You know a place is good when you almost don't want to write a review because you're worried that you'll never be able to go back if everyone knows about it. You also know that a place is good when you go back for the same thing you had yesterday the very next day. I will admit to both.
I didn't have high expectations when I decided to stop by for the first time, and the bit of a longer wait for my food to come out further discouraged me. But as soon as I took the first sip of that pho broth, my heart was stolen. What makes me a legitimate judge of good pho? Aside from being 1/6ths Vietnamese and growing up alongside the Vietnamese population of Northern California, trial and error.
The pho broth here has a lot of flavor and isn't too salty. In fact, I was still sipping away after I'd finished my noodles, which I never do for the sake of my health. Good pho broth shouldn't be murky, and while this broth isn't exactly translucent you can tell that the surface fat has been removed with care. I ordered the recommended pho with us, two days in a row just to make sure that the first time wasn't a fluke, and sampled the mild pad Thai and French dip banh mi. The beef rib adds good flavor but is just a bit of a hassle to eat, so I took it home for my cat. The other meats were tender and of good quality, and even without the meat on the rib I'd say it's a good portion for one person. The pho noodles weren't anything extraordinary, but they were done right so no complaints.
Now for the finishing touch: the chili oil! My entire family is obsessed with chili oil, to the point where they tried to sneak a couple of jars through customs while coming back from Asia. My mom makes her own sometimes, and I remember opening the door to the burning of peppers stinging my eyes. I've never been convinced to try chili oil until I ordered this bowl of pho. The oil was so smooth, the spice wasn't even strong, and it paired perfectly with the pho. Another small thing to call out is the fact that the Thai basil came out full and fresh, the jalapeño slices were large and flavorful, and the limes were big and juicy. It's easy to cut corners with the sides, and as someone who does use three out of four of the side options I really appreciate the emphasis on quality.
Mild pad Thai: Huge portion! Not spicy at all if requested mild. I'm not personally the biggest fan of pad Thai because the rice noodles can get gummy if not eaten quickly, but thoroughly enjoyed by the person I was eating with.
French dip sandwich: Longer than a foot! We were informed that the wait was a bit longer because of the bread. The bread came out warm, fluffy on the inside and a good crunch on the outside. It comes standard with brisket but you have the option of adding additional meat, we got just the brisket though and had no complaints.
Thai tea: Extremely aesthetically pleasing, not too sweet, can easily tell that it's the real deal and not made from powder. Totally recommend!
Overall, this place is the best aspects of American dining mixed with Vietnamese quality. The servers are very attentive and will come by to check on you, the check is brought to the table as opposed to you having to go up to pay it, and the server was happy to help us pack our leftovers instead of having us do so ourselves. All in all, I've found my new favorite pho restaurant and this one is not going to be easy to beat. read more