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Absolutely Phobulous
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
350 N La Cienega BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90048
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
(310) 360-3930
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
200 reviews for Absolutely Phobulous
Review Highlights
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"Fast, friendly, fun, fabulous pho." In 161 reviews -
"The spring rolls are fantastic too." In 33 reviews -
"Thier broth is perfect." In 51 reviews
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200 reviews in English
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Review from Melanie D.
West Hollywood, CA
4/24/2012
It wasn't anything worth raving about.. just an OKAY place for PHO. Their menu was small and only had a few options for PHO..I got the Beef Pho and din't eat the whole thing because it is only served as a combination of meats..I'm sure I could have asked for it without some ingredients, however I wish they had more options.
The food came really fast..it took them longer to take our order than it took them to being us our food..but once we got our food the server was MIA and I could not get a refill on my water.
Prices were really affordable though! Overall experience was just OKAY. I wouldn't oppose to going there again however I wouldn't be excited about it either -
Review from Jackie C.
Los Angeles, CA
3/25/2012
Went here for the first time today for some takeout.
I've found that the easiest place to park when coming here for me is to make a left turn on Oakwood since I'm coming from Santa Monica Blvd... I don't like to parallel park on La Cienega because if I'm coming from SM Blvd and park I''ll have to cross the street which I'm too lazy to do unless I make an illegal u-turn in order to park on the other side... Plus it's hard to parallel park on La Cienega!!!. I hate to reinforce typical stereotypes but they do exist for a reason; I'm Asian and not afraid to admit I can't parallel park jack SH#T!
I parked too close towards Melrose and ended up having to walk a quarter of a mile; I'm lazy so that's a lot of walking in the cold for me. Pho was pretty good; I got the chicken one to go and a Thai tea. They have a $10 credit card minimum policy hence the reason why I added in a Thai tea to round it up! It's $7.50 for a bowl which is cheaper than Unphogettable which is also close by. I'm not sure which one is better to be honest; they taste the same I think. I think I prefer the chicken pho at Unphogettable a tad more. -
Review from Hamed M.
2/25/2012 3 Check-ins Here
i was really surprised by how much i loved the pho here. why? because the average yelp review was 3 stars, and the restaurant is located on la cienega, which doesn't jump out at me as an area wherein a delicious vietnamese restaurant would be located.
service was fast. the chicken in the spring rolls were lean white meat. the pho was huge! i had chicken pho with added steak, and i was struggling to finish the dish. not only was there plenty of meat, but also noodles. plus, the prices weren't as expensive as vietnamese restaurants near downtown.
there is plenty of metered parking in the vicinity. -
Review from Mai N.
Los Angeles, CA
4/30/2012
Vermicelli Combo PORK! Get it! I'm Vietnamese and I love it. this dish was meant to be eaten with pork - not beef or chicken. Just add some chili sauce in it and ask for another side of fish sauce to put in the bowl. I thought the egg roll batter kinda tasted like KFC - which I thought was funny but I liked it!
When you first get it- the pork looks really oily - which bothered me at first - but when you mix everything together - it's really good and I forgot about the oiliness of the meat. I still wish it was less oily though.
I don't like the pho as much. Broth just doesn't have the right flavor to it.
Service great. -
Review from Kristine Bobbie N.
Chicago, IL
5/11/2012
Came here for the nem nuong with the fried wonton wrapped inside. It was good but the sauce that it came with was pretty bland, had to add a ton of spice to it to add flavor. Overall the pork was tastey though.
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Review from Cathy L.
San Francisco, CA
4/17/2012
I love love love the pho here, both the veggie and chicken versions. Most of all, love that they don't oversalt the dish.
The imperial egg rolls are yummy and their main dishes are quite good as well if you're not feeling absolutely phobulous that day.
There's parking in the back - which most people don't know about! -
Review from Namella K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
My car got a flat tire a few blocks away. I was thankfully close to a Just Tires so I took my poor car in to replace her shoes. Meanwhile, I was terribly hungry from not eating all day. It was well into the 5PM hour and I've had a full day with empty stomach. Where to eat??? Ah, pho- my go-to meal. Thankfully Absolutely Phobulous was within walking distance.
I sat on the bar alone and enjoyed a warm comforting bowl of pho. The meatballs and rare steak was a welcome relief. I asked for extra cilantro and got a sizable small bowl full of chopped FRESH cilantro. Armed to the teeth with siracha and sambal, I rogued the pho and enjoyed the spices revving me back into shape.
The space is small but smart. Service was prompt and courteous. Yay! -
Review from Delf E.
Studio City, CA
Updated - 1/20/2012
apparently, they have an Encino branch too. Excitement!
PS, I normally get the marinated chicken breast over garlic rice, served with their house sauce which I could probably bathe in.
Last time, I tried the rotisserie chicken over tomato rice -- a good flavor change, but def returning for my go-to dish above.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/5/2012
I recently discovered this place thru my chiro/ART practitioner who works in the area.
I may not be… Read more »
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Review from Amanda L.
12/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
What a nice little surprise!
I was looking for bahn mi in the Hollywood area and Yelped this spot. I called in an order from around the corner and the guy said, "Two minutes." I thought I mis-heard him, but when I literally came around the corner, parked out front and walked in, he was holding the sandwich in his hand, ready to go! LOL
The sandwich itself was bahn mi/bagette sandwich perfection. I got the BBQ pork, and I have to say, it even beat out one of my favorite spots in the Valley.
The restaurant itself is very small, but was packed at about 2 in the afternoon and quite a few Vietnamese people - it's usually a good sign when a restaurant is filled with people who are native to the cuisine that is being offered - usually a testament to the authenticity of the food.
All I can vouch for is the BBQ bahn mi, which was terrific, and I will def be heading here every time I am working in the area, at least once a week. -
Review from Jason A.
Los Angeles, CA
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had lunch here with a friend. Small joint, with typical pho joint stylings. Friend and I ordered combo with rare steak on the side and extra lime (ask and I'll let you know how this way makes it the best). We both got all rare steak on the side. No combo... The server didn't seem to speak English that well and my viet is shit.
Turned out to be more of a good thing cause I like it rare anyways and the broth was pretty darn good : )
Highlight: Jon Hamm from Mad Men came in and sat at the table across from ours! Big fan of the show. I don't usually get star struck but I could hear he was playing Hanging With Friends on his iPhone and I kinda wish I got his player name so I could say I beat Jon Hamm...
I live pho and when in the area I'll be back. -
Review from James T.
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came here today which was our second choice only because the first spot we went to was closed. We were lucky to find parking in the front which were metered parking and required coins on a Sunday afternoon till 8pm. We were greeted right away and had the option to choose our seats.
I noticed the price for pho was 6-7+plus but didn't mind just as long as the soup was good. My friend and I both ordered the combo pho with 3 types of beef which was rare steak, beef brisket and beef balls. I always ask for my rare steak to be placed on the side. It took about 5 minutes for our Pho to come out and the waitress totally messed up both our orders. We ended up with rare steak only. I can't blame her, her engwish was so bad I didn't want to bother. Forgot to mention she never asked if we wanted any drinks but she didn bring waters out with straws. I tasted the broth and it was pretty good that I didn't have to add much hoisin sauce and limes.
I notice a patron walking towards the cashier but I was a little preoccupied garnishing my soup. I heard him placed an order for spring rolls and as he walked out I looked up and it was John Hamm from MadMen. His wife met him right outside in the front and they came right in and sat right across from us to eat. He had also ordered a bowl oh pho. The funny thing was that you can hear him playing "Hanging with Friends" right before his soup and rolls came out.
MadMen by far is the best show on television and John Hamm is the best television actor. I will definitely come back here not only because this may be a regular spot for MadMen's lead star but the soup was pretty superb.
Enjoy! -
Review from Uh N.
Los Angeles, CA
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the taste of pho, but I try not to eat it too often because it's loaded with MSG.
However, Phobulous' veggie pho with veggie broth (not chicken broth) is MSG free. Yay! And it tastes really good. They load it with a lot of veggies and tofu. Hmm, I think I'm going there for lunch today. -
Review from Daisy S.
West Hollywood, CA
2/6/2012 2 Check-ins Here
The vegetarian pho has actual vegetables in it with actual flavor. Very good. I'm usually just eating around the chicken in the (very good) pho places in Koreatown but when you want to be a good vegetarian, go here for the pho. You can park in the back of the restaurant.
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Review from Julienne E.
Irvine, CA
Updated - 2/23/2012
Recommend the vegetarian spring rolls might go back for them otherwise the rest mediocre at absolute best.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/18/2012
Recommend the vegetarian spring rolls might go back for them otherwise the rest mediocre at absolute… Read more »
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Review from Kaimana N.
Aiea, HI
Im a BIG bun/vermicelli fan and Absolutely Phobulous has to have one of the best vermicelli combos I have ever tried. Its a very small but cute restaurant decked out with pink daisies on the table (sorry, the gay in me popped out).
The service was good, never had to wait for a refill on my water.
There is street parking (not bad at all during the day time).
FYI they have one of the most hottest vietnamese waiters I have ever seen...JUST SAYING...
5 stars for the pho and hot waiter!Listed in: I like to play in LA, PHO-king delicious!
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Review from Brian L.
Los Angeles, CA
8/28/2011
This was my first introduction to Pho. As such, i liked it, but wasnt sure how to place it on my rankings. SInce my first visit, i have been to a plethora of pho joints, and realize that phobulous is fairly run of the mill.
decent pho, nothing bad to say about it. I live near K-Town and have access to lots of places, so dont know if i will be going back here, but for those who dont want to venture off, this place is tasty enough.
oh and the staff can be short/rude sometimes. depends on the day and their mood -
Review from Lucy V.
Los Angeles, CA
11/4/2011
I love Pho and Absolutely Phobulous drew me in with its hip ambiance and locale. It's a cool atmosphere but a little crowded during lunch on a weekday. This made it hard to get great service, but service was good considering.
I had the veggie pho and the broth is pretty good but the tofu and veggies didn't retain that flavor. I was going for meatless today so I can't comment on the meat version but my coworker enjoyed her beef pho as "pretty good" meaning equal to other pho restaurants.
What was AWESOME were the Spring Rolls!!!! Crispy, freshly cooked and FULL of flavor! I probably won't come back for the pho, but I would definitely do a drive-by take out for them Spring Rolls! Look out! -
Review from Jason M.
Los Angeles, CA
8/1/2011
This is above-average pho. It's definitely the best in the mid-city to west la area that I've tried. You'd have to go east of koreatown to find better.
All the ingredients are very fresh, and you get the proper, flavorful and herby taste that pho should have.
My complaint would be that there is very little seating, and this place can become a madhouse during busy hours, like, crazytown...
You get a good amount of quality noodles, and the beef pho is probably their best broth. -
Review from Iska B.
5/16/2011
Tossing this foolishly named place into the lunch time mix.
Was it the best pho ever? No it was not
Was it decent pho within walking distance from work? Yes it was
My main gripe is with the service and seating. It's a small place but it's not as if there are only two tables. It is quite popular though so it's not advisable to go with a large group which we made the mistake of doing. We had, of course, an odd number of people (5) which meant that they did that thing that restaurants do where they refused to seat us at a four person table with an extra chair. We had to wait an extra 15 minutes for someone to leave and then we sat at two separate tables. This was highly irritating.
As for the food, it's decent. We had the beef pho and one of the vermicelli dishes. No real complaints. The pho was served in very large bowls with a decent amount of fillings. The vermicelli was also a good size with a nice sauce. Nothing to die for but pleasant. The only real underwhelming thing was the summer rolls. While the peanut sauce was very nice, the rolls themselves were pretty bland and the rice paper seemed stale and stiff. I would not recommend them. The service was also lackluster as the staff was not very friendly and uttered nary a word to us when they served our food (perhaps they were irritated by our awful request to sit at the same table?).
Overall, I would not come here unless you happen to be in the area (or work in the area) and you don't want to drive far to get pho. There are much much better places that are cheaper than this place but then, the effort it takes to get my car out of the parking structure negates me driving. Still, you'll get a bowl of hot flavorful soup that will warm you up and fill you up for a reasonable fee. -
Review from Gus G.
Greater Los Angeles, CA
7/27/2011
You would think that there would be a surplus of decent pho places in this area, but there aren't. Absolutely Phobulous is around to try and fill the niche.
The broth is a mixed bag. The ideal choice for pho is obviously the beef broth, which is pretty good here when it comes hot, especially with a fair amount of Sriracha dumped into it. The beef itself that comes in the soup is mediocre, but the noodles and broth make up for it.
The chicken and vegetable pho are nothing special. The broths in both of these taste like they took canned broth and just added some spice to it. The chicken is a little flavorless, and the vegetable broth sometimes goes cold before the vegetables are soft enough.
If you aren't ordering the beef pho, you aren't really getting anything special. The menu is inexpensive, however, so Absolutely Phobulous is worth a try if you're really craving some pho. -
Review from Amanda B.
*********************** 481 *******************
By the Beverly Center on the major La Cienega Blvd, I drove by here for years; when I was living in LA, but never made it in.
The name itself always made me giggle, Absolutely Phobulous, something I would say with my broken English! I was here for LA Fashion Week, and visited my girlfriend's new born baby girl. Her hubby & her took me here.
The place is small, less than 40 persons in capacity, A from health Dept, defintiely a plus here! The food served quick & service was friendly, also owned by Vietnamese which is better than most Viet restos around here owned by Korean or Chinese.
- Imperial Egg Rolls - 4 pieces - Ground pork, shrimp, crab meat, carrots, glass noodles, black mushrooms and onion delicately fried to a golden brown. Served with a house sauce and lettuce. This is Vietnamese egg rolls. This was good.
- Royal Rolls - 2 pieces - Marinated pork sausage, cucumber, mint, lettuce, bean sprouts and golden wonton skin wrapped together in rice paper. Served with peanut sauce for dipping - This is NEM NUONG CUON. It was also good.
- Vermicelli Combo - Rice noodles, shrimp, egg roll, fresh veggies and lemongrass pork, topped with peanuts, served with house sauce. This is not traditional grilled pork (BUN THIT NUONG), so it was just OK.
PHO, only 1 type of PHO beef, 1 chicken, & 1 veggies on the menu!
- Pho Beef Combo A combination of 3 types of beef: rare beef that cooks in the soup, brisket and meat balls in a beef broth - of course I didn't expect to be as good as the PHO we have here in San Jose, but they do serve with basil, lime, beansprout & it was decent.
My girlfriend lives in this part of town and Absolutely Phobulous is as good as you can get around here.Listed in: Food I grow up with!, LA LA LAND
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Review from Kaye P.
Los Angeles, CA
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
"Yes -- I'd like the vegetable pho, add chicken."
I'm gluten-free. This means no wheat, no hoisen sauce, no soy sauce. It's annoying as heck.
Enough about what I can't do... What I CAN do, is eat pho at Absolutely Phobulous!
Yes, there are places with more "traditional" options and much richer broth. There are places with larger variety. These are often places I can't eat at, so it's really nice to find pho that is tasty and gluten-free friendly!
I love that this place serves basil (instead of cilantro) for your pho (and gives you lots of it!). I love that they have a vegetable pho and you can get veggie broth if you're vegetarian. I love that I can add chicken to my veggie pho and I love that I can get a low-carb option too (less noodles).
I love that the food comes fast, and it's consistent quality.
Yes, the place is small. But it's clean, the prices are good, and the bowls are big. I often end up splitting one order of pho and spring rolls or a Three Seasons dessert. -
Review from Roy P.
Beverly Hills, CA
1/9/2012
Small sizes. I thought it was okay. The price for the size and taste was not matching up. Maybe I eat too much. HOWEVER for a restaurant in the area and gas prices hold against... 4 out of 5. But if i was really craving pho and I wasn't lazy, this place is a 3.
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Review from pat c.
Los Angeles, CA
1/16/2012
The pho was phonantistic. I grew up eating Americanized Vietnamese, so take it with a grain of salt. I drank the whole bowl and I thought it was yummy. I think there is parking in the back.
Standard pho is in the 7.50 range which is slightly expensive, but this is LA.
Enjoy! -
Review from Jen Y.
Los Angeles, CA
4/7/2011
I've always been weary of Pho restaurants that feel the need to make a "clever" name using the word "Pho," but I was feeling adventurous one evening...
The Pho Tai was actually very flavorful with hints of five spice. The Chicken Pho was very disappointing as the broth just tasted of water. The Papaya Salad was well seasoned and refreshing. The dessert listed on the menu was one of my favorites, Tofu and Ginger, which I promptly ordered, and it came out as a green coconut Tofu dessert instead. The replacement dessert was even better than the Tofu and Ginger, but you would think the waitress would mention that they modified the menu. -
Review from E. P.
Las Vegas, NV
12/30/2011
Not good....is so many ways...my two nieces, friend and I went there today and less than 2 hrs later we were all getting sick...
My friend has culinary background and when my niece said she didn't like the chicken salad. ( which looked like a poor plate full of cabbage plus pieces of white chicken) my friend went ahead and tasted it....and he said " oh man this chicken is old". So I asked what do you mean old?..like when you cooked it earlier old?...He said "no....like days old" I looked at my plate...which was the chicken pho...and the meat was also very bland...tasteless. and well after hearing him say that I became suspicious of my plate...so he tasted it and confirmed that it was old aswell.....Yuck!...he let the waiter know...who took it off the check...but that wasn't all...we left there not feeling so great about our experience...so when we got home..we all began with stomach problems....my friend thought it could have been food poisoning...humm..I wonder why... -
Review from Bee M.
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
5/6/2011
I work down the street and during the cold winter months, this beckoned to me often on my lunch breaks.
Mmmm PHO. Catchy name in all.
I eat at a lot of Pho places and this one is just 3 stars in my book. Not bad/ could be better.
*Pros*
- it's yummy and warm and can be healthy if you know what you're doing.
- for about $7 dollars per person, it's a lot of food and very filling.
- it's not another one of the chain restaurants that line the streets of bev hills, nor is it so chic and expensive that you can't afford it on a workin' girls budget.
*Cons*
- its awkward to eat in... or take out. It's small and everyone in the kitchen stares at you while you eat or wait for your food. If you're standing, you're just in everyone's way.
- unless you specify otherwise, you get chicken broth, which congeals into a big pho-jello ball of fat if you put it in the fridge. ewwwwww.
- it's not very flavorful. I'm used to pho having a very distinct anise flavor and I get the feeling that this is just plain broth with meat and veggies, which are OFTEN inconsistent.
The spring rolls are good, and the coffee drinks are strong as hell. Overall it's a good alternative to the Baja fresh and chipoltle , but I wouldn't make it my go-to Pho place. -
Review from Amanda G.
3/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Within the first few minutes of being at Absolutely Phobulous I knew I'd be coming back; why, you might ask?
Qualifier 1: Catchy name; win.
Qualifier 2: Quick service.
Qualifier 3: Quick to bring out the food.
Truth be told, this was the first time I'd ever eaten Pho - holy smokes, I can't believe I've spent the past 26 years of my life without it!
The venue is pretty small, seating upwards of 25 people maximum; the server took our order within minutes of us being there and brought our food out almost as quickly
I ordered the beef sampler Pho and an order of the spring rolls and could barely finish half of my meal; I brought the rest to work the next day and had all my coworkers wondering where in the world I'd gotten my food from.Listed in: LA: Noms
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Review from Kaori T.
11/18/2010
Vietnamese Ice Coffee. Too sweet. No drip and ice experience.
Pho and rice plates ranging from $7 - $10? Too pricey. I get it. La Cienega and Beverly is a big intersection to stand in but food doesn't even come close to worth it.
Where's all the funky meat? Rare steak, "brisket", and meatballs is their very own version of a Special #1? Where's the tendon? The tripe? Atleast the option of it. I was ABSOLUTELY not impressed.
As for service, bare minimum seems like the two words that come to mind.
Make for these three combos together and this place? Please PHOgettabout it. -
Review from Nancy M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/15/2011
WORST pho EVER!
Im crazy about pho and i've had a lot of it in all part of town. north.east.west. south. everywhere. ive tried really amazing pho, and really bad pho, but this is by far the worst.
the soup was plain. the basil and limes were plain. my friends and i were checking with each other to confirm that we hadnt all lost our taste buds at the same time. I got the veggie pho, which was bad and my gf got the Chicken pho which almost made me gag.
That being said, we had also ordered their spring rolls which were pretty awesome.
Maybe PHO just isnt their strong point. Regardless, i dont plan on ever coming back to this place. I was so embarrased to have invited friends here. -
Review from Sam P.
11/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is what I want out of a Vietnamese food restaurant: fast professional service, clean unassuming interior, and a "B" rating. Absolutely Phobulous is all that. This place is sit down, shut up, order your food and eat. I had the pork sausage rolls ($5.75) and chicken pho ($7.50). Delicious.
When I sat down, the waiter immediately brought me a menu. When I closed the menu, the waiter came and took my order. Within minutes, he brought my appetizer. Before I was done with the appetizer, the pho came. When I was done with the pho and pushed my bowl away, he clean it up and brought the check. I think that's great service.
I parked at a spot where the parking meter was jammed with a quarter in the slot so I couldn't pay. What a bonus. I already feel like I stuck it to the man.Listed in: What the Pho?!?!
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Review from Mhair Z.
Glendale, CA
4/6/2011
Beef combination pho was good, not great. Add some chili paste and bean sprouts, and squeeze some lime in there to give it some flavor. It was nice on a gloomy day like this!
Their viet iced coffee was extremely strong, BLEH. It tasted like it was spiked with cognac....and yes, I said cognac.
Service was speedy though, and prices very reasonable. -
Review from Jerrod A.
Yorba Linda, CA
5/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm not going to complain that it got a B. It was a hot day and I wanted some bun thit nuong on the go at work. They were nice and it came out fast. All the ingredients tasted fresh so I was satisfied. They did give me the "to-go" chopsticks but they were friendly when I asked for the better ones.
Would I go back? Sure? -
Review from Kai L.
7/20/2010 3 photos
"Hey, wanna see 'The Joe Dimagi-hoes' at the Roxy this Friday?"
"Nah, babe -- their blend of opera and punk just blows sp*nk."
Yes. It's like that. (Sort of)
Absolutely Phobulous has a cute portmanteau of a name, but beneath this clever nomenclature resides a thoroughly tepid pho establishment, located in a busy-but-nice part of WeLA that realtors optimistically refer to as "Beverly Hills Adjacent".
AP isn't bad, but compared to other phostaurants scattered throughout the city of angels -- and particularly in the San Gabriel area -- it isn't anything to write home to Vietnam about.
Prices are better than decent (dare I say, PHObulous?), with Beef or Chicken Pho dishes chiming in at under $10 each, and generously portioned appetizers like spring rolls ($7.50 for 4) and fried shrimp + calamari ($8.50) keeping the somewhat limited menu a bit more harmonious and interesting.
The menu overall has many items, though it doesn't feel very diverse -- maybe it's just me (it probably is) -- but that isn't a complaint. As far as pho goes, the items on the list form a very nice choir that sings a song of "I'm full, and I'm cheap, now let's go home and get it on..."
TMI? Too late -- you've formed the mental picture.
Anywhore,
-- the service is at times anemic -- partially because of the intense noon-to-three crowd, though I believe the staff does not necessarily intend to be inattentive or rude. So, if the lady with the pen and pad at the cash register isn't all smiles when you come in and say you have a to-go order, please don't take it personally.
Atmosphere is either crowded and claustrophobic or cozy, depending on your outlook when you dine. There's limited seating outside if you enjoy speeding cars on La Cienega belching smoke in your noodles.
Parking? Haaaaaard. Especially at lunch time. It's difficult to grab a street meter because they go so quickly. There's a large lot (for Blockbuster Video only) next to the restaurant, and many people chance it by parking there -- but I've seen someone towed, so do so at your own risk.
How's it taste? Meh. It will fill you up, and do so cheaply, but if you're looking to have your world rocked, knock on a different door, pho sho, heaux. -
Review from L R.
Los Angeles, CA
4/2/2011
We ordered the appetizer with battered shrimp and calamari... way over fried and not tasty at all.
I ordered the seafood pho .. shoulda known better (tho from the reviews it sounds like it wouldn't have been better to order anything else anyway)... the fish balls had a strange during/aftertaste, the shrimp did not taste fresh, the broth was worse than something i would buy powered from the grocery store... not good at all.
Boyfriend ordered the Bahn mi... he says it wasn't bad, but not as good as some of the food trucks we've been to.
We originally were heading over to Real Food Daily, just a few more steps over, but the name stuck out to us, we hadn't gotten pho in a while and the name drew us in... ugh fooled!!! -
Review from Jason H.
West Hollywood, CA
7/30/2010 1 photo
pho-K this place! Just found a fly in my beef pho. Picture is the picture section of this profile.
Never again. -
Review from Rachel V.
Los Angeles, CA
2/18/2012
Delicious pho! Tried the veggie pho, super flavorful with tons of veggies, left very full. Also tried the iced coffee, very tasty. Service left something to be desired, but they were understaffed. Great prices and really convenient if you're heading to a show at the Largo, or if you just want some good pho!
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Review from G A.
West Hollywood, CA
10/13/2010
Went here for lunch and wasn't too disappointed. Had pho with chicken which had a good amount of shredded chicken pieces. Not exactly sure about the authenticity of it but I enjoyed it and left the place full.
My office mates also enjoyed what they had and even raved about it on the way back to work. I don't understand what all the negativeness is all about.
I'm no connoisseur as this is my second bowl of pho, my first was in Hawaii.
btw, they did have a C in the window. -
Review from Amy B.
Los Angeles, CA
7/30/2010
I'm a pho snob, I admit it. On my quest to find the perfect bowl in west/mid LA, I've stopped at many places. This is the only one I've been to repeatedly. Sadly, it doesn't grow on you. The pho is ok for an Americanized bowl, with well done beef. I've never before seen a pho place offer a low carb option, pho needs the noodles you weird LA dieters! The spring rolls are meh, with one shrimp per half and the shrimp were overcooked. The soda chanh is flat. And the pho, well, it doesn't remind me of home.
The space is small, so conversations are overheard and I always feel self conscious. Don't come here with someone unless you've learned telepathic communication.
I really wish that I could find an authentic bowl of pho, one with tripe and marrow and pink meet. What I would give. -
Review from Jimmy C.
Los Angeles, CA
7/8/2010
RUDE. AND HIGHLY INCOMPETENT SERVICE. NASTY-TASTING. PHO-GETTABLE PHO. VIOLATES HEALTH AND SAFETY CODES.
I am a pho connoisseur. Just turning 26, I have had pho at least 1000 times at about 50 different restaurants. I know what is good pho and what is piece-of-shit pho and my friends, Absolutely Phobulous is very much the latter. The only fabulous thing about this place is its name.
Where do I even begin? I have eaten at this place at least 15 times because my ex-friend who lived in the area would be too lazy to travel outside West Hollywood to get some really amazing pho. Now that we're no longer friends, I also no longer have to torture my taste buds at this establishment. I guess you win some and you lose some.
How do I put this but to say their beef and chicken pho have zero flavor. The soup tastes like water with some oil in it and their noodles taste suspiciously funny. If you think their pho has taste, you obviously haven't tried Pho 2000 at Western Ave and Beverly Blvd. Their pho will make your taste buds explode out of your mouth. Especially go at night because the chef is even better.
On to the spring rolls: they're nasty and taste like a roll of dead weeds. There's nothing "spring" about them.
As for the service, let's just say I've gotten better service at the DMV on Formosa Ave. The Asian guy who is always sitting at the booth when he should be walking around checking up on his customers has this unbelievably rude and unprofessional attitude, and whenever I would ask him for something (to refill our waters, for more basil, a saucer, etc.), he would look at me as if he was doing me the favor when I was the one who was paying his rent. The other white guy who works there is a bit better but still far from professional. If my glass of water is empty, I expect you, my waiter, to come over and refill it. Don't just walk by pretending you didn't see the empty glass. Comprende?
I like the workers there who are Mexican the best. They have the least attitude and I feel extremely sorry for them that they have to work with that miserable Asian waiter because they seem to work the hardest yet receive the least amount of credit.
I've saved the best for last. The last time I ate their with my ex-friend, they had to shut the place down and it was only three in the afternoon. Why? I'm so glad you asked. The health and safety inspector was doing his routine check up and we overheard him basically ripping them a new a**hole:
"These bean sprouts cannot be left out like this." "This produce can't be sitting on the ground." "We've gotten a few complaints from people who have gotten sick from eating here." "We've warned you guys many times before but you guys have done nothing about it." "You have to close your doors until you fix the situation."
And sure enough, they begrudgingly turned the sign on the door over to "Closed." That's what you get when you try to cut corners.
Please do not support this restaurant because they absolutely do not deserve to stay in business. If you want delicious, amazing, heart-warming pho, head 10 minutes East to Pho 2000 or Simply Pho You on Vermont Ave. I give you my word that you will not be disappointed at either establishments.
Oh, and they have a $10 minimum if you're using a credit card, which is illegal: http://consumerist.com...
