3.75 STARS
COVID-19 OUTDOOR DINING
Goes to Phở #1.
Orders three dishes.
None are Phở.
What can I say, I'm a weirdo.
I was in the area and too lazy to drive to E Man Jose for Viet food. I saw a pic of Phở #1's Hủ Tiếu Khô (dry noodles) and they had outdoor seating so why not?
Currently, Phở #1 is open for takeout, delivery, indoor dining, and limited outdoor dining.
They no longer have an outdoor "patio" like what's pictured on Yelp; there's just two tables outside that's side-by-side. A group who came after us wanted to sit outside but didn't want to wait; maybe the owner(s) can consider adding an extra table or two outside?
C O V I D - 1 9 S A F E T Y P R E C A U T I O N S
* Staff wore masks properly.
* Laminated menu that's disinfected between guests.
* Indoor tables had plastic dividers between them.
* Outdoor table was sanitized before we were seated.
* Hand sanitizer available.
PLEASE NOTE: Like many restaurants, they're understaffed so kindly be patient. Food service took longer than the norm for a Viet place (~25-30 minutes) so plan ahead.
F O O D
* #A3 Tàu Hủ Ky: Shrimp Cakes w/ beancurd skin (2 pc - $7): https://bit.ly/34GXRRt
Crunchy golden brown exterior but the shrimp filling was on the dense side.
As you can see from my pic, they were really "generous" with the nuớc chấm. We received about a tablespoon for this app and the entrée. Flavor-wise, it was toned down and missing that pungent fish funk.
* #25 Hủ Tiếu Dặc Biệt: Seafood & Pork Combo Noodles ($13.50 + 95 cents for egg noodles): https://bit.ly/2TvqHSy
***Requested Khô ("dry") w/ soup on the side.
While there was a generous amount of shrimp (properly deveined), squid, fish ball, surimi, and pork slices, I don't recommend this dish here. The brand of egg noodles they use lack a springy chew. It's served with hoisin and sriracha; and not with the proper sauces/condiments (dark salty-sweet soy sauce, pickled jalapeno and/or sate).
The accompanying side broth was cloudy and really msg-y.
BUT, this is called Phở #1 after all so this is my fault for ordering this.
* #50 Com Tấm Dặc Biệt: Broken Rice Combo #1 w/ grilled shrimp, pork chop, shrimp cake, egg cake, fried egg ($16.95): https://bit.ly/3gaybCj
Not my order but I did try some of the pork chop and broken rice. Def the highlight of our meal. The marinated pork chop was super flavorful and juicy with a nice smoky char. It was finished with scallion oil which added a delicious richness; great with the broken rice.
Broken rice is just rice that's broken into smaller grains but something about it has me craving it more than regular white rice.
If I were to visit again, I would def stick with the Com Tấm (I'm not a pho person).
S E R V I C E
All business. As I mentioned, food service does take a while because they're understaffed so come with patience.
What gets me is they provide water glasses that are less than half-full (similar situation with the nuớc chấm). For the sake of efficiency, why not serve full water glasses and more nuớc chấm so customers don't have to flag the lone staff down for more?
Overall, if you're craving Viet food in the area and don't want to drive all the waaaaay to E Man Jose, Phở #1 may be a decent option. read more