First time in Irvine and I really wanted to eat pho and this was the best spot!! The food was amazing and so was the service. Shout to JK!! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Went back to Pho Tám Cali yesterday because I had been contemplating trying the spicy pho, which is one of their best sellers. Since I love my pho extra spicy, I decided to give it a try and it was hands down some of the best pho I've had in a while! What I loved most was that the spicy pho wasn't simply regular pho with extra chili oil. The spice had so much additional flavor, while the broth still maintained that rich beef flavor. It was the perfect balance of heat and flavor. I have an extremely high spice tolerance, so I was genuinely shocked that this was actually spicy for me! There are three spice levels for this pho: mild, spicy and extra spicy. I ordered the spicy level, and it was definitely hot! I also went on a Sunday, so I was able to take advantage of their daily special. You can choose from the specials they offer throughout the week, and I decided to get the free size upgrade, which gave me plenty of broth. And don't forget: They offer free noodle refills when dining in, so of course I took advantage of that and got extra noodles. Overall, this was such a great meal, and I'll definitely be back soon! This specific pho would be perfect for a cold day or evening because it will definitely warm you up! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Spicy pho (spice level: spicy) - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Found this place nicely tucked away in a plaza. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and was surprised how packed it was. There was only one server so I was nervous that they'd be slow, but the service was great and food came out rather quickly! We tried the chicken pho which has a nice rich chicken broth. It still tasted clean without skimping out on the clean flavor so it was good! It came with a side of ginger sauce but it tasted good as is. Also got the lemongrass chicken vermicelli. The flavor was nice and authentic, and the chicken itself was nice and perfectly grilled! Some lemongrass chicken have too many chunks of lemongrass which I don't like, but this just had the right amount of the flavor. Overall great service and great food! They also have daily specials you can do. Give them a try if you're in the area! read more

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We dined in here. The lady who helped us was very sweet so she provided great customer service...She was very careful with our table and approached eventhough we didnt need anything and that service is 5 star for me. The ambiance was chill. Lay back decoration, clean and cozy. The food was missing the protein portion. The spring shrimp roll had very tiny shrimps so i didnt get the taste of shrimp. About Banh mi, the same thing as you see in the picture the meat portion is too little in compare to bread. Most of each part was bread so tasting mostly like bread If not the meat itself was delicious when i tried separately. They didnt offer jalapeños or lemon. For me jalapeños is the most with my spring roll. Also, i didnt like the peanut dipping sauce....It was too sweet. There is also bunch of parking lot outside... read more

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Good Vietnamese food in Lake Forest! Ordered the thinly beef belly with fries and egg 4/5. I also ordered a Vietnamese ice coffee, 5/5. Strong coffee that can keep you awake for days!! Service was good and fast. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Haven't tried their pho yet...but today I tried the Banh Mi BBQ Pork sandwich and it is lacking any luster :-/ Good taste/ flavor on the meat and soft bread but it was definitely missing on the filling! Too much bread for $13. Not coming back for this bread sandwich again! read more

Very little meat I paid for extra pate, which I did not receive as soon as I picked the bread up. It was so soft at fill apart not what I'm used to, but the atmosphere seems nice inside. Also I noticed by reading the comments that you don't wanna order your food to go at this place read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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It was a hot day and we found this Viet restaurant served other options beside Pho. All the dishes were delicious. Very authentic flavor. I grew up eating Bun thit nuong - vercimilli with grilled pork and it is rare to find a restaurant that can nail this exact flavor .The rice noodle was not overcooked, they incluced pickle, chopped veggies and egg roll, every condiment was on point . The star of the dish was the grilled pork and it was perfectly seasoned. Such a refreshing dish to eat in the summer. I also tried their Garlic Noodle with shrimp and the shrimps were giant! Not overcooked. Very nice seasoning. I'd like the green sauce to be condensed but their version is on the liquidly side. Overall, I will come back next time to try other dishes! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Garlic Noodles w/ Shrimp - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This review is specifically for the banh mi. I had photos from a visit last year, and comparing them to what I received this time, the difference was noticeable, especially in the amount of pickled carrots, which felt reduced. The sandwiches themselves were on the smaller side, so at around $12-$15 each, they felt a bit overpriced. The pork was slightly dry and lacked flavor, and the braised pork belly, though cut into large chunks, also fell short in seasoning. The biggest issue, however, was the bread. It tasted a bit stale, which really affected the overall quality of the sandwich. I used to enjoy their banh mi, but based on this recent visit, I would probably pass next time. read more

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I postmated a large chicken pho. It came in a bowl large enough to pour the broth into. Usually you have to get a bigger bowl to have it fit. To be fair tho, there wasn't much noodles. There was a lot of chicken and broth. I asked for extra hoisen sauce and I got it! Usually I don't. The soup itself was good. 9/10. Chicken wasn't my favorite. I order garlic Parmesan fries and maybe it was the delivery time, but they were a little hard by the time they got here. 7/10. read more

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We love ordering their charcuterie. Love all the details to arrange all our customized charcuterie. Our guests were impressed by the arrangement and the food is of course delicious! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Variety of meats and fixings to spread on your sliced baguettes. - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

5 stars for the unlimited pho noodle refills. They have a lot of specials daily's. The pho is not bad but not the best. The beef bone meat is really tender and soft. The other rice and dry noodle dishes are ok. The kids meals are really lacking. The drinks are ok. Everything is not bad, but not the best either. The service is so so too. Pretty slow. HAPPY PHOING!! read more

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Absolutely amazing Vietnamese pho and rice dishes! This place is hands-down one of the best spots in Lake Forest. The broth is rich and flavorful without being too salty, and you can tell it's made fresh. The meat is super tender, and the noodles are cooked perfectly every time. Their rice plates are just as good -- generous portions, juicy grilled meats, fresh veggies, and everything comes out fast and hot. The flavors taste authentic and home-cooked. The staff is friendly, the restaurant is clean, and the prices are great for the quality you get. If you love Vietnamese food or want a comforting meal, this place is a must-try. Highly recommend! read more

Small little restaurant that offers a menu with a little of everything ranging from rice, noodles, and pho. Service can be a hit or miss but we had great service recently. The restaurant is small with less than 20 tables so come early if eating with kids. They have a big screen tv that plays random images and/or screensaver so that can distract little ones. I ordered their vermicelli bowl with lemongrass beef but felt like the beef was either sour or bad? I left the meat behind since I don't want to chance getting sick. Hubs got the lomo saltado with beef belly which had sad soggy fries. It tasted ok. The only great deal is that kids eat free on Tuesdays. I would stick to the pho here. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Pho Rare Steak broth was very good. The noodles broke into small chunks very easily. The Crispy Tofu wasn't crispy. The Wintermelon Green Milk Tea straw was thin for the lychee jelly, making it difficult to drink. read more

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My wife frequently dine here because their food is really good but today, my wife picked up dinner for us (Shrimp Pho, Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut sauce and Shaken Beef Banh Mi) and we were very disappointed. Except for the spring rolls, we ended up throwing away the pho and the bahn mi. The pho had a variety of issues from the taste to the shrimp and didn't taste good as it usually is. The meat in the sandwich had a funky smell that I couldn't get past it. The meat has a slight smell as if the meat had been sitting out or maybe expired. Nevertheless, we will continue going but will be eating in the restaurant so if this happens, we'll be sure to address it. TY! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Shaken Beef Banh Mi - the meat had a slight smell and ended up throwing away the sandwich. - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

First time here and I'll be coming back! I ordered the Chicken Pho and it was so good. The broth was clean and tasty. I usually go to Westminster for my Pho and I'm glad I came across this local spot. The service was on point too! Thanks Jaka for the great hospitality! read more

Great food, smooth experience, and friendly service! Visited Pho Tam Cali in Lake Forest around 12:30pm on a Saturday and had a great experience. The restaurant was almost full, but there were still a few tables available and we were seated right away with no wait. We ordered spring rolls, vegan pho, and rare steak + beef back rib pho--everything was flavorful, comforting, and nicely portioned. The broth was especially satisfying and felt very authentic. Service was another highlight. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, and when I asked for a to-go box, he kindly packed my pho for me, which I really appreciated. They also have daily specials, which is a nice bonus and makes it easy to come back on different days. Overall, a solid dining experience with good food, thoughtful service, and a relaxed atmosphere. read more

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Decided on Pho for lunch and wanted to try a new place in South OC. FYI - Pho Tam Cali looks to be one of the 2 decently recently reviewed places in Lake Forest. They are located in a plaza with a bunch of other restaurants so there's a good amount of parking available. Ordered the special, regular size. Good amount of meat and the broth was pretty delicious. Only minor complaint I have is the amount of vegetables they give you to add into the bowl could be more. They do offer unlimited noodles and they have various daily specials per the little menu card on the table (see photo). If you're looking for a good deal, pay attention to the daily specials! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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The rating is generous. Ordered a $15 Shrimp salad. The portion waa smaller for a main meal salad. Vegetables were fresh but needed more of them, sprouts, carrots, cucumbers. Salad would be great with more with exception of the terrible excuse for dressing. See the picture. Tasteless and looks like rice vinegar and water. I ended up making my own Asian dressing. It could be great! read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

3 stars because while the flavor of the pho was okay, the spice level is WAY off. I am a spicy lover, I eat spicy food almost everyday and the medium spice for the pho was TOO MUCH. I felt bad I had to send it back because I was scared my stomach could not handle it, it was much MUCH hotter than I was prepared for. (I would have categorized the Medium as "Extra Hot" level. It came out with a layer of chili oil on the top) (Before I ordered I asked the server for a scale on how spicy their food is, she said the medium is a blend between mild and extra spicy) Even my Vietnamese friend was shocked how spicy it was for "Medium" spice. They were nice and let me switch it out to the Mild spice level and even that definitely was more spicy than usual. The Mild pho was a good flavor but it came out with a red film of chili oil on top. And it was spicy! Both the broth and the chili oil were spicy! About a 5/10 spice level. Compared to the Medium spice was 9/10 spice level! (I think they maybe diluted the previous bowl I sent back because it was still spicy af for "Mild") I can't imagine how spicy the "Extra Spicy" level is. And I totally get that it is "spicy pho", perhaps adjusting the menu scale or offering a sample to taste the heat level can be a game changer. I definitely would have enjoyed the pho if I was prepared for that degree of heat. read more

Pho Tám Cali - "Medium Level" Spicy Pho. - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Food was delicious... on Saturdays, all apps are 30% off all day. Service was pleasant and ambiance was average... small spot but plenty of seating. When I got the bill, the worker forgot to give me 30% off my appetizers. Good thing I asked for a receipt. She was nice and apologetic about it. The only thing that my husband and I have a complaint about is the restroom. Toilet seat needed cleaning on ththe back part and just a good mop to clean the floor... other than that... our experience was good. I would definitely order everything I got this time during my next visit. read more

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The drinks were definitely yummy, good service, and decent food. We got the egg rolls, spring rolls, bone marrow with fried rice, and chicken plate. Standard vietnamenese food with decent quality read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I ordered the rare steak and brisket pho, pork chop, banh mi, and strawberry tea. Also I asked for vegetables for the rice dish so it doesn't go to waste. The food was excellent! It's hard finding reliable Vietnamese food in south OC. All the good places are in Westminster or Garden Grove. This place hits the spot. Place was very clean, easy parking, and the staff was great. Definitely bookmarking so I remember when I'm in this area. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place used to be so good! I don't know if they changed owners or something but they are constantly trying to be cheap about things now. Multiple times I have ordered large drinks on uber eats and they give us small drinks. One time I went in to pick up my order and they gave me a small drink when I ordered a large and then the girl behind the counter blamed it on their ticketing system. Tonight we ordered egg rolls and I know it always comes with 6 and they gave us 3 and when we called, the guy said they recently changed it but that the egg rolls are bigger. They aren't. The greens weren't fresh either. It's a bummer because this place used to be amazing. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Wilted and old Thai basil that is sprouting - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Service: I ordered over the phone and went to pick it up myself. I ordered 4 orders of pho and it took over 40 minutes to get them. I think they forgot my order or didn't put it in when they were supposed to. No apology, no compensation. Ambiance is just so so. It's a small cafe in a mediocre plaza on the corner of a fairly busy street. read more

Solid and keeping it traditional savory flavoring. Great service with good ambiance. In an effort to help small businesses in the Lake Forest area, we thought we were trying a new pho place. We order the rare steak, chicken, and a special pho. All were very tasty. The rare steak pho and the special pho, use the same broth. Very savory and not oily. The portions of meat were decent for a regular bowl. They even served it with Thai basil, sprouts, and limes. The chicken fog came with fresh chicken instead of frozen with ginger fish sauce. Pretty unique for the south Orange County area. Highly recommend if you're looking for good Vietnamese food in the Lake Forest area. read more

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Meh. Tried this place because my kids wanted to eat nearby and I'm sick and wanted soup so I got take out. The broth was very salty and I had to heat it up. The rare beef was shredded and a gloppy mess. The portion of toppings was small. It was ok. It scratched the itch but beyond that I won't go back. read more

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The chicken was tasty however nothing "wow". The crispy tofu was a meh/ok. I asked about their pho broth and the waiter said it wasn't cooked from beef bones therefore technically im not sure if it has msg. The ambiance was ok, not too noisy. They do have specials daily so you might want to check that out especially on day that kids eat free. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vermicelli noodles with chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Disappointing experience. I waited 15 minutes past the estimated pickup time for just one sandwich. On top of the wait, the attention to detail was lacking--they ignored the specific order notes and left out the extras I had paid for. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Receipt - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Whenever I'm in town, I would order at least one meal from here. They are quick and the food is always good. Food is decent priced too so it's a win-win. Only done take out service so can't comment on dine-in experience. read more

Their spicy pho was incredibly flavorful -- perfectly balanced with heat and richness. And their matcha is easily some of the best I've ever had: smooth, earthy, and not too sweet. read more

Pho Tám Cali - spicy pho and garlic noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This "sniffs in" at 4.5 stars... ICED PEACH GREEN TEA: -- medium sized -- perfect moderate sweetness -- pronounced real peach flavor -- quality green tea taste and good balance -- I will order one to go or a second beverage next time RATING = A+ GUOI CUON (Pork) SPRING ROLLS: -- small size -- meat is subpar and does not look or taste like pork and definitely was not grilled (grilled is always better with these) -- charred pork is what I am used to and hoped for -- appeared fresh w/greens -- this needs work -- I would not order again as there are much better ones at other LF Vietnamese restaurants -- peanut dipping sauce is good RATING = C CRISPRY "REGULAR" FRIES: -- chipotle type aioli dipping sauce is thin and tasty -- crisp fries throughout with some meatier and some thinner -- a little more visible oil would be nice -- lightly salted -- sauce is the perfect companion RATING = A GARLIC SHRIMP NOODLES: -- love the creamy cilantro sauce and thankfully it is NOT spicy (some are) -- nice noodle texture -- moderate garlic or tad more and it is perfect -- snappy medium-sized grilled shrimp -- a very good rendition of this dish RATING = A SERVICE is polite and efficient. read more

Second time ordering take out from Pho Tam Cali. Ordered the bbq banh mi and meatball pho for lunch. Everything was so fresh and delicious! This is a cute little gem in lake forest. Love the ambiance and how clean the place is. Food is always good and customer service is exceptional! Looking forward to my next dine in! read more

I got Chicken Pho and it was delicious!!! The ingredients were fresh and service was awesome! Can't wait to come back and try more! Thank you! :) read more

I was disappointed of the taste and flavor in my bowl of chicken pho . The flavor is off as far as pho is concerned plus it was not served in a ceramic bowl . The broth was not supper hot . I will not return or recommend this place for a flavorful and savory bowl of pho read more

Another great spot on the LF gift card list! They have daily specials that we stumbled upon which was a nice surprise. The pho is always great which we opt for the leaner meat options. Lately we've been enjoying the vermicelli salad rice bowls with either bbq pork or lemon grass chicken. They leave us feeling pretty good after and not gross or unhealthy. Service is always friendly and parking usually isn't a problem as long as it's not peak rush times. read more

Pho Tám Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Passed by this place a couple of times and decided to try them out with my family. The place is homey and the staff were all very friendly and attentive. I usually go for pho at Vietnamese restaurant, but decided to try their vermicelli bowl. I was so glad I did because now it's my new favorite food. The vegetables served were fresh and the lemongrass chicken and spring rolls were delicious! We also ordered the truffles Parmesan chicken wings and they were served hot and crispy. I really enjoyed my meal and will definitely be going back for more! read more

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Food: Egg Rolls - 4/5 Crispy Chicken Wings (Garlic Truffle Parmesan) - 4/5 Pho Tam Cali Special - 4/5 Crispy Tofu - 4/5 Ube Milk - 5/5 Thai Tea - 4/5 Taro Milk Tea - 3/5 Wintermelon Green Milk Tea - 4/5 Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 4/5 My family and I recently came to try out this Pho place in OC. We shared a bunch of things and the most notable/memorable items were the egg rolls, the Pho, and the Ube Milk. Personally, I thought that the nuoc mam was lacking in flavor and spiciness but the eggrolls were still great. The pho was also pretty good as the rib was so tender that the meat was falling off the bone. The Ube Milk had to be my favorite item because it really captured the essence of it unlike just being another "vanilla taro" drink. I will say, the wings lacked in a lot of flavor as you can only taste the parmesan. Overall the service was really great and the restaurant was kept very clean. read more

The broth of pho was quite flavorful. The rib on their special pho was quite hugh and they provide a steak knife for me to cut it. Service was reasonably friendly. So far so good. read more