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    Pho Element

    4.0 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateVietnamese
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Waitlist - Pho Element

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    PHO ELEMENT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Pho Element

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    Reviews With Photos

    Bun rieu large is huge!
    Keith W.

    We been coming here for years and their consistency is awesome. Still my go to place for Bun Rieu, pho and many others! Finally tried their Ox tail wine sauce in soup noodles. Wow! I waited so long because I enjoy the other dishes too much! Great service and food! Keep it up PE!

    12 - 34 - BBQ Pork and Imperial Roll with Vermicelli - - Bn Tht Nng & Ch Gi
    Christian T.

    Pho Element in San Mateo is a solid go-to if you're craving Vietnamese food. The vibe is casual and relaxed -- nothing fancy, just a comfortable spot to sit down and enjoy a good meal. I ordered the BBQ pork with imperial roll and vermicelli noodles, along with the bone-in chicken curry. Both dishes were around $25 each, which felt pretty reasonable for the portion sizes. The vermicelli bowl was packed -- the BBQ pork was flavorful and well-seasoned, and the imperial roll added that perfect crispy contrast. Everything tasted fresh and well-balanced. It also comes with nice dipping sauce which I added to the bowl. The bone-in chicken curry was another standout. The chicken was tender, the broth was rich and comforting, and it paired really well with rice. Definitely one of those dishes that hits the spot. Portions are generous -- I had plenty of leftovers, which is always a plus. Service was super fast and efficient, making it an easy choice for a quick lunch or dinner. If you go around 1pm or so you can beat the lunch rush but there are lots of seating options (no outdoor). Parking is a bit tough since it's just off of el Camino but there is some parking in the back. Or limited on the street. Overall, a great casual spot with solid portions and speedy service. I'd definitely come back.

    Short ribs with vermicelli
    Denise L.

    We arrived soon after lunch time would have been over. We were seated immediately. Our order was taken quickly and the food came quickly. The food was delicious and plentiful. We will be visiting again.

    23 - Rare Beef Filet, Brisket and Meatbeef Ball Noodle Soup - - Ph B c Bit
    Jennifer Y.

    Visited during the weekend lunch rush and this place was packed! Luckily, they have a few reserved parking spots in the back for customers. As a first-timer, I was pleasantly surprised. The appetizers had generous portion, particularly the chicken papaya salad. It was definitely shareable. The shrimp spring roll rice paper was a bit too chewy for my liking; will probably skip this next time. Both the chicken and beef pho were solid. It's hard to find a truly good chicken pho in the Bay Area, but the clear, flavorful broth here was delicious and didn't taste too salty or with msg. My only complaint was that a server was shouting names for tables so loudly that I actually got accidentally spat on from across the room. It was a bit gross and definitely affected my experience a bit, despite the food being good.

    22 - Rare Beef Filet, and Beef Meatball Noodle Soup - - Ph Ti B Vin
    Nick R.

    The highlight of my meal was the butter tofu, the outside was crispy but the inside was so soft and melted in your mouth. Never had anything like this before and would come back just for this dish. The Pho on the other hand was ok, I did not like the wide noodles in it as in my opinion Pho should have a smaller noodle. The broth was good but was not given any bean sprouts or basil, just limes and jalapeño's. As I was eating my dinner at 8:30 pm which is 30 minutes before close I was told I needed to close my tab. With this request I felt pushed to finish my dinner. The waiter was going around to all the tables to cash out. I might go back, if I do it's for the tofu and not the Pho

    23 - Rare Beef Filet, Brisket and Meatbeef Ball Noodle Soup - - Ph B c Bit
    Maggie W.

    The portions here are pretty big. I got a small beef pho and I wasn't able to finish. The broth has a light flavor and there's ample amounts of beef. I was a little disappointed by the noodles because they fell apart easily, but they carried the soup flavor well. I really enjoyed the imperial roll, the filling and the crunchy outside go together really well! The shrimp spring roll was good as well too, and I liked that the peanut sauce comes with a spoon so you don't have to dip. The inside has simple dark wood decoration, with some booths and some tables. Service was pretty quick! Parking is hard to find though, I think there may be some limited parking behind the building but otherwise street parking is the way to go

    17 - Curry Chicken with Rice - - Cm C ri G
    Jeremy L.

    Food here is amazing, the staff was very friendly, came here multiple times and the food does not disappoint. This time I came in a Friday and the waiter brought to our attention that on Fridays they have a special if you get the ox tail soup you get a free beverage of your choice. The ox tail soup was delicious and I got a free che ba mau (three colored dessert). Win win.

    20 - Rare Beef (Filet Mignon) Noodle Soup - - Ph Ti
    Amber F.

    Pho Element is a small Vietnamese restaurant located on El Camino Real in between Downtown San Mateo and the Hillsdale Mall. There's very limited street parking (be prepared to parallel park). The interior seems to be a little worn down, but nothing too bad. To be honest, Pho Element will never be my first choice when craving Vietnamese food. While their broth is tasty, it doesn't really taste like the traditional, authentic pho broth that I'm used to. In addition, they're crazy expensive and have smaller portions. Their "large" beef pho is $20+. Typically when I eat pho, I get full and have leftovers. However at Pho Element, I easily finished the entire large portion. I also took my meal to-go instead of dining-in, and the broth container wasn't fill up the entire way (maybe 3/4th full).

    09 - Hainanese Chicken with Rice (Boneless) - - Cm G Hi Nam
    Derek L.

    #taste - 5/5 #portion size - 5/5 #service - 5/5 #value - 4/5 #recommendation(s) - you should get the coconut tofu slush if you're into coconut and soft tofu! #tip - parking is sparse as there are a few spots on the street in front and a small lot in the back #context - this is a gem in San Mateo. #like - our go to items are the imperial rolls, hainanese chicken and chicken pho. The rolls are a nice combination of crunchy texture with savory insides. I drown them in the accompanying fish sauce. The hainanese chicken is boneless which is so convenient and the rice is flavorful. I can eat pho all the time so this is a nice change up if you're more into chicken. To me the broth is also less oily than non chicken pho. #dislike - I guess the parking is inconvenient at times.

    Shrimp pho small size
    Marilyn G.

    The food was delicious and came out very fast after we placed our orders. The staff is polite attentive and very prompt, they're constantly checking around to make sure all the tables are taken care of and people are sat down promptly. I appreciated the generous portion size for the small, it was fulfilling, satisfied my craving and my appetite. I love these wide noodles and the way they prepare their pho with the noodles, broth, shrimp, green onion, and fried garlic I believe. It also came with a side of lime and jalepenos but honestly their hot sauce is all you need for added spice, don't forget to try it!! They also ask if you want tea or water when you sit down :) The room is a bit chilly when you walk in but you warm up after eating some pho so I didn't mind it. The restaurant was filled with people, I can tell they have customers who return often. They also have big tables for larger parties if you want to book a pho lunch or dinner with your family and friends. Overall, we love this place, our 3rd time here & we came from San Leandro just to come here and it's so worth it! The price is also great, there are pho businesses in the east Bay Area charging $20+ for large pho and that's a 50% increase since I first starting going to that specific restaurant. so in my opinion, I believe pho element charges fairly for their style of cuisine, generous portions, and quality of food. Overall, we love this place, we hardly talk while eating because we're just taking it all in enjoying our meal and we hope to come back again. thank you pho element!

    rare beef noodle soup
    Rini C.

    I went here with my coworkers because it was a short walk from our workplace. It was pretty busy since it was lunch time on a Monday. I ordered the Rare Beef Noodle Soup. My bowl came in around 15 minutes. One of the things I love about this place is that the rice noodles are thicker as I usually prefer thicker rice noodles over vermicelli. The soup was hot, clear, and flavorful. It was a great bowl of pho and would be the perfect comfort food for a chilly day. The portion size was good as I felt satisfied after finishing the bowl. Our server was attentive to providing us napkins and checking in on us, despite the busy lunch hour. Whenever my coworkers decide to come out for lunch, we're definitely visiting again!

    Pho
    Raquel G.

    Brought hubby and he was satisfied by pho # 23! Service was excellent, she asked if onions and cilantro was ok so it was added directly into our bowls. She brought us limes and jalapeño slices. I noticed the menu stated bean sprouts would be an additional $2. It was cool inside and a bit dark but that was fine since we had hot tea and the hot soup.

    Menu
    Princess V.

    Came here on a Saturday for lunch, party of 7. Our mom wanted soup so we took the whole family here. I called to join the waitlist since there 7 of us (you can do it on yelp for 6 or less). There is a small parking lot in the back, but we parked on the street. Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated promptly. They told us their specialty which was the chicken pho, bun rieu (crab soup), and ox tail pho. Food came out quickly and everything was delicious! No assigned server but anyone we asked for help was courteous and super attentive. Excellent customer service. They got packed shortly after. So make sure you get on the waitlist. Would like to come back and try the rice plates next time!

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    16 days ago

    Food is excellent! Service is fast and nice. But they stored the inventory right by the restaurant tables needs to cleanup.

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    5 months ago

    Food was good. The place was very crowded which meant the food is good. Nice staff.

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    Pho Element Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pho Element

    Do you have any pho (noodle soup) options where there's no meat i.e. vegetarian soup (no shrimp paste, no fish sauce, no meat broth) and no meat added?

    Yes, we have #26 vegetarian pho on the menu which you could pick mushroom broth.

    For noodle soup delivery ... Do you put the noodle and soup in separate containers?

    Hi Timothy, we always put the noodle and soup in separate containers.

    Is your Pho Ga gluten free? Does it have any soy sauce in it?

    There are no soy sauce in the soup, but the flat noodle which normally come with pho ga had wheat flour in it.... you could substitute vermicelli noodle when you place the order! Thx!

    Are there any peanuts/dairy/egg/shellfish used in the chicken noodle soup or pho noodle soups? Asking because of food allergies to the above, thanks!

    Hi Clifford, there are only few noodle soups that contain peanuts and shellfish which is satay beef Noolde soup, crabmeat & tomato noodle soup and seafood noodle soup, and also the items on the menu which have a P next to it is contain peanuts...… Read more

    When do you expect to be able to reopen for indoor dining?

    Indoor dining recently resumed!

    How is the social distancing enforcement in the restaurants and on the sidewalk for pickup orders?

    The dining room was closed and they have a table to pick up in front. Plenty of room on the sidewalk to socially distance if more than one person is waiting to pick up. Soup packaged separate from noodles and soup was nice and hot even after driving… Read more

    Is there any seafood (e.g.: shrimp) in the imperial rolls? I want to order some but am allergic to seafood.

     there is no seafood in the imperial rolls! :)

    Are you open on President's Day 2020?

    Yes, we will be open.

    Does this restaurant actually serve trung non(unfertilized eggs) with their pho ga ? I'm looking through the photos and I don't see any.

    Nope! Their basic pho ga just comes with just chicken meat(breast+thigh I believe)

    When are you guys open again?

    We are back already, looking forward to see you, thx!

    Do they use msg?

    There's nothing wrong with MSG, please stop spreading this fake meme. https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/is-msg-bad-for-your-health/

    View All 15 Questions

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    Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar - San Mateo - Snails

    Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar - San Mateo

    4.0(2.2k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Love their sister restaurant Ben Tre. Wish we didn't have to trek to Millbrae for it though. So…read moremost of the time we go to GAO instead when we can get on the waitlist early enough. Pricier but fancier and larger portions, but decor is just a small step up, ha. All good though. Only real complaint is that it gets too hot. I almost always get the bun cha because the other dishes are huge and overwhelming. Pho is good. Great place for groups to share dishes. Pretty fast service and I like how they handle table seating to try to do their best to make that process painless.

    Great lunch spot for Mother's Day. We arrived 30 minutes after opening and there was already a 45…read moreminute wait time. They only take reservations for parties of 7 or more. There is a nice Japanese garden down the street to spend time at while waiting. Once seated, you scan a QR code to view the menu and order with the server. Our server was very nice and attentive. The food came out fast and with a generous amount of fresh greens. The 4 item banh hoi starter and soft shell crab banh canh were just alright and nothing special. Giant river prawns were the star and everyone's favorite dish. The banh hoi with butter sauce combination was delicious, I would definitely come here again just for that dish. That being said, the other dishes were not worth the price. Total bill was $280 for 3 dishes including tax and 18% tip.

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    Rin-Tei - Sizzling Wagyu Loin

    Rin-Tei

    4.8(1.1k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Takes reservations

    Every time I visit this restaurant, the service from the staff is consistently excellent. I always…read moreorder the same Vietnamese beef pho. The noodles are delicious, the broth is rich yet not greasy, and the beef slices are incredibly tender and smooth. It is almost impossible to find any flaws. If I had to point out one area that could be improved, it would probably be the choice of beef chunks. They are still very tender, but the texture feels just a little dry at times. Even so, this small issue does not take away from the overall experience. Overall, I highly recommend this modern pho restaurant. They also offer many other dishes with great value for the price. Strongly recommended to everyone. 每次去拜訪這家餐廳,服務員的服務都非常得好,我始終點一樣的越南牛肉粉,好吃的麵條,濃郁的湯頭也不油膩,加上超滑嫩的牛肉片,無可挑剔。硬要說一個能改進的地方,唯一美中不足的部分應該就是牛肉塊的部位挑選,感覺也是非常嫩,但是口感始終有一點柴。但是瑕不掩瑜,整體來講,我非常推薦這一家好吃的現代河粉店,裡面還有非常多性價比非常不錯的餐點,強力推薦給各位。

    This is such a cute and unique place! Came here on a Friday at 7pm for 4 people and waited like 20…read moreminutes. It's a smaller dining space that's why. The outside has a cute little garden walkway. We got the soy milk pho - such an interesting dish that I was dying to try! It was actually really good since the broth was light. The pho was a little sweet from the soy milk. The original pho broth flavor is subtle. The noodles were cooked perfectly chewy and I lovedddd!!! The wagyu skillet was tender and juicy! My friend and I both thought the meat tasted like al pastor for some reason lol. Not a bad thing.

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    Pho de Nguyen - Bunbohue

    Pho de Nguyen

    4.2(827 reviews)
    7.9 mi
    $$

    Stopped here for lunch with the Hubz. We order the Bun Bo Hue with Duck Confit and the Ox Tail Pho…read moreDac Biet. Location is not to big/too small. We got seated roght away. We happened to come on a day their wifi was down, so it was cash/zelle only. Haha. Thats crazy. Luckily that did not stop us from dining in. I loved the duck confit, it was cooked so well and the duck slices were so jucy even though it seemed like a small portion of meat to pair with your noodle. It was the perfect portion after all. I enjoyed the BBH, though it is different from what I am used to. I enjoyed the oxtail, it fell right off the bone. My Hubz enjoyed his Pho Dac Biet as well. Though we wish the broth was hotter. There was plenty of meat and oxtail in his bowl. Would we come again, yes!

    We came in with a party of thirteen and one baby. We ordered five Thai iced teas, but unfortunately…read morethey tasted like cardboard. Do not recommend it. Menu is on a QR code that was provided on the table. One good thing about ordering on the phone is that it makes it easier to list what everyone wants. The downside is that six people's orders were messed up. I did see the waitress transfer the orders that was on our phone to what seems to be her phone. The waitress had to come back several times to confirm what we ordered. I ordered the oxtail-only pho, but they brought out the combo oxtail pho instead. To their credit, they did give us a free bowl of pho for the mistake and did not charge us the automatic surcharge for a large party. I understand that restaurants get busy, but it was still a frustrating experience.

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    Hunan Mifen San Mateo

    Hunan Mifen San Mateo

    4.3(75 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Hunan mifen is a welcome addition of a very specific Chinese dish/cuisine in an area otherwise…read moredominated by pho, southern (Americanized) Chinese food with which is competes with in a no-frills, but satisfyingly delicious shop in the middle of San Mateo. This place was discovered by my wife while looking for noodle soups in the area. Me, I'm not particularly fond of super spicy. But their signature spicy beef has a very unique and addictive quality to it. Be forewarned - the chili oil the beef is bathed in is no laughing matter. We used to get warnings for the works to spoon in the chili oil a little at a time as it is a slow but powerful burn. But that's not what has be coming back. The main draw for me here is the blackened stinky tofu. They accompany this pungent snack with fresh cilantro. Peanuts and a sauce that match it so well. Might not be the best date food but it is delicious. Service is fairly minimal although staff are very informed and can answer questions. Order through the phone and for any toppings, you can get up and help yourself. Overall. This is probably one of my favorite noodle dishes when in the mood for something spicy or something quick. The portions here are also very healthy so come hungry.

    Hunan Mifen is another good spot worth trying if you love authentic Asian cuisine…read more I don't eat spicy food so I was happy that they have some dishes that is not spicy, I love the flavor of their broth, tasty not salty and it has a balance. I love that they have variety of appetizers and side dishes. Price is very reasonable for a freshly cook dishes. I would give them two thumbs up

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    Taishoken - San Mateo - Tokusei Tsukemen, the house special

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    4.3(2.1k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Wheelchair accessible

    My go-to spot when I'm craving ramen. I like the niku spicy when I want soup and the Tokyo classic…read moreaburasoba when I want soupless. (I want no soup 95% of the time.) I've tried the tsukemen, and it's not for me. The broth has a fishy flavor that I do not enjoy. For apps, we have consistently ordered the karaage and calamari. On occasion, the calamari can be a bit tough, but it comes with a lot of seasonings/toppings that take it over the top. Really kid friendly - they have boosters for booth seats AND high chairs, plus special utensils for kids and just started serving water also in special plastic cups.

    As everyone said in their reviews - this place is known for their tsukemen or dipping noodles. We…read morecame here because their dipping noodles is one of the family favorites and it was enjoyed. We also ordered a bowl of pork over rice which was shared by everyone in our party of 6 and enjoyed. They have a happy hour where several appetizers are discounted a few bucks so we ordered the gyoza (potsickers 3 for $4). The key to eating here for dinner without waiting is to get there before the crowd which is before 6pm. After that there's most likely a wait outside the restaurant. There are plenty of shops for you to window shop while you wait. Note they do charge 20% automatically with 6 or more in your group.

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