Pho Republique
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: South End1415 Washington St
Boston, MA 02116 (617) 262-0005
119 Reviews for Pho Republique
Am I the last to know about their $2 dim sum Thursdays? Wait, is it Thursday or Wednesday? All I know is I used the extra money that I would have spent on a full meal on cocktails instead. I think the deal stops at 7pm, but it doesn't take long to gobble up all of their dim sum. Literally, all. There were 4 of us and we ordered 3 rounds of the entire dim sum menu.
Even if you don't make it in time for the dim sum deal, this place is always a good choice. It's just plain cool. Get there a little earlier than your reservation so you can have a drink at the bar first. Take your time ordering and keep a menu with you while you eat--you'll want to order more. Two favorites: the spareribs and the tuna steak. Save room for the banana spring rolls for desert.
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I had a 3-way last night!
After the Second Glass wine/sake event we stayed for dinner and three of us ordered The Pho Combo with Tofu, the Chow Fun Noodles with Roasted Peanut Sauce and Tofu AND The Pineapple Kung Pao Tofu (the best of the 3). We passed the dishes between us grabbing at each others noodles and poking each others tofu. I had been here many times before but never before had I realized the glorious orgy of tofu dishes are on the Pho menu! To add to our pleasure, we were sipping Cherry Blossom Mojitos and AMAZING Mango Margaritas and for appetizers we ordered the fried tofu and the vegetarian rangoon spring rolls (drooling about them as I type)!
I just love the atmosphere of this place. In the middle of the south end that is bistros and white table cloth restaurants, in steps funky Pho with huge Buddha statues and sexy red lighting. Its great for dinner with friends or a intimate date and it gets even better at the bar as the night goes on.
*Although I am a vegetarian, I still have dreams about the tuna spring rolls filled with fresh meat and perfectly ripe avocados, so if you go, have one for me, it will make me happier to know you enjoyed it :)
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The Rangoon springrolls were so amazing! The atmosphere here is awesome, very dark and sleek, exactly how i want my bars! The bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable, the drinks inventive and delicious, the wine list isnt huge, but well thought out. I had the Savignon Blanc and it was light and crisp and paired well with the delicious spring rolls and Pad Thai. I definitely recommend the trip out to the south end to visit this creative little restaurant.
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Pho isn't my favorite food, so I stayed away from it when I went here for the first time. What I did have was a great cashewnut wokfry chicken. It was spicy, sweet, and delicious. Lots of water chesnuts and other olive looking tidbits that had a great texture (still trying to figure out what those little things were). We had the lettuce wraps for apps and they were plentiful. I went on a Wednesday night and it wasn't very busy, and the waitress was incredibly friendly and helpful with menu suggestions.
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It's not quite Viet, but it's definitely quality and a staircase-up from Chinatown. As others have mentioned, the strengths are the drinks and the environment.
When you walk past the cotton candy-colored lights, the decor is less painful on the eyes. The last time I was there, I sat across from a party of 30 or more people dressed in 1920's outfits. Legs crossed, sitting on the benches, surrounded by lush pillows, and flipping through their PDA cellphones, it looked like a page out of some Grand Expedition to the Orient. It was surreal and fantastic.
The service is also stellar, and the music is funky.
I left with mixed feelings. One of those feelings was fullness from the pho...and another was that feeling you get after being conned into buying those manicure kits from solicitors in malls.
The pho was good, but incredibly salty. I could barely make a dent in it, as usual. I didn't think it was $15 good...but nothing I can do about that.
I really enjoyed the shrimp rangoon spring rolls we had as an appetizer.
I agree with others that the waitstaff was a little under my expectations. If I'm going to be spending that much money on food, I'd like it to not take an hour to order it, please. We were a somewhat large group, and they had people order drinks and food separately, which I can understand. But did it have to take so damn long? I didn't think so. They were also rushed and didn't match the chill atmosphere that the rest of the restaurant gives off.
I won't make it a frequent hang-out spot, but I'll go for friends' birthdays and other special events.
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I was pretty psyched to check out Pho Republique for my old best friend's birthday last weekend, especially when I learned it was the sister restaurant to the Beehive. I'd heard they had awesome drinks, which is good because my best friend is quite the drunk! When I arrived, it did have a similar vibe to the Beehive as far as atmosphere: low lighting, tres chic red walls, unique Asian sculptures, ornate fixtures, etc. But, unfortunately, we didn't have the best experience as far as service.
My friend had called well in advance with reservations, but as it turned out, the number of people increased. She's like, popular and stuff, like OMG! So, she called and updated the number that day, but they were heavily booked that night so they couldn't accomodate all of us. There were about 10 people squished onto a bench that was supposed to seat five or six, and the rest of us were playing musical chairs depending on who was out for a smoke break- not cool. If it were a place that was unaccustomed to large groups, I would be more sympathetic. Their website says all over it, though, how great a place it is for large groups. I'd have to disagree- they claimed they literally did not have any more chairs to bring out. Also, for a group that was close to 20 people we certainly should have had more than one waitress.
Their drinks were pretty good; I had a red something-or-other martini which was made with pomegranate and cranberry- delish. Their house chardonnay was stellar, too, but the Pineapple Mint Sangria made me want to throw up into my napkin. I'm all for making new variations of standard drinks, such as Sangria, but mint? Who thought that was a good idea??
The food was good, I love the idea of making crab rangoon spring rolls. A fat girl's dream! And, though I cannot comment on how authentic or appropriately priced the Pho was, since I'm Whitey McWhiterson from Suburbia, I sure liked it. So, if nothing else, their restaurant at least got me to try a dish I'd never had before.
Personally, being on the counter-cultural side of things, some of the patrons were a lil too yuppy for me. When I got up to go to the bathroom, there was a group of tanorexics by the bar that thought they were pretty (dressed in the most cliche, matching outfits they could find, of course) who gave me the what's-the-fat-girl-doing-here stare when I asked politely to get by them. That always makes ya feel good!
So yeah, in conclusion, Pho Republique is like a pretty sorority girl: looks good, but there's not much substance.
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Holy Cabo Rolls! This little, *ahem* wrong term, HUGE appy is the bomb! The food is also excellent but this places strong points are the drinks and the "theming". It's a great escape for an hour or two, if you pace yourselves and tip accordinly of course. Grab a table for two and your date du'jour and it's all good. Also, a very hip and happenin' bar area, grab a few stools and have fun guys and gals night out.
For a large group:
Make a reservation in advance, maybe a week or two- Confirm the reservation. Once you do that, it's all a really great time. The food is delicious, the drinks are yummy and colorful, the atmosphere is lively. I had a group of 20+, we were hard to fit, but the friendly staff was accommodating.
Everyone enjoyed themselves, and that's how you know it's a good place (when you have 20 happy guests).
They have a TV at the bar (which really helps if you're inviting guys to your bday the night of a Celtics playoffs game).
I highly recommend this place for delicious food and a fun evening.
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Breaking News for your Wallet! - Pho Republique launches New $2 Bar Menu April 1, 2008
Everyone knows Pho Republique in Boston's South End has the best exotic cocktail - Now, Pho Republique is launching their new "Two Dollar Dim Sum Days" bar menu beginning April 1, 2008. The menu will be available Monday through Thursday from 5:30PM - 7:30PM and is only available at the bar. Included in these two-buck tasters will be:
Steamed Shrimp Shu Mai Dumplings $2
Chicken & Ginger Potstickers $2
Tofu, Edamame & Bok Choy Gyoza Dumplings $2
Curry Potato Samosa $2
Veggie Rangoon with Herbed Cream Cheese $2
Candied Garlic Spare Ribs $2
The Two Dollar Dim Sum Days bar menu will be available throughout April and May. YUM!!!!!!!!
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Pu Pu Platter. Lychee martini. 'Nuff said. Fabulous.
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The place has a great look, so I can understand how it would be a good place for drinks and lounging... but for PHO? I don't think so... not when you use Sriracha to decorate the bar.
I went here last year with another Vietnamese friend from out of town. Our server was this tall blond chick in a Chinese dress who was like, "Can I explain to you what pho is?" Homegirl, I've had pho broth running through my veins since birth and let me tell YOU that one bowl does not cost $16. Needless to say, we were out of there in 5 minutes.
This place is for clueless suckers new to Vietnamese cuisine who want to blow lots of cash and feel trendy in the process.
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I had very mixed feeling about this place. I came here on Saturday for my main squeeze/roommate/fag hag's birthday celebration. I had a good time but the service seriously sucked. The bartender was amazing. She made us Jackaritas (which is basically a margarita but with Jack Daniels. Sound disgusting but it's wonderfully delicious)
And she was basically so f**** awesome that the place is getting four stars. The food was okay. The service was lousy. And it was pricey but damn were those some good drinks.
When I first visited PR in college I was thrilled at how aesthetically it was unlike any other that I'd be in the city, an eclectic mishmash of pan-Asian decor from red neon double luck signs to old Vietnamese photographs, broad leafed fans and woven grass accents. Throughout the years it's retained that unique feeling, funky/chill staff and creative cocktails.
There's not much culinary envelope pushing happening. Don't come here looking for good pho. It ain't that kind of place. The app menu consists of fried everything (though the tuna springrolls are particularly nom nom nom worthy) but people flock here for the environment anyway. I prefer to pop over on a slow weeknight, plant at the bar and challenge myself to a lychee martini and perfect storm marathon. The latter drink, concocted by Vince (formerly of Redline) adds a kick Zen green tea liqueur to what's essentially a dark and stormy. Serious yumz.
Just call me fangirl #789172036. There's a reason everyone [rad] loves this place.
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Really REALLY good drinks. Good but greasy asian food. Servers are cooler than you and have more tatoos, but they don't make you feel bad about it.
A pretty good South End standby.
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I hear all the complaints, and I get 'em, and agree with most of them, and normally royally blast most restaraunts for committing the same infractions (trying-to-hard, horrible waitstaff, good-but-not-great food) but somehow, Pho Republique has always been a good to me.
...and I won't try to deflect rumors that this is because they simply serve you enough alcohol to induce a sense of a good time. Yes, I've consumed my fair share of alkie here, but I've always had a good time, so they are doing SOMETHING right.
(really, the last sentance is all you need to read, but I've thrown in a bit of unnecessary explication, ENJOY!)
Props to Pho because:
I enjoy the mix of people there. Yuppies, Guppies, Drop-outs, it's somewhere I can (and have) talk about pre-cumming and anal to vaginal sex in my very obnoxious, loud, carrying voice and experience nary a reprimand-ish look (again - lots of alcohol).
I like the food. It might not be "authentic" but I wouldn't know "authentic" if it came up to me and asked to see my driver's license. It's not great, but it's never been bad, and somehow it's the only place where I'm able to eat their Pho without slopping it all over myself.
They have a nice bar, normally full of people, always quick service.
If you make reservations, they seat you instantly.
HOWEVER,
Once, the beef in the Pho tasted suspiciously like PORK. What? You don't think three of us would be able to tell the difference when the beef in all of our dishes oddly tasted like pork?
The waitstaff SUCKS. Hard-core sucks. And seem to think that their amazing "personality" makes up for it. Sorry, your personality just makes it worse.
Also, I realized here that I might be/become an alcoholic when I sat down for a friends birthday party, everybody ordered cocktails, and I ordered a pitcher of Sangria for myself...ooops. Speaking of cocktails, I've never been a big fan of any of theirs for some reason which is odd, because their cocktails are normally quite popular, and I love alcohol.
So to sum up this unexpectedly long review:
Good fun if you've no expectations and are a drunk!!!
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So my friends seem to looove this place. I like it, not love it, just like it. Went for a friend's b'day dinner here.
I think its pretty much an asian fusion place. The decor is cool, the servers were accommodating enough to keep adding tables and chairs for us as our party increased. The appetizers are all really good, specifically the spring rolls. And the drinks, my favorite is the Cherry Blossom. I did have someone drink 4 Lychee Martinis so I assume those are pretty good too. However, the drinks are a little too strong for my taste, but that's just me. I ordered chicken pho which was nothing outstanding. It was ok. It is a big big bowl though, that's a good thing for people who love it. I guess my big problem with the pho was the chicken. It had a weird taste to it. Thankfully I liked the soup it came in along with bean sprouts.
Like I said before, I doubt if this is exclusive Vietnamese food..if you know what I mean.
Note: The menu listed "Chardonnay"
Me: What kind of Chardonnay do you have?
Waitress: California
Me: What kind?
Waitress: I don't know, we change it all the time.
Me: Huh?
I can definitely forgive a waitress for not remembering the wine, BUT please please please take a walk over to the bar and find out for me. Pretty please? At $11/glass I want to know.
That is how the dinner started and it didn't really get much better. The menu is pretty limited and the food is greasy and not very memorable.
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just cuz they serve *one* vietnamese item, it dont make them a viet place. this place is asian (con)fusion. their menu is a mess of pan-asian-inspired appetizers like pork ribs. and their decor is the same...pan-asian-inspired tokenism. in any case, it is very pretty inside. and that sangria thing was pretty good. otherwise, this place is a typical representation to me of how white boston is.
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yum, yum, yum!!!
Since starting a new job in the South End i have managed to convince various friends to leave their happy symphony bubble and venture out to meet me for dinner and drinks after work...what can i say i am one convincing lady.
One of the best post work dinners i have had thus far was at the Washington St. sensation Pho Republique with my dear friend the Boosk. I had been excited to go to the Pho after hearing all the wonderful things mainly about their Lychee nut martini's. Well i happened to not get a Martini but a glass of Sauvion Blanc that was very tasty. For an app. we split chicken pot stickers...tasty. I had scallops with sugar snap peas...even tastier. However, the kicker was the to die for banana tempura served over coconut sorbet and drizzled with honey....TASTIEST!
Also, our waitress was a peach and they play great tunes
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I went here for Restaurant Week this year and I definitely was not disappointed. For an appetizer my girlfriend and I ordered the chicken ginger potstickers which turned out to be amazing. I decided to order the pho for dinner, which turned out to be delicious. The beef wasn't served raw (which I prefer), but I still enjoyed it.
The one thing I didn't really enjoy was their pineapple mint sangria, which turned out to be so overloaded with wet mint leaves that it was almost undrinkable by my second glass. They really needed to strain that stuff a little better.
Oh yeah, and the red lighting was a little much. I felt like I was in a scene from Apocalypse Now...
Overall a pretty goodto go if you want Vietnamese food with some decent (albeit tacky) atmosphere.
If you ever need to go yuppie hunting, this would be an excellent place to set a trap. For bait, use some overpriced, half-hearted Asian "fusion" and a cocktail big enough to swim in. Have someone rude and made over with the tackiest form of "cool" manning the trap, and you'll have success, guaranteed.
Pho Republique has no interest in giving you a space to wait for your table, or, once seated, providing a table of adequate size for your party. They're not interested in your comfort or your enjoyment of the event. They don't seem even particularly interested in food, as their recipes have neither the joyful elements of the Asian dishes by which they're inspired, nor any exciting ingredients from other cultures to earn the fusion classification. Pho Republique is very interested in selling you alcohol, perhaps to lower your judgment and certainly your standards.
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Just like our waitress that was wearing the mesh skin coloured shirt with the fake tattoos on the sleeves, this place is trying too hard. it's one of those restaruants that overspent on the design so they take it out on over charging the food and drinks.
the only people they are fooling are the ones willing to pay $18 for pho. why not just go get an authentic bowl of pho for a third of that price in Chinatown, or head over to Kowloon's for old school kitschy tiki decor and flaming drinks?
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Great French Vietnamese food- big noodle bowls, lots of apps. Lots of fun drinks too- I recommend the scorpion bowl to share :)
The atmosphere is great. Fun place to hang out for drinks, apps, and late night; good for dinner dates too. Staff is friendly.
2 stars for the appetizers - they were excellent!! There was a large group of us for dinner on Friday night and everything I sampled was super yummy.
Another 2 stars for our waitress - who was helpful, and attentive, and yet let us hang out without feeling pressured.
Everything else was fairly standard -- the drinks were good and my main course, the Shrimp Pad Thai was pretty tasty.
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What a cluster fuck! In every aspect. Don't believe me? If you are not a South End regular, think before you come here. The drinks and wait staff are about only thing exotic in this place. Here, I'll break it down
Food: This is not authentic south Asian cuisine. The steam from the bowls of pho wafting through the air is about $1 a sniff. Yup about $16 for one bowl of pho? Wha tha fack. Stick with Chinatown or if you must order items off their dim sum section... the Shumai dumpling and sashimi tuna spring rolls are yummy.
Drinks: Yes, the drinks are exotic: Scorpion Bowl, mango martinis, pomegranate martinis, coconut martinis- just to name a few. A bit over priced. Yet the sake and coconut martini are excellent . I had my first martini here when I was 21, so I can't hate on the drink menu.
Decor: The variegated decor sprawls throughout the restaurant. There is a knick knack or something or another on every goddamn inch of the wall. It is like a tiki hut puked inside a dimly lit restaurant.
Patrons: The next fuck of a cluster is all the peeps. It is a madhouse with all walks of life, but a definite fav of the South End locals. Pho IS a hell of a place to intermingle- pho sure!. The omnifarious patrons stand awkwardly around while everything from punk rock to some new wave jazz is playing in the background. Though the lighting is dim, the stares from each other are obvious ............ The chicks in the knee high uggs are rolling their eyes at the girl in all black with red lipstick and short bangs. It's all good though- just don't mess with the South End regulars.
Wait staff: The wait staff is another story. Trendy, thin and pretty. Don't fuck with them. They don't want to be working and with some of them, you know it. From tight shirts and high boots to dread locks, they make for excellent glimpses when they come to your table. I love one of them.
Pho is boasted as a casual neighborhood bar. I completely disagree. I think it is overly trendy and over priced, sexy establishment plopped in a neighborhood where it doesn't belong.
I will give this place three star :
Yummy drinks
Excellent sashimi
People/server watching
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My favorite restaurant in Boston. Amazing cocktails and tofu curry. This is an americanized asian influenced restaurant. Fresh food and amazing. It is probably not authentic but perfect for my taste buds. A little pricey - so I only go there occasionally.
Finally checked this place out not too long ago and it was very good. I have frequently eaten at the cheap Pho joints around town so it seemed overpriced for the same kind of food. That said,however, it was prepared well and we liked having the upscale martinis and most of what we ordered, esp the short ribs, spicy shrimp, satay & pad thai.
We had reservations for 6 people on a busy Saturday night. We were seated as soon as we arrived, which is always a plus!
Drinks: I'm on a mission to try every lychee martini known to man. I planned to try one here, but the waitress recommended the Tokyo Rose. I'm glad she did! I'm sure the lychee was great, but this was an unusual drink, very tasty, not too sweet, that you can't find anywhere else.
Apps: I'd probably pass on the pu pu platter next time and just order chicken satay or something. Everything was good, but nothing wowed me.
Entrees: Three of our table ordered the sesame crusted tuna. It was cooked perfectly and served with a really delicious salad, dressed with some sort of gingery dressing. I have also heard that their version of Kung Pao chicken is awesome, as well as the steak frites. I was puzzled as to why steak frites was on a pan-asian menu, though.
Parking: scarce.
craveable yellow shrimp curry and wok fried spicy broccoli. i like to grab takeout on my way home from the dog park on occasion (once a week counts as 'on occasion', right?) and they'll happily bring the order out so i don't have to leave my pup on the sidewalk.
LLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHEEEEE Martini. That's all i'm gonna say...except, how many calories sir? It's so yummy-but can't have more than 3-4...5? No, it's super rich so I'd say 2 is good then switch to a swankier martini or another one of their bitchin drinks - greygoose straight up works after that.
We've been frequenting this place for at least 5 years. I love the food-not all of it however but overall, it's great. I think all their rolls are yum, mmmm , i'm envisioning me swishing down with that asian invasion of a drink. Pad tie is great, spare ribs...well I think ist' all been covered. Have yet to order the duck but based on the last review, since it's not fatty I may just go for it. OOOOOO and the big ole drinks to share.....not sure-I tend to suck WAY more than my partners in crime-never fair for them.
The place is almost comical late night-on occassion a veritable freak fest-which is fine by me compared to a place like the saint (um, no thank you)
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There were several reasons behind my desire to visit Pho Reblique, not the least of which was the dreadlocked waitress featured in the Improper a few issues ago. Rawr. . .
The name and red lit interior evoke a communist impression but the prices should drive the proletariat to revolution. I could discuss socialist ideals over three bowls of Pho downtown for the price of one at the Republique.
As the epitome of high concept, this restaurant is attended for the ambiance, the people watching and the come-as-you-are casual atmosphere rather than the South Asian themed menu. To be fair, I enjoyed the food. The roti pancake with curry was comforting on a rainy night and the Pho murmured inauthenticity but still gratified. The drink menu had some interesting options and points go to PR for being one of the few bars I've come across with Hoegaarden on tap.
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Pho Stars for Pho Republique my Mo-Phos!
Yes, this is a great haunt way up Washington St opposite some spooky ugly church. I've been here for cocktails on a Saturday, dinner on a Friday and now freebie drinks and snacks on a Yelp event Tuesday. Everytime was a good time. How come Tom, pray tell? Don't you have a list?
I do indeed! It's great because...
1. Drinks - the bar here (when you can get to it) is top notch bonafide great. The staff can make you pretty much any cocktail you want, but you'd be a numpty not to give their Vietnamese coffee martini a go - you get a Pocky in it!
2. It's got decor - yes yes, that thing Boston always lacks. The design is Indochine, and it's mighty fine, so come and dine, and drink wine.
3. There's a buzz - on the weekend nights it's packed with a good crowd of eaters and drinkers. People-watch, mingle, interact, get drunk.
Be warned though that this is not the place to go for a quiet foodie dinner - for the price the food isn't quite up to scratch and the menu is anything but authentic (think Faux Republique). If you turn up without a reservation on a key night you'll be muchos frustrated and don't ever hope just to grab a quick drink. The bar can take you 20+ mins - hell on earth when you're thirsty for fun.
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Loved this place. Seriously. Loved.
BEVERAGES: BUY YOU (ME) A DRANK...
What sort of review would this be without a cocktail summary? The Mango Martini was smooth and mild. Definitely a drink to sit back and sip. Fortunately (unfortunately?) I'm not a sit back and luxuriate in my beverages sort of girl so I moved on to the Red Splender (their spelling, not mine). This drink was the epitome of refreshing... seriously, it was so refreshing that I had three.
FOOD: TASTE SO GOOD IT MAKES A GROWN LINDSAY YELP
Particularly notable were the Sashimi Tuna Crispy Spring Roll, Crispy Tofu, Shrimp Pad Thai.
SERVICE: CATERED HEAVEN
Seriously, the waitstaff, bar-staff, and everyone else there really made an effort to make a very large motley crew of Yelp Elite feel right at home.
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Pho Republique was the bomb tonight!
It was my first time.
I was there for a yelp elite event. My GOD. The drinks were flavorful and plentiful. I loved the unique, punchy cocktails.
Me? I went for dark n stormys mostly. They were FANTASTIC. The ginger beer was exceptionally dry and potent. The bartender (male, closest to the entrance) was exquisite. Skilled and efficient.
The appetizers were ridiculously tasty (and large in size).
The chicken satay with peanut sauce was delicious.
The pork and ginger dumplings were THE BOMB.
The tuna spring rolls? whoa. They were like fried maki - insane.
I loved the experience here tonight and I'll be happy to come back any try some entrees.
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This was my first Yelp Elite event and I had the pleasure of meeting other Yelpers in person, who were so very cool and sociable!!
The Pho Republique has interesting decor, delicious food, and great drinks. The finger food here was very tasty. I loved those little pork potstickers, fried tofu, chicken satay, and the tuna roll. The mixed vegetables on the buffet over the rice was pretty good. As for the alcoholic drinks, I took small sips of the martinis and drinks my Guest was really enjoying since I was the "DD." The Absolut Citron Martini (with lemons), Sake Martini, and the Captain Morgan & Coke were all pretty good.
The bartenders and servers did a fantastic job!! The bartenders were very hard at work mixing great drinks and martinis. The servers took care of our food needs by passing out plenty of food, keeping the buffet filled, and serving drinks from the bar to our table. The staff here were all very nice. Kudos!!
Definitely a great place for this Yelp Elite event!!
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First time there for Yelp Elite event.
(Yes we all enjoy meeting internet "friends" in real life!)
Looking at the website I sort of went into panic mode when I saw...
- The Pho dish prices.. since we other lame wads pay about $6 when treating ourselves at regular Vietnamese restaurants.
- The decor. I thought it was some cowboy heehaw looking place.
Walking in.. I was half wrong.. this place had style. Reminded me of the islands, mind tricking into thinking it's breezy high ceilings and nice dim but enough sunlight from windows lighting.
Too bad we sat in the dark corner by the bathroom. That wasn't that bad though.. great for getting the happy tongue drinks in a timely matter and getting first dibs on the tasty right out of the kitchen apps.
THEY USE REAL CHICKEN! You can taste the damn chicken satay... even if you miss the peanut sauce. Amazing. Rib meat fell off the bones. The crispy sashimi springrolls with fresh tuna & wasabi ? Never had anything like it. Impressed.
Out of the Cherry Blossom Sake Mojito, Sake martini, Dark and Stormy's.. etc.. Favorite was the Indochine Punch. Sure knocks the hell out of you for a fruity drink.
Humungo bathrooms. Woohoo. What was that green natural paper leaf thing on the tables? Oil paper. Also, I totally banged on the gong.
Heard the bartender telling somebody Pho R's been around 10+ years? Nobody even thought of telling me it even existed.
Best thing was the staff though. They really came through for their boss person, Yelp and us herbs. I loved all of them. Been to a couple of past events but these guy were THE top notch of KEWL.. with a K and EWL.
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HOLY COCKTAILS BATMAN!
Pho, the host of our most recent elite event. I don't journey down to the South End very often as I hate riding the bus, but this was well worth it. Ride the Silver line and get off at Union Park St. and walking 2 blocks.
The drinks I had included : Tokyo Rose (?), Lychee Martini and a Mango Margherita. The Tokyo Rose was a concoction of sake, pommegranate, and umm...something else? But was probably my favorite of the three. There was an endless array of food circulating around the room including some vegetarian rangoons, tuna rolls, fried tofu, and potstickers. All were delicious, the rangoons definitely topping my list.
The staff was fantastic. The bartenders were quick and diligent, the waiters carrying the hors d'ouvers were sure to have enough napkins so we weren't wiping our mouths on our sleeves, and one even directly sought out Kirs with her vegetarian platter when it would get refilled. Very accomodating.
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Last night's Yelp Elite event was the first time I'd been into Pho Republique, and I was not disappointed. Ligaya put together and awesome event, and I have to give it to her and the awesome, professional staff for putting it all together so nicely.
I'm not normally the type of person to order elaborately made drinks, due to the fact that I'm cheap, my stomach can't usually handle really sweet/girly drinks, and I like simplicity. However, after perusing the menu, I had a Tokyo Rose, followed by a Cherry Blossom Sake Mojito, which was probably the best damned mixed drink I've had in a LONG time. I have to give big props to the bar staff for being fast and professional and friendly, even with scores of thirsty Yelpers yelling for their martinis.
Also, can we talk about the food? Amazing. Light appetizers like the tuna roll, the vegetarian rangoon rolls, the pot-stickers, and the pineapple and kung pao chicken skewers were the perfect complement to the steady flow of drinks. The shrimp pad Thai was also delicious and gone from my plate in about 3 minutes flat. The servers were also incredibly friendly, professional, and observant.
My only complaint with Pho rests with the volume of the music. At one point the jazz was turned way up, turning the music from pleasant background ambience into a slight hindrance to the conversations I was holding with my fellow Yelpers. But it's a minor complaint when one takes into the account the awesome FREE food and drinks, as well as the stellar company.
I'd love to come back here for a regular meal, and I will certainly be back to try it out.
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Yummy apps, great bartenders who knows how to make a drink! I was there for the first time last sat. My friends and I carved out a little space at the bar and had a wonderful time! The bartender was great. She gave us a little tour of the drink list and we loved every drink she poured! The mango mint martini was delicious. We didn't sit down for dinner but the bar seems to be where its at in this place.