Maison de pho is a welcome respite of Vietnam deep in South Orange County. On a cold day, or even a warm one, it's hard to beat a steaming hot bowl of pho.
I have been to Maison de pho about four times now, usually ordering the eponymous entrée: a steaming hot bowl of Vietnamese beef soup with rice noodles. Vietnamese people are VERY picky about pho; everyone I know swears by a different place in Little Saigon as the pinnacle of pho. Maison de pho, for it's location, is a good *pho* restaurant.
When you go to Maison de pho, the "house of pho ", order pho, not rice, and not boba (which isn't even vietnamese!) When you go a seafood restaurant, don't order the chicken and then complain it's a bad restaurant. Food places should be judged foremost on their signature dishes.
LOCATION: next to the movie theater in Foothill Ranch, in a space once occupied by a coffee shop. MdP is has Golden Spoon on one side, and the Nestle Cafe on the other. The coffee bar was converted to an open kitchen layout, unusual for Vietnamese restaurants.
STOCK: very good - bread makes or breaks a sandwich; the stock makes or breaks pho. It's commonly called broth, but stock is strained; broth is not. The dominant flavor comes from hours of simmering with beef bones. Anise, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon give a subtle counterpoint. Onions and other aromatics provide the low notes and finish. The stock is rich, well strained, well seasoned, exceptionally smooth, and served steaming hot. Disclosure: I'm southern Vietnamese, and we tend to like this Northern dish on the milder side. Northerners tend to favor pho with heavier seasoning and spices (more bite).
NOODLES: good - The second most important component is the bánh pho. These rice noodles were good, though not exceptional. They are cooked just past al dente, which is appropriate for pho. The noodles bite and chew cleanly, and have the usual rectangular cross section and size. The taste is neutral, which is also appropriate for pho. Ideally, they would have more body to them, but it's more than good enough.
BEEF: fair - I prefer pho tái nam, a combination of sliced rare steak and pre-cooked beef brisket. Taste and texture were good, but if I had to criticize, the beef is not generous in quantity. To which my American uncle (who married a Vietnamese wife, has been to Vietnam several times, and eats Vietnamese food several times a week) said "that just makes it authentic." He's got a point; pho restaurants in Vietnam are notoriously stingy on protein. But here in America, that's a little harder to excuse. My cousin ordered extra beef, and it didn't appear to improve things much.
GARNISHES: good - pho restaurants serve a plate of garnishes, typically basil leaves, bean sprouts, lemon, and sliced chili peppers, all of which may optionally placed in your ph. The American analogy would be ketchup, mustard, onions, relish and maybe chili that go on your hot dog. Vietnamese people can be fanatical about which garnishes go into their pho, just as Americans have very firm ideas about what tops their hot dogs. MdP's garnish plates were fresh and well presented.
CLEANLINESS: very good - My parents always taught me to wipe down the utensils before you eat at a Vietnamese restaurant. Thankfully, MdP is well lit and clean.
REST OF THE MENU: I agree with the other reviewers that the rice and noodle dishes are not as strong. Spring rolls are fair - need shrimp. Portions are modest, but enough to satisfy most. In Little Saigon, where competition is much stiffer, this would not stand. Other local pho places have more well rounded menus.
SERVICE: good - as typical for pho, service is very fast, we're talking McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A fast, even on busy days. The staff are friendly, and more eager to serve you in English than Vietnamese--a plus for this area. But as typical Vietnamese, they take your order, deliver your food, and return for the check. That's a part of Vietnamese restaurant culture that could use some improvement.
COMPARED TO THE COMPETITION:
Pholicious, a lunch place on Alton and Trabuco, definitely has better rice dishes. Overall, I like it better, but MdP is a much shorter drive for me...and has a better dinner location.
Pho Bo Vang on Mercury and Rockfield (near Lake Forest and Rockfield) has a more herb infused stock, which some palettes would prefer, especially Northern Vietnamese people.
Pho 99 (Lake Forest and Muirlands) is my least favorite in the area...the stock is flat to me. Again, Vietnamese people are fickle about pho.
PRICING is similar for all...~$7 per bowl...higher than Little Saigon by a $1 or 2.
CONCLUSION
It's great to see Vietnamese cuisine venture further and further from the safe confines of Little Saigon. The pho is good, and so is the location. Three and a half stars, but five stars given to correct the unfairly poor reviews. read more