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Miss Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Vietnamese Event Planning & Services Caterers Vietnamese, Caterers [Edit]
3345 Grand Ave(between Lake Park Ave & Santa Clara Ave)
Oakland, CA 94610
Neighborhoods: Grand Lake, Lower Hills
(510) 835-3474
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
190 reviews for Miss Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I judge this Pho to be well worth it."
(in 107 reviews)
"They also seemed to have a good wine/beer selection."
(in 24 reviews)
"I go bonkers over the vegetarian spring rolls."
(in 35 reviews)
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190 reviews in English
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Review from Shardie' T.
Oakland, CA
1/5/2012
I ordered at 6:20 and it took an hour for my delivery to arrive.
I had the spring rolls, Wonton Soup & Chicken Noodle Soup. The food was pretty good & flavorful. At first I was kinda shocked by the deli type of chicken but it served its purpose and was tasty. I also liked the Chicken Wonton Soup alot. The spring rolls weren't good to me because they had a mint leaf or an off flavor. But other than that I liked the meal and i'll be ordering again. -
Review from Harry M.
Oakland, CA
12/19/2011
Looks can be deceiving...
And while this place may not look like much, the magic is in the kitchen. Some of the best Won Ton in my life. Easily top three... love the Pho, egg rolls are spectacular, and if you're lucky enough to live close by, delivery is fantastic. And then there's the 100 or so beers... and they're open late.... (ok.. 11 or so, and I don't get the Wednesday being closed...)
While others may have had delivery problems, once they know exactly where you are, delivery is great. I'm five blocks away and its always delivered with 30 minutes. As they say, your mileage may vary. -
Review from Anna P.
Oakland, CA
12/11/2011
Delicious Vietnamese food in the heart of Grand-Lakeshore area.
Try the Special Beef Noodle Soup or the Miss Saigon Special Noodle.
Small place & you tend to smell like your food if you sit in their too long. I'd suggest ordering take-out or delivery (no delivery fee). -
Review from Elias A.
Oakland, CA
2/5/2012
This place is really good. The owner is really friendly and takes a lot of pride in offering awesome service. And, the food is delicious and reasonably priced. Not the cheapest, but definitely worth it. Thy the vermicelli.
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Review from Kristi D.
Oakland, CA
1/24/2012
This place is great!! Wonderful food with excellent staff plus they deliver- can anyone way BONUS!! Honestly though you shouldn't have them deliver it's better in person.
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Review from Winnie C.
Oakland, CA
11/9/2011
Very possibly the latest opened Pho store in the entire city of Oakland.
There is nothing particularly special about their Pho, not the soup, not the noodles, not the meat. Nothing. It feels like a normal bowl of hot noodles served to you and in all honesty, everything is fine.
Absolutely nothing is wrong. I could really vouch that there was nothing preservative or MSG tasting in the soup, but nothing was exceptional either.
If I had a late night Pho craving, I would be here, no questions asked. Any otherwise, I would opt for the East Oakland ran down jank delicious Pho venues.
Oh yes, and they do cost more than any other Pho restaurant I have been to for the same bowl of Pho. Good to keep that in mind. -
Review from Ryan H.
Oakland, CA
12/5/2011
Consistent and better than average.
We order a good deal from Miss Saigon and have really only had one bad experience.
The egg rolls are to die for. The pho is always great. The clay pots are a sure bet.
I would steer clear of the beef with broccoli, any of the calamari dishes and the pork with veggies. All seemed to lack flavor. -
Review from Carlo V.
Sacramento, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was ok... Great location, tiny spot, & a variety of beers you could choose from.
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Review from M. W.
Oakland, CA
1/10/2012
Pho was slightly above-average and slightly pricier than other joints. Open late and with lots of drink choices. Fried Egg rolls were pretty awesome. Took forever to get our soup which was a turn-off. Might be a good spot for take out
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Review from Stu S.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 10/9/2011
I went back the following day to retrieve my left-behind hat. Based on DK's Yelp review, i tried the chicken pho and asked for fish sauce (based on another review).
The large slices of white meat chicken were sliced thinly, and the cilantro sprouts and fish sauce added enough flavor to make for a pleasant soup. The noodles were served clumped together in the broth; it made me wonder how fresh they were. However, there were no veggies. It was a little pricey for a bowl of soup - $8 and a couple of hours later I was hungry again.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/3/2011
It had been a long time since I have eaten here, and I remember why. Had lunch of shrimp, scallop… Read more »
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Review from Lena L.
Oakland, CA
11/12/2011
I actually was a bit fond of this place considering the fact that they open until midnight and the first time we came here, the owner was quite friendly and recommended some great dishes. He was very conversant and pleasant.
All of this changed with our visit last night. I had just got off of a 12 hour shift and my boyfriend wanted to take me somewhere to get some soup to fight off my cold. He suggested this place since we enjoyed our last visit. When we got there, the owner was NOT as pleasant as he was before. I was thinking, "Okay, everyone has their bad days/nights... give him a break." That's fine. We ate our bland pho and to our dismay, the owner took it up a notch and started yelling at an employee right in front of us! It wasn't just a smart ass remark to an employee, it was a full blown condescending lecture. He was saying phrases like, "THIS IS THE UNITED STATES. DON'T DISRESPECT ME AND MY STORE... YOU WILL DISRESPECT MY CUSTOMERS...." It was EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT and RUINED our dinner. Like seriously, you're disrespecting your customers by yelling in front of us while we're trying to enjoy our meal.
Ugh. Definitely not coming back here again...
TO BE FAIR, they do have ONE good dish. The South Seas Pork. LOL. Enjoy. -
Review from Ben F.
Schenectady, NY
8/25/2011
I've been eating here for years. It was a sentimental favorite because of a date I had there once.
But sentiment is not going to keep me coming back. They just served me shrimp and vegetable chow fun - boiled some noodles, put em on a plate and said 'here'. I can boil noodles and add soy sauce at home, and it doesn't cost $9. To be fair, the waiter added some kind of sauce. Maybe it was water - may as well have been, it was still bland.
Add $2 for the tea, it's $11+ for bland noodles and tea.
I just can't imagine why they would do that. -
Review from Molly A.
Oakland, CA
12/22/2011
This is a wonderful go to place for some amazing Pho and great atmosphere. Good for lunch or dinner!
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Review from USMS F.
Oakland, CA
11/15/2011
Love this place! All of their food is always good, and the service and delivery is always on point. I have been eating here for 3 years now and its one of my favorite "asian" type restaurants on Grand Ave. Definitely recommended to anyone!
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Review from J C.
Oakland, CA
1/19/2012
Do NOT order delivery from here. We placed a dinner order here for 'asap delivery' on their online menu ordering system (feels very convenient), and 1 hour later, still NO FOOD. I live about 0.5 miles from this place, and yes, I didn't want to walk down there in the chilly rain. After 2 phone calls, and being assured that the driver was only a few minutes away, no delivery. If you want their food, go get it yourself and spare yourself the hungry nausea you're sure to get if you order for delivery.
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Review from Courtney S.
San Ramon, CA
I said I wanted a big bowl of pho, and I got a big bowl of pho! Not the biggest bowl ever, I'm sure, but still -- after eating it, I was really full. Still, that didn't stop me from ordering some french fries and fried oysters.
Okay, Vietnamese place, right? Yes -- but they do cater to a more American-style menu. As I mentioned I ordered french fries and fried oysters. The french fries were more like steak fries or plank fries. They were thick, crispy, and delicious. How were the oysters, you might ask? They were deep fried, zesty, oyster-y heaven. But back to the pho.
I ordered the special combination beef pho - beef balls and thin-sliced raw beef. The rice noodles were perfection, and the broth was hot. I made it extra-spicy to suit my taste.
The service was pretty okay at first because we showed up when the restaurant opened at 11:00 AM. However the service went downhill toward the time we left. It's really no biggie, I experienced worse service.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience and if in the Grand Lake area, I would definitely return. -
Review from D. K.
Oakland, CA
8/14/2011
This place doesn't look like it would be very good.
The pho broth is delicious. I always slurp up all the soup when I eat pho. The broth at Miss Saigon made me want to order another large bowl though and continue the slurping extravaganza. There's no MSG added, it's all the natural flavorings from the cow.
I need to go back and have some more. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Oakland, CA
9/13/2011
To say off the bat, I only patronize this restaurant because it's one of the few (if not only) late night Pho restaurant open past 9 PM... though it does close at 12 AM.
The prices are a little too expensive for the quality of food but you are usually willing to pay a little more for some late night noodles.
I've mostly had the Pho here, I recommend getting a large. The extra dollar is totally worth it, the small is probably enough for a gerbil. That being said, the broth is too sweet for it to be called "authentic". Definitely for American tastes. The beef comes already cooked and they skimp a little bit on the bean sprouts and basil.
The spring rolls and fried chicken wings, which I've had here, is over priced. Most things on the menu is over priced. I'm not sure if it's because it's in the Lake Merritt/Grand Ave area or because it's opened late night. Or maybe because it's mostly non-Asians eating there so they think they can charge that much for mediocre Vietnamese food.
I gave it an extra star because it's opened late and that is the ONLY reason why you should patronize this place.
I do have to add the service is pretty good and the owner is super nice and attentive and gives advice on skin products (apparently). -
Review from Adam E.
Oakland, CA
8/16/2011
After a trip to Vit Nam last year, I've found myself wanting to eat Vietnamese food quite regularly. The flavors captured therein are quite unique, and the food is usually fresh and filling.
A few friends and I tried Miss Saigon out Friday night. I opted for the simple Ph Bò (Beef Noodle Soup), and was quite pleased with it. I've found that ordering classic dishes such as this usually guarantees that you will enjoy your meal, though the hot pots looked fetching as well. A "33" beer or two always goes along quite well with any Vietnamese meal.
There are two vats of very authentic looking fish sauce on the counter (heads and all), which I was happy to see displayed. The staff is extremely accommodating and friendly. The music seemed to loop around several times during our meal, but it was good Vietnamese Muzak style stuff, so I didn't mind... -
Review from Miss C.
Berkeley, CA
7/7/2011
I really dislike giving few stars, but this place was somewhere that I will not return to. I read the yelp reviews and convinced a friend to try this place out, but the spring rolls were lacking flavor and the consistency was really something else, soggy.
The meal itself also had an interesting consistency, while the tofu was fried, it was super fried where it was a crispy and not in a good way, finish that was hard to bite through.
My friend ordered a beef dish and she didn't have more than a couple of bites. We both left most of our meals intact, and just vowed to try new places in that neighborhood. -
Review from Karin V.
6/12/2011
FAUX PHO. ugh.
I came here looking for a big bowl of noodles to warm me up on a chilly night...what I got was a bowl of bland broth, sticky noodles, and slices of "chicken" with the consistency of processed deli meat. Yuck.
The spring rolls were also dry and tasted like they had been made the previous day and had been sitting out since then.
While the people who worked there were pleasant, the food was a far cry from authentic or good Vietnamese food. -
Review from Eugene L.
I rolled into Oakland to go catch dinner and on my way I received a call from one of my Emerald Triangle Friends that happen to be in town. So I rolled by and Chopped it up for a while . By the time I was done it was 10:30 at night it reduced my Dinner options quite a bit on a Sunday night.
So I rolled to the Lake shore area to see if Anything was open. I spotted Miss Saigon so I parked across the street and walked over and was happy to see that they are open till 12 AM.
Miss Saigon is a Hole In The Wall but a very nicely decorated one. It was also a packed one which is a good sign. I was greeted and seated. I opted to sit facing the front window and the door. The owner Timmy noticed that and said Cautious Huh. I told him its an old habit of mine in public places. I like to be aware of my Surroundings especially late at night.
I was given a Menu and a Glass of Water . They have some nice Jazz Music playing in the Background. I ordered Item Number 24- House Sampler Plate- Catfish,Snapper ,Sole,Oysters and Shrimp this was my Appetizer and for my Main Entree I ordered Item 64 - Miss Saigon Crispy Chow Mein- Chicken,Scallops,Shrimp,Imitation Crab,Calamari and Vegetables.
While I was waiting I was looking at the Bar and noticed their extensive collection of liquor and beer that they serve. Then I noticed Two Huge Jugs of Dark Liquor then I went and took a closer look and was shocked when I saw what was in it !!!
One Jug was full of FUCKING COBRAS !!! The other Jug was full of SEAHORSES!!!
The owner Timmy told me the Cobras have been soaking in Remy Martin Cognac for over 16 years.
The Sea Horses have been soaking for 6 years in Remy Martin Cognac Also.
They sell Shots out of either one for $10 dollars a shot. YIKES!!
My Sampler plate was brought out first . The Server also put 5 bottles of different Condiments on my table for me. The Fish had been coated in Cornmeal and Fried very Tasty Light and Airy . The Fried Oyster was very Yummy also. The Fried Shrimp and French Fries were also on point.
When I was done with my Sampler plate ,My Crispy Chow Mein was brought out. It was a Birds Nest made out of Fried Noodles with a pile of Chicken , Scallops ,Shrimp , Imitation Crab , Calamari and Vegetables in it with Gravy. It was a Tasty mix of Flavors and Textures Yummy.
Service is Friendly, Fast and Efficient. Miss Saigon has a great Vibe ,it would be a great place to take a Date.
They take Visa also.Listed in: Asian food, Date Joints, Beer, Bars, Midnight Snack Joints
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Review from Nancy W.
Berkeley, CA
5/10/2011
0 stars.
DO NOT EAT HERE. There are cockroaches!!!!
My boyfriend and I went to eat here recently, we were sitting and waiting for food when I noticed a cockroach crawling up the side of the wall. When I pointed this out to the happy-go-lucky waiter he said, "Sorry, it's not a big deal they just live in the bamboo." The bamboo lines the walls of the restaurant...this place is a serious health hazard.
When we got our spring rolls I realized I had eaten it before...out of my friend's microwave. These are not fresh or homemade. They are frozen and then put into the microwave...
I had a tiny bite of my rice but honestly at that point I felt completely sick and turned off. We will never ever ever be coming back here and I will be reporting them to the local Department of Health..without a doubt. -
Review from eli b.
9/29/2011
Pretty good pho. Lots of fresh sprouts and basil. Pleasant service. Lacks atmosphere. Music and some warmer decor would do wonders.
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Review from stevie d.
Oakland, CA
6/27/2011
Sad to say Jimmy and his staff may be slipping.. it's been consistently great for years but 3 of our last 4 experiences have been poor.
We have a little baby and they deliver which is awesome. However not only have they gotten the order wrong 3 times but the food is just average.
It was always so bright and savory and fresh and delicious.. maybe it's us but I don't think so.. maybe new cooks, maybe cheaper ingredients? who knows these things..Come on Jimmy!!! -
Review from Serene S.
Oakland, CA
5/8/2011
Too bad there aren't any better Vietnamese restaurants on Grand or Lakeshore. My guess is this place is riding off of their good location.
The servers are super-friendly, but the food unfortunately is not very good. I really wanted to like the pho, but it was just way too bland. The menu sadly lacks what is typically a staple of most Viet restaurants: the Vietnamese sandwich. They advertise "vegetarian cuisine" but there is very little actually vegetarian on the menu. A lot of chinese-y dishes as well, which doesn't bode well for authenticity. Huge beer selection if you're into that. -
Review from Ryan B.
5/6/2011
This was my first experience with Miss Saigon. Because everything was starting to close for a Thursday night, a friend and I decided to order from here after 945pm via http://grubhub.com. We were very excited to try this place becuase we were desperate for something delivered. The ordering process was extremely easy and the food arrived 10 minutes early.
I ordered the chicken and vermicelli. My friend ordered the chicken curry. I thought the chicken was a little dry, although the flavors were tasty. My friend thought there could have been more potatoes in her chicken curry.
All in all, it was successful experience that I'm glad I tried. The prices were fair and the food was satisfying. For now I'm giving it 3.5 stars. I would be more inclined to rate 4 stars if the food improves.
Although nothing was worth writing home about, I will definitely be placing some more late night room-service requests with Miss Saigon when the munchies strike. -
Review from Ricardo X.
Oakland, CA
5/23/2011
Miss Saigon is a very clean and coolly decorated Vietnamese restaurant in the Grand Lake area. The décor sets the tone for their authenticity in superbly fresh ingredients, their service and quality of their food. While I only had their eggrolls and the Miss Saigon Special Pho, I already know that my wife and I will be spending more time there, getting to know their menu.
Truly a rarity that you'll ever have Pho as delicious as Miss Saigon's. Holy Saigon, this broth is OFF THE HOOK. The Miss Saigon Special is served with: Thinly sliced chicken, fresh shrimp, fresh calamari, imitation crab, fish cake slices and comes with your choice of noodles: clear noodle, rice noodle or egg noodle. Complimented with generous portions of fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, lime and fresh basil.
I can't compliment the soup enough and highly recommend that you try it sometime while you visit the restaurant. I added all the veggies into the soup, dressed it up with their home-made chili-sauce, and hardly took any time to breathe. Every single spoonful had plenty of the soups meaty ingredients, veggies and the broth was extremely fresh and superbly savory. THIS is my heaven for Pho and a great introduction to the rest of their menu.
The eggrolls were served piping hot, were flaky and fresh and sure as hell didn't taste like eggrolls from the mall or a wonky Chinese fast-food to go spot. It's all heart at Miss Saigon and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful meal, enjoy the décor, and the prices. I know I did. -
Review from Sara F.
Albany, CA
3/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Miss Saigon helped a sister out on a rainy, cold day a few weeks ago. I was on day 13 of this annoying-wouldn't go away-make your life miserable cold. You know those colds. The ones where you hop up your body on thousands of miligrams of vitamins in hopes the big, bad germs will wave their white flags in surrender. Yes, that kind of cold.
Lucky for me, Miss Saigon was open and welcomed me inside. I order the pho ga (I'm a creature of habit), loaded it up with all the spicy stuff and happily slurped away.
Miss Saigon 1, Cold 0. -
Review from Viney F.
Oakland, CA
9/5/2011
If you are looking for fresh and tasty food, this is the place! Always feeling leaving satisfied. Best won ton soup and clay pot! A must try place!
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Review from Paul M.
Oakland, CA
9/29/2011
The fresh spring rolls and the meatball pho were solid... Super fresh ingredients and good flavor. Had it for take out, thought it might be just a dollar or two over priced, but would definitely go again given it's proximity for take out.
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Review from Martin Z.
San Francisco, CA
10/10/2011
One of my favorite places in Grand avenue. The food is good and relatively cheap and the owners and staff are friendly and attentive. Don't expect anything fancy and just enjoy the food.
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Review from Karen H.
Oakland, CA
5/17/2011
Weather was crummy so I went to Miss Saigon for take out after a friend told me they had the best Vietnamese food in Oakland. Dining in would've been nice too as it has a very cute, quaint location and atmosphere. They also seemed to have a good wine/beer selection.
I started by ordering the seafood and tofu soup. The large is enough for 2 people to share. Very tasty and filling. Shared the tofu with black mushroom and grilled chicken vermicelli dishes. The vermicelli dish was okay but there were a lot of noodles and not much chicken. The chicken also seemed a little dry to me.The tofu/mushroom dish was big and very filling, would definitely order that again.
While I waited for my dinner, the owner gave me hot tea and was very friendly. I'll order take out from here again and next time will try the pho and fried rice dishes. -
Review from Sonia G.
Oakland, CA
5/16/2011
I think this is how curry is suppose to taste. I literally poured more rice into the remaining yellow curry and let it soak up before I ate it. Flavorful, soft chicken, veggies and delicious curry heaven.
I actually finished the plate and half the rice scoop it came with. I truly felt like a bottomless pit when I ordered their coconut dessert.
The waiter said, "I promise you will be happy" and we were.
Just what I needed after towing my pos corrolla to the mechanic.
Thank you Miss Saigon! -
Review from Valentin O.
Hayward, CA
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummi Vietnamese food. This place has become a staple for my girlfriend and I. We cannot sat enough about the food; it's fresh, light, healthy, flavorful and delicious!!! We love the service and recommend that you get the pho for sure!
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Review from Heather C.
Oakland, CA
2/17/2011
Disclaimer: Would be 5 stars had they not served me the wrong spring rolls...ordered the tofu version and realized on the second bite that they brought the ones with chicken,,,I'm mostly Vegan because I don't like the taste of meat, and took most dairy out of my diet because I luuuuurve almond milk. That being said, I'l eat occasional sushi or grilled shrimp but that's pretty much it for non-plant proteins in my life. The chicken kinda grossed me out, but that's a me thing.
On with the review.
In waiting to use my Groupon for The Nail Shop across the street (an hour wait!), I meandered to Miss Saigon for a late afternoon lunch and was promptly greeted by the manager/owner who said, "Sit outside. Nice day, bring me business." Hmmm.
Within minutes, two servers came to take my order: shrimp bun, spring rolls and hot tea. The food came out FAST.
The spring rolls were excellent aside from the chicken, which I tasted halfway in. They're served with standard sweet/spicy and peanut dipping sauces (in which I drowned my rolls, hence my not noticing chicken right away). Next up was the bun, awesome awesome and more awesome. Perfect portions and very fresh.
One server came back to chat and asked if I live nearby, which I do. He said that as long as the restaurant is open, they'll deliver, even as late as 11 PM. Big plus for crappy weather Fridays during our California winters. Place your order by phone, crack open something fizzy and boozy, and party on til your food arrives. Sounds pretty damn good to me.
The bill came to $18, which was coincidentally the amount of money I found in the dirty jeans I put on that morning.
Solid food, great service, plus late night FREE delivery make Miss Saigon a win. -
Review from Jana C.
Bland. That is my keyword of the day for Miss Saigon. Got a large beef Pho and a vegetarian tofu/kabachi squash dish. Both my boyfriend and myself said of our dish: BLAND! There was almost no sauce on the vegetarian tofu/kabachi dish. We also got the vegetarian egg rolls and while they were nicely fried, they tasted like dried potato on the inside.
Cons:
1. VERY bland
2. Parking can be difficult
3. Fairly expensive ($28 for 2 entrees and an appetizer)
Pros:
1. Very nice interior and ambiance
2. Very friendly staff
Sorry, but we won't be back any time soon. -
Review from Mike L.
2/2/2011
Good pho, good bun...
It's nice to have a vietnamese restaurant with a pretty diverse beer selection.
And the fact it's open until midnight in Oakland (not too many food places open til midnight in Oakland). -
Review from Katherine K.
Oakland, CA
9/17/2011
Got the beef pho with rare steak the other night. At first bite, it tasted like decent pho. However, a few spoonfuls in, I realized it was missing something, like each bite was not complete and was missing that kick you usually get with good pho. Extra sriracha sauce made it salvageable, however.
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Review from Dale P.
Oakland, CA
9/25/2011
Ordered this food tonight. Just finished eating whatever I could.
Took over an hour to get to me, pho broth tastes like dirt, "Miss Saigon Seafood" is horrendous. Peanut sauce is thick and overwhelming, fried rice is average at best.
I literally just threw out my pho. I had three bites. On the flip-side, my dog enjoyed the seafood.
