TONIGHT, THE PHO HA LOSES A LOYAL CUSTOMER.
Previously, I would have rated this restaurant 5 stars and I hope in the past I have. Whatever the case, there is some mixed feelings that come with this review.
I came in for dinner on a Tuesday night around 8pm. I have been coming here to the Pho Ha since they opened in Fontana. I've enjoyed their food, and happy to say that some really good dishes are served here. The service however has gone down hill and I am forced to see how bad it has gotten. The owners of the restaurant and those who work here seem nice, yet, don't let that fool you. It seems like they're all about making them dollar bills instead keeping their customers happy and just let the doe flow in naturally.
My experience:
During my current and last visit here, I had dinner and had a Vietnamese Egg Soda. The Vietnamese Egg Soda, from what I recently learned, is made with soda water, condensed milk with sugar, and a raw egg. The resulting drink is often sweet, thick like milk, and refreshing with bubbles to it. The drink I got with my dinner was watered down and not very sweet at all. While paying for a $36 meal, I gave the restaurant an opportunity to fix a simple drink that was initially served bland. Unfortunately they failed to make it better, even after 2 attempts. My request was simple, to just make the drink sweeter by adding whatever was necessary. In the process of talking to them in between paying with ApplePay, my total jumped from $36 to $47. I was distracted while paying in the process I was basically taken advantage of. I asked the man why there was a difference, and he stated that I chose to leave a $10 tip. Not sure how I agreed to that or how I selected that on a key pad while handling my drink in one hand, and my phone in the other... Mind you I was also sipping and testing out the drink they were supposed to make better - which they failed at doing. Instead of making a big deal about it, that $10 will just be the last $10 they receive from me. I rather hit up the Fontana Pho instead next time, and I will make it a point to avoid this restaurant.
Moreover, having dinner here used to be nice. There used to be a nice crowd of people here too. Instead, there is less amount of people frequenting this restaurant, and tonight I see why. For one, they do not have the AC running at a comfortable temperature. It is more on the hot side if you dine in. On too if that, the mosquitos will be waiting to dine on you while you dine on your pho. If you happen to be a loyal customer, as I once was, just order your food to go.
Last but not least, it is a bit mind boggling how some restaurants choose NOT to grow with their business. The Pho Ha is one of these such restaurants. Unless you speak Vietnamese then I guarantee you the lack of mutual understanding will affect your dine in experience. I feel like the workers, owners, and staff here don't care to improve their English because their level of English has been the same since they opened, and it has been about 10 years since they have been around. And I know all the faces too. It seems like they stopped trying to improve their service with improving English, and this is affecting the way they serve people. This lack of understanding makes it difficult to communicate and perhaps makes patrons an easy target to get taken advantage of while the restaurant sides on ignorance. You know, like if something simple just "got lost in translation."
So long Pho Ha. I'll be making my own egg soda from now on. No deuces for ya'll. read more