TLDR - Deplorable service, great food, and extremely clean; comparable to most fine dining restaurants. Pho was great, and Bun Bo Hue(BBH) was good.
I'm a wannabe pho and BBH aficionado. Read about Mr Pho on Houston Press as one of the top 5 places to go for BBH. So today, I had a chance to patronize this eatery. On the outside, it looks like a hole in the wall restaurant. Once I stepped inside, it definitely not your typical Chinatown Pho restaurant. I was very impressed with the size, neatness, decor, and cleanliness, ESPECIALLY the restroom. You can tell owners take pride in their restaurant. Here a tip: if you on a diet, step into the restroom before your meals. Most Chinatown restrooms are so disgusting, u will lose your appetite or eat less!
So what is the jury?
Service - is a disappointing 1/5. We walked in at 1.45 pm. No one was there...it was like a ghost town. I waited for 1 minute before someone came out from the kitchen. I was surprised she did not greet me. I sat down by the booth myself. She did not ask if I want anything to drink. I requested water with lemon on the side - she gave me lemon in my water. Our server was busy talking to her friend. I have to flag her down to take our orders. My friend ordered the food. When the food arrived, she forgot the vinegar onion we requested. I was totally flabbergasted when she did not bring my shrimp paste and sate sauce. How can you eat BBH without the complementary condiments, especially the secret sate sauce that supposedly is Mr Pho's signature condiment? Our server was literally non-existent - there's no refills or checking on us even tho we were the only customer, besides another guy sitting behind us. Last but not least, I do not know if we pay at our table or at the counter. Despite the restaurant being empty, and there are 3 staff sitting at the table chatting, won't it behooves someone to come to see if we need the check? So, I finally decided to pay at the counter.
Cleanliness - 5/5. The tables and chairs were neat and the place was very clean, especially the restroom. I seldom eat in Chinatown, especially the mom-and-pop eatery because they are disgustingly dirty. The memory of Fu Fu hanging chicken by the trash can is still very fresh in my memory.
Food - 4.5/5. Why 4.5? Albeit the BBH has a clear broth, it is very flavorful. I would give it a 5 star if it is spicier and has huyet. There's no lime(not sure if that's the recipe), but I like mine with lime. Also, both our pho and BBH broth were lukewarm. On the plus side, the accompanying greens were very fresh. Egg rolls were good, the skins were very crunchy and deep fried perfectly. Special note to their fish sauce. This is one of the best I've tasted so far. Is light, with the right amount of sweetness and saltiness. My friend had the Pho. We ordered a large and I brought some home with me. Even after sitting in the container for hours, the noodles were not soft or mushy when I had it in the evening. I like the noodles a lot, is different from what I had before. The broth was full of herbs flavor. Unlike others, I prefer mine with less fats floating on the surface. So, Mr Pho's recipe suits me perfectly.
Portion - 5/5. Just look at the photos, they were chock full of ingredients.
I have to give a 5-star to Mr. Kenny Pham. His personable demeanor, to me, is one of the qualities of a good restaurateur. When he stepped in the restaurant, he was smiling and waving at the customers. Makes me feel like a VIP. Maybe (Very Irritating Person) after perusing my review. Another mark of a good restaurateur is to ask for feedback. Ignorance is not bliss, so you can't improve if you do not know what your customers think of your food or service.
Ps. If by any remote chances the fish sauce is not homemade, can I know where it is bought? read more