Pho Tai is a nice enough little daytime pho spot. I labeled all the dishes, so let me describe their ups and downs here instead.
The Mi Quang style noodle soup was good: lightly spicy and decent chewy noodles. However, the sesame cracker was the really the highlight of the dish. The shrimp was shell-on, so if that is something you don't like, don't order this dish.
The grilled chicken and fresh veggies was pretty basic. Nothing to rave about- but what would you expect? We were at a Pho house....
The stir-fry was good, but honestly, the chicken needed some extra care. It wasn't seasoned or marinated, so it only had the sauce slathered over the top. Again, what does one expect at a Pho house?
The Combination Meat Pho was very flavorful, but the cartilage was half-inedible as it wasn't rendered. Otherwise, it was a great dish! The broth was the star in that one and the noodles let it shine.
The spring rolls and fried egg rolls were just...ok. Not really good or bad. The spring rolls were filled to the brim with basil. So, they basically tasted like basil and nothing else. The rest of the spring roll was all textures- chewy wrap, cold, and fresh shrimp. Served with standard sauces. The pork was easy to bite through, but again no flavor from it as the basil completely overpowered them.
The fried egg rolls were made with crunchy-fried, layered rice paper wrapping. The pork filling was minced and minimalist. It kind of reminded me of a Quick-trip roller- if it had an Asian twist. I've had much better.
The ambiance music was great. The dining room is basic: so, not a date spot at all. Cool chandelier light is kind of out of place in here. Maybe they plan to make it nicer later on? The place seemed clean enough, but not all the staff were wearing masks. Most were, but not our waiter. I didn't see any gloves except for those cleaning tables. I did see them spray down a table after removing the dishes, but I didn't see any sanitizer- unless they are using sanitizer as their cleaning solution.
Finally, my to-go order: Bo Kho: Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Stew. The beef is (eating it now) very nicely stewed to a lovely rendered tenderness. Their is a touch of chewiness along the leftover fat areas that can easily be chomped through. The soup broth is excellent-- but there's not NEARLY enough of it. I've heated up the dish and the noodles basically soaked up all the soup in a matter of seconds. The noodles now taste great, but there's no soup left. They sent me with a side box of Thai basil, bean sprouts, a slice of jalapeño, and the two sauces. They also packed me a spoon and fork as well as (my preference) chopsticks. I can't repeat enough that there's just not even close to the correct amount of actual soup. I really wish there had been more soup (even if they put it on the side) to go with this.
All in all, this place is decent, but not 4-stars. I'd come back, but I wouldn't bring a date. (And obviously, go for the Pho, as that's what they intended to make.) read more