On a search for local Vietnamese restaurants because my girlfriend is obsessed with Pho, (Hahaha!) we found this spot on Google. Immediately after checking out the menu online & we came to Yelp to see photos & reviews. Due to the menu selections & photo visuals, my girlfriend believed this was going to be the best Vietnamese experience in Brandon so far - and it was!!
We arrived & took a boomerang via Instagram of the front of the establishment, & then walked inside & asked for a table of two. (Most Asian restaurants in the area are still only offering take-out.) There were 3 others parties seated inside, all seemingly enjoying their meals at tables that were spaced apart far enough to adhere to social distancing regulations. Greeted immediately by both employees working the floor, one employee who ended up being our server, Spencer, took us to our seats.
Spencer, we soon discovered, was on his very first day! The other employee working the floor, Alena, was apparently training him & stopped by several times while he was taking care of us to simply check on us & answer some questions that Spencer could not yet answer himself. Together they made a great team & took excellent care of us.
We started off with a water & an original milk tea. It was my first time having a milk tea like that, & to be honest, it wasn't my favorite. I, then, ordered a jack fruit smoothie, which I'd, also, never had before. When I asked what it was like, she informed me that it was very popular among Vietnamese culture, but she wasn't sure if I would like it because of course everyone's tastes are different, but if I didn't like it, she would have it removed. I loved it it!! I even shared it with my girlfriend so she could try it & she drank half of it!! Hahaha! For appetizer, we started off with egg rolls, which were pretty standard, to be honest. (Nothing out of the ordinary - egg rolls are egg rolls.) For our meals, she had the chicken pho with grilled chicken; I had the pork, shrimp & egg roll rice bowl, which they served with a side of fish sauce. Both dishes were scrumptious!
Overall, I probably would've given this place a 3- or 4-star rating because although the meals were great, the venue itself is (like most local, Asian restaurants) small & basic on the inside, & not really too exciting... the service was FANTASTIC!! They - Spencer & Alena - were very personable & accommodating. They accommodated our requested for modifications to our meals & even sold us one of their soup spoons that they serve with the pho because my girl was excited to take one home. They were quick to retrieve us additional condiments when we asked & dropped the check off as we were finishing up for our convenience, so we didn't have to wait for it once we were done. However, they struck up conversation with us once we were finished with our meal & because of the conversation & connection we felt with the servers, we actually stayed a little longer than we intended & enjoyed their company. Once the other tables were gone & it was just us two, they even sat down for a couple minutes to carry-on the conversation & made us feel like we were friends/family. Although we are eager to try ALL of the Vietnamese restaurants in our area (again, my girlfriend is a Pho-fanatic), this will definitely be our go-to spot when we want to be sure of great food & service!
Thank you, Spencer & Alena! read more