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    Pho Saigon Gem

    4.6 (302 reviews)
    ModerateSoup, Vietnamese, Noodles
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Pho Saigon Gem Takeout or Delivery

    Pho Saigon Gem Photos

    Business Info

    PHO SAIGON GEM ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Pho Saigon Gem

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    P1. Pho House Special / Pho Dac Biet: Tai, Nam, Gan, Sach, Bo Vien)
    Ashif D.

    I've visited this Vietnamese spot several times now, and it's honestly a mystery why it isn't busier. Tucked away in the corner of the Smart & Final plaza, it is a true "hidden gem." The Pho is delicious--the broth is flavorful and authentic. What really stands out, though, is the environment. The interior is beautifully renovated, incredibly clean, and well-organized. Because it's never overly crowded, the atmosphere is very peaceful and quiet, making it a perfect spot for a relaxing meal. If you're looking for great food without the long waits or noise of other noodle shops, give this place a try!

    beef BM1. Charbroiled Sandwich /  Banh Mi Bò/ Heo/Ga Nuong
    Morgyn D.

    Out of all the Vietnamese places i've had the pleasure of eating, this still remains my #1! friendly staff goes above and beyond. clean place. the food is outstanding for a fair price, large portion. i absolutely ADORE the pho filet mignon. the broth is so rich and you can tell they spend lots of time on it. tried the bahn mi beef today-- 10/10!!! thank you for always serving me. PS i've ordered from here on doordash 30+ times. never fails to come piping hot with all the fixings. please give this place a try!!

    2. Thai Iced Tea
    Julie S.

    I loved the Thai iced tea. Wasn't too strong but not light. The pho was delicious. They only have the thin rice noodles. The filet mignon was pretty decent just not as tender as I would have hoped, I would try to order some alternative meat next time. The broth was great, and they provided a great amount of bean sprouts and mint leaves. Service was great. I was attended to right away. Order was taken quickly. Since I went early in the afternoon on a weekday, it was quite empty but it was very peaceful with mostly music playing in the background.

    Garlic noodles with chicken
    Amy D.

    I have been wanting to try this place and now I ask myself why have I been lagging it?! Hubs was craving pho and I was hungry so this was the perfect spot. Kids loved the egg rolls. Only two for the appetizer plate though. Most places come with 5. Kids also got the garlic noodles with chicken. Although it did not look appetizing the kids loved it. I wasn't allowed to try any or have leftovers so I can't tell you how it tasted but I guess that nears it was awesome. They never hoard food like that. Husband thought the pho did not have enough meat. Barely got any brisket. Huge bummer. Soup was good and serving size was good. Got the vermicelli noodles myself. Always a fave at Vietnamese shops. I was very impressed. The pork was perfectly marinated. So much flavor! Plenty of noodles and lettuce but wish there was more sliced cucumbers. Still, I highly recommend and would definitely be back.

    Mher M.

    Authentic Vietnamese food. Wish the crispy tofu was cut into smaller cubes so they would be crispier but we still enjoyed them. The shrimp spring rolls and seafood pho were as expected. Peanut sauce needed a little more taste. I ate too much! At least they're healthy foods ;) Not a lot of diners on a weeknight. Service was good and place was clean. Our server probably owns the place and he was very friendly, asking where we're from. I guess he can tell we're just visiting the area and not regulars.

    P9. Pho Tai Nam
    Trina D.

    I was in the mood for pho after a long week and unexpected turn of events. My husband was amenable so I took a look on Yelp to see if there was a place nearby I'd want to try out. I saw that Shane D. had previously reviewed this place and gave it a glowing recommendation so we headed to Pho Saigon Gem. We sat down and ordered after looking at the menu. We both wanted pho. I ordered the short rib pho (P4) and my husband got the pho tai nam (P9) in the regular size. While we waited for our food to come out, I happened to hear a familiar voice at a table nearby. It was none other than my friend Shane D. who's review I had seen earlier in the day and one of the reasons we chose to dine there that evening. What a coincidence! After a brief greeting and conversation, our food arrives. My husband inhaled his food, down to the last drop. On the other hand, it took me a little longer to get through my food. The short rib presentation happened to be smaller rib bones than I'm used to seeing. Other places give one big bone but Pho Saigon Gem gives you the meat in smaller pieces. One, it wasn't as tender as it could have been and two, it was tiring picking up the smaller bones as I was eating. It wasn't fall off the bone tender so it was hard to remove the meat from the bones. I made the best of it and finished most of my bowl of soup and noodles. The broth was nice and aromatic. We added the usual suspects of herbs and lime to the bowl. It was a delicious meal on a chilly December evening. Thanks to Pho Saigon Gem and Shane D. for popping up on my feed. 4.5 stars rounded up.

    Side of broth to go $7.50 and they surcharge for brussels sprouts, mint lime and jalapeños on top of that
    Jake J.

    Pretty expensive broth, not even filled all the way extra charge for everything pretty sad

    What you get for $20.
    John R.

    Unfortunately, this latest (third) attempt to make a Pho shop work at this location has once again failed. Sadly, they no longer serve Pho, so I wish them well selling other Vietnamese cuisine, but I am a huge fan of Pho, so I am unlikely to be back. I'm hopeful that things will get better for them, or for future owners. Apparently this is an unlucky location for Pho.

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    5 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    8 months ago

    The chicken pho and egg rolls are delicious. The staff is really kind and they truly care about customer satisfaction.

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    3 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Lovely family owned restaurant fast service and the food was perfect! I definitely go there again.

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    3 months ago

    Best and fresh Pho and chow mein my kids ever had. We rook additional two meals to go and consumed it once we got home.

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    1 year ago

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Pho Saigon Gem

    Is this place good good or is it good from an Orange County perspective? Lots of the Asian places in the area aren't good because they cater to a specific demographic.

    I agree, the menu is simplified based on the South OC clientele. Thanh Binh in Lake Forest serves good Vietnamese fare, fair value with great customer service. If you want a wider selection of restaurants & dishes, you'll need to travel further… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    My friend recommended this place and said it was better than Din Tai Fung. I have to admit, I was…read morepleasantly surprised. First off, there was a lot of parking in this hidden strip mall. When we got there, there was a little bit of a wait, about 10 minutes. The menu was digital and we were able to order from the table from our phone. The service was good, the restaurant was clean and had quite a few tables there. The bathroom was located upstairs, the key was by the register at the front. The scallion pancake was good but I've had better. The dan dan noodles were really tasty, it was like a mix of spicy noodles with peanut noodles and I'm definitely down for that. The XLB was juicy and oh so delicious. The spicy wontons were fresh tasting. The beef rice cake was great but I wish it had a little kick to it. I was a little surprised that it had an assortment of proteins in it.

    Hidden gem for sure. Got recommended by a co-worker and it was definitely worth checking out. It's…read morea cute little spot tucked into the plaza with cozy vibes. We had just gotten back from China and were craving Chinese food, so this totally hit the spot haha. We ordered the beef stew soup noodles, fried pan pork dumplings, and string beans and everything was delicious! One thing we liked was how they had QR code ordering and easy mobile payment. It reminded us of being back in China with how convenient everything was. The prices were also more affordable compared to places like Din Tai Fung. Overall, a solid spot with good food & easy ordering. 100% would come back again.

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    Min's Dumpling - D9. BBQ Pork Bun

    Min's Dumpling

    4.5(232 reviews)
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    OUTSTANDING!!!!! BEYOND 5 STARS!!!! Found this place on Yelp!!! Thanks, Yelpers!!!…read more Excellent customer service! The casual layout is very practical with an easy vibe. The food is phenomenal!!! I ordered the piggy buns, so cute, kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef, chicken soup dumplings, honey walnut shrimp, and wontons! EVERYTHING was delicious! Not one bad entree! Believe ALL the 5 Star and positive reviews!!! Great flavors bursting in every bite! Gracious, friendly, helpful, and kind owner! YES, I'm returning! In fact, I'm now going to be a regular at this place! Highly recommended!!! You want juicy and mouthwatering dumplings, run to Min's Dumpling!! You'll leave full, happy, and satisfied! Hunger pains solved! You won't be disappointed!!!

    FOOD: The food here was great! It's so nice to have a good dumpling place close by. All the food we…read morehad was delicious! We started with the cream cheese rangoons, cucumber salad which were both really great. We ordered veggie fried rice, mapo tofu, chicken dumplings in chili sauce and green beans. Everything tasted really good! SERVICE: Our server, James was very friendly and helpful! He always checked on us and took our order and the food came out in a timely manner. AMBIANCE: When we walked in, James asked us if we wanted to go to the back area of the restaurant which had some additional seating and was more private. There were windows along the back wall with a view, which was nice. It was a good experience and we really enjoyed the food! Will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.

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    Menu 2.6.26

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    Min's Dumpling - Broccoli Beef Lunch Bento Box. Tender slices of beef with crisp-tender broccoli. So delicious!

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    Broccoli Beef Lunch Bento Box. Tender slices of beef with crisp-tender broccoli. So delicious!

    Simply Pho - Shrimp spring rolls

    Simply Pho

    4.3(998 reviews)
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    I'm from LA, and I can honestly say this spot is unmatched! Finding a place that balances quality,…read moreportion size, and price this well is rare. I ordered the XL Pho, and it did not disappoint. Packed with plenty of protein, and the broth was super flavorful--everything ties together perfectly. For the amount of food you get and the quality of the ingredients, the price is unbeatable. The staff is super nice but some are not that attentive. but i really appreciated that they let us sit exactly where we preferred. It's a pretty calm and peaceful environment too for a smaller space, It wasn't noisy, which made for a really enjoyable, relaxing meal. If you're in Lake Forest, i suggest you to check this place out! Highly recommend for anyone looking for authentic, top-tier pho.

    I came here with my in-laws for a late night dinner as they're always on the hunt for a great, non…read morehomemade pho option. They're definitely tougher critics than I am (as I don't have grandparents/family recipes to compare them to) but I'm always happy to tag along with them. The interior of the restaurant is small and I could see that it could be a bit tough to move around if they're busy. They also have little to no waiting area inside so if you aren't seated right away, chances are you'll be hanging outside in the parking lot. But we were there when the restaurant was maybe 1/3 full and we could move around easily & not feel like we were talking over other guests. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, but not so much so that it felt like they were trying to move us along with everything. I appreciated that. The menu is quite extensive. Yes, Pho is in the name but there are plenty of other Vietnamese options. I opted for the shaken beef plate. I wanted to get the version with fries, but my wife accidentally told the woman in Vietnamese that I wanted just the regular version. I guess I'll have to come back another time to see how it compares to one of my favorite dishes: Peruvian lomo saltado. However, I will say the standard plate I was served was delicious. Everything was well seasoned & cooked perfectly. Definitely one of the best bò lúc lắc dishes I've had in a restaurant in awhile. We had a good meal. My in-laws said the pho was fine. I think it tasted good. Our 3 kids slurped their bowls all up so that's a great sign. In all, if we're in the El Toro area & want some Vietnamese food, we'll absolutely be back.

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    Simply Pho
    Simply Pho - Beef and rice

    Beef and rice

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    Hot Dumplings - Beef noodle soup

    Hot Dumplings

    4.3(138 reviews)
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    Overview: Friendly staff - very attentive…read more Yummy food Two people ate for 70 dollars +tax and tip, but we had very big appetites. We got five dumpling dishes and the sesame balls The serving sizes were good for the price, and all the regular dumplings we had were delicious and juicy. The pork and chive dumplings were my personal favorite, but a one or two of them were very heavy on the chives. I loved it. My partner really enjoyed the beef and onion dumplings The juicy pork dumplings were amazing! I saved them till the end. Usually, steamed buns are my favorite dish at dumpling places, but the ones here weren't very fluffy. They were more starchy. The filling was very similar to the filling in the pork dumplings.

    My family has been going there and the food has been good. However last night I took a girlfriend…read morethere and the food was terrible. The male owner always seems to be in a bad mood but thankfully the lady server (ping) is wonderful. Although the food was bad but she still gives the best service. The string beans was extremely salty and we had to send it back. It literally came out covered with black sauce. The house special noodles had no taste and the beef was literally black too. The steamed dumplings was ok however how can the dumplings be bad when it's cooked from a frozen package. Ambiance ok, not too noisy as we were the only table there until half way through our meal.

    Photos
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    Seating area 1/2

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    25 - pan fried shrimp and pork dumplings

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    Pork buns

    Pho Saigon Gem - soup - Updated May 2026

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