for each of us was a large iceberg lettuce leaf. Next out was the coffee! Watching the drips into the milk was mesmerizing. Curiosity got the best of my husband and he lifted the dripper to see what how it was working. We opted for 'iced' on the coffee so a large glass with ice was provided for us to pour into upon completion of the brew. While a challenge to pour without spilling, the results were magnificent and flavorful. Shortly after our coffee arrrive, we were graced with the crepes. These were wonderful and just the right size. Next our entree's arrived and were downright huge. That was the largest bowl of Pho' I had ever seen! My beef was tender and well spiced. My husband reported his pho' was nicely spicy and very good. With the appetizers, coffee and main courses our tab was under $35! We were very pleased with everything we ate. Now, I know that when I arrive in Vietnam, the food will be much different, but at least I know what it will 'kind of' like. The gentleman who greeted, seated, and served us was very friendly. I engaged him in conversation about our upcoming trip and he was very encouraging! We will be back to Fresh Elements after our trip! Give them a chance to impress you. read more

Fresh Elements - Asian Fusion Near Me - Salem, Oregon

For paying 18 bucks for a simple seafood ramen I'd expect more then 2 pieces of shrimp, and a whole egg. Instead of half.

Came in to pick up an order. Waited for a long time so I checked out the table for to go orders and saw my name so I grabbed it and made sure it was mine and took it. As I was getting my seatbelt on the lady came to my passenger door, opened it without hesitation and grabbed the receipt from my passenger seat and asked for the name. I told her and she said I couldn't grab orders like that & I told her about my wait and she said she was busy which is understandable but she proceeded and slammed my door. Super unprofessional, never coming back. read more

really great Pad Thai and service!

This is the second time I've been here but the first time I've eaten here. The first time I came there was a kitchen issue and had a 45 minute wait so we left. Mongolian chicken was really good. I have had real Mongolian chicken and beef at true Mongolian restaurant however this version is nothing like Mongolian chicken but it is very good. We also had pork bun noodle, saddest version I've ever had. Tiny portion - eggroll, pork was almost invisible Nuoc Cham sauce was flavorless. I tried to order a soup but they were out of some of the ingredients. I will come back to try the soup! It looks very good. read more

Ordered online for delivery, which I figured would be a bad idea. Wrote 2 separate notes asking for extra hoisin sauce on the order, because I'm obsessed with it and it literally MAKES the meal. Order was delivered with usual amount of sauce which is always one tiny container. So annoyed, 2 stars because food is good, thanks assholes read more

Fast, friendly service and amazing pho! I also love their potstickers, egg rolls and crab puffs! The pho servings are huge and the prices are reasonable! read more

So I ordered the sesame chicken and some crab puffs. I would say both things were fried just a tad bit too long. The chicken seemed like it was mostly scraps and breading and was very hard to chew. The flavor isn't horrible but not great either. I'm disappointed but honestly that's what I get for trying a place that I've never had before. I will definitely not be ordering in the future but that's just me. read more

Their beef steak pho in pork broth is sublime. It's light yet flavorful, savoury, complex, and has the tiniest hint of richness. You can taste the hours spent infusing the broth with hearty marrow and beautiful spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cardamom. The beef was expertly sliced in thin, juicy portions. A single bowl could feed two, and is served with a generous array of fresh herbs, sprouts, and citrus on the side. Fresh Elements have amassed a loyal following of regular customers; one spoonful of their Pho will tell you why. read more

Thanks for the cockroach today. It didn't ruin my lunch at all. I have photos if you need!

This is my boyfriend and my's go to take out food. We love how clean the food is - we never have a headache or stomach pain after eating here like some Chinese food packed with msg. The portions are big enough to last for two meals. I recommend the pho - it's absolutely incredible. We also love the fried rice and salad rolls. There's so many fabulous things on the menu that we keep meaning to try - but we come back to the same things because it's consistently AMAZING and guilt free. I've never actually eaten in the restaurant, but this place is my #1 takeout choice in Salem. Fast. Reliable. Quality. read more

Delicious food and friendly owners Lemongrass chicken with noodles is my favorite. If you want it with some spice there is chili oil at the table. My daughter loves the beef pho. They are worth trying out but give yourself extra time since they don't have staff. This is a great small business to support. read more

Got the Phö on this cold January day. It was really good and filling. Perfect comfort food.

Everything we tried to eat tasted like cardboard that was microwaved and sauce poured over it. I can not believe that this place is in business. I would rather eat mountain man dehydrated food then anything we tried here! Not to mention the was a element of dirty clutter everywhere. The nice owner even climbed on the both next to us the kill a bug:( read more

They have the Best in ALL Salem Chicken Salad wraps I have had them in other places but they are the best flavor and amount. I would highly recommend this lil place and the service is great and friendly the owner is wonderful. Love it read more

Ordered take out. The menu items online had no description. That's ok, I know what to expect when I order generals tao chicken or broccoli chicken. I ordered these, plus a fried rice and a noodle dish, thinking my family would share everything like we do from every other Chinese restaurant. I spent 40 bucks, but the generals chicken was just a huge serving of rice with a tiny side of chicken. Same with broccoli chicken. All I got was fucking rice. And the fried rice was awful, like it wasn't fried at all. Just some soggy white rice with shit mixed in. If it at least tasted good it might have been worth it, but it was terrible. My family is so disappointed, we don't even want to eat it. We are eating cereal. read more

There is still no new sign so make sure when you come here you sill look for the Vietnam Restaurant sign. This is my first time to either location and I was blown away by the cleanliness an space inside. The area isn't the "best" but this was a great little diamond in the rough. I loved hearing calming music and the sound of water cascading like a small waterfall (OK it was a fish tank, but it was still a nice sound). I was having a difficult time deciding, so I opted for the Special. Today if was deep fried chicken on Xxx with a choice of sauce (lemon, orange, Kung pao, and a few others). I opted for the lemon. The lemon sauce flavoring was not over powering, as I expected it would be. It bordered on the perfect amount of lemony goodness without being overwhelmed with sweetness. The chicken was perfectly deep fried in my opinion. It was crunchy, but not over or under battered. The whole dish was definitely a mild one, so some Siracha (right there on the table) was in order and made this dish near perfect. There seems to be a solid group of loyal customers, as the owner knew almost everyone's orders who stepped in the door. I am glad I stopped in (thanks to Chuck B) as I probably would not have made it in otherwise. Definitely a place I will be returning to. read more

See all

Oh no. I hate writing this review, but after multiple visits since my last update in Sept 2013, I've noticed a terrible pattern going on. If you eat during the day, say for lunch, the service is great. This is because the owner/wife is working as server and hostess. But, if you visit when the owner/husband is working, he bosses around the girl employee on staff, acts like he doesn't care you are there and doesn't provide any service. It's to the point where on our last visit we had to ask for menus and waters after we were seated and when we all ordered the Pho, which is what they are known for an the only reason we eat there, he gets agitated that we are not trying other dishes on the menu. I've heard the same from other customers. Another thing I've noticed is that the condiments on the tables need to be wiped down, the forks they provide are filthy 90% of the time and they are usually out of napkins or are not stocking them because we are usually switching napkin dispensers with other tables. read more

Amazing food! Fresh, filling, large portions, affordable! I had the chicken lettuce wraps and dan dan noodle soup and I will be returning to this place often! So good! Highly recommend checking it out. The space radiates good vibes and is peaceful and quaint. read more

See all

I love this place. Best Asian food in Salem. Everything tastes very fresh, they give you very big portions and they use good quality vegetables. The food is always piping hot. They must steep the chicken because it is so tender and juicy. If you haven't tried it yet then you must! read more

There is nothing fresh about this place. The 1980's booth seats are torn, so the exposed foam has now collected years of food in it.....which you are now touching with your legs. The silverware is communal in a old jam holder. Communal meaning that you can use a fork and put it back into the holder for the next person to use, or a kid could touch all the silverware and then you have to use it. The staff seem mentally and physically soul sucked, along with the poor goldfish swimming in 7 inches of water. We took one bite of the food.....literally 1 bite and almost gagged. If you think I'm just a nasty helper, please look at all my other yelps.....99% of them are 5 stars. This place is beyond concerning read more

Huge portions! They have pretty good, unique lettuce leaf rolls. We had the pho as our main course. The ingredients were what you would expect at a higher-quality pho joint, but the broth was pretty much water. I suspect that it WAS water, and they were relying heavily on the high-quality meats to produce a decent broth. We'll probably go again if we can't find another place for pho. read more

Fresh elements has a wide variety of Asian food to choose from. This time I had the pad Thai. Overall the flavor was really good, and the portion size as large. I prefer their Vietnamese food though. read more

The owner was super friendly and accommodating. However the food was just ok. I ordered the shrimp and veggie pho and it was ok. The Singapore curry noodles were quite delicious and saved the meal. My friends ordered beef, chicken and a rice dish and had the same opinion as I did. Just ok. I really wanted to like this place because the owner was so nice. The menus were sticky and I felt like I needed to wash my hands after ordering. The furniture and floors need a good deep cleaning. Not to mention the restroom.... read more

The interior is cute and inviting, and our appetizer (crab puffs) was good. The meals...weren't disgusting. The service is friendly but very slow. My husband likes Chinese-style breaded chicken, but likes it cooked in the sauce, not just a little drizzled on top. He ordered the sesame chicken, but made it clear that he wanted it "drenched" in sauce. I have to say that if this was "drenched..." I'd hate to see what it normally looks like! It was still sauce, a little heavier than "drizzled" on top. I ordered the Tom Kha Gai soup. I was told the seafood was crab, shrimp, and "fish cakes." I didn't like the fish cakes, the shrimp and crab were both good, but in a VERY large bowl I only had 2 pieces of crab. The soup itself was edible, but the spice was too much...I could barely taste the coconut and I couldn't taste the lemongrass at all. I was disappointed, because the base is what I love best about Tom Kha soup. Overall, it's not like it was a traumatizing experience, but I don't intend to go back. read more

Got delivery and food was uneatable. Ordered beef Pho and the meat is usually served rare and you add it to broth too cook. They sent it already in broth so it was super rubbery and very fatty. Also found long black hair in soup before eating it. Had to throw away entire meal. Very disappointing. Will not be back. Poor quality. read more