- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Pho Cafe
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
2841 W Sunset BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90026
Neighborhood: Silver Lake
(213) 413-0888
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
625 reviews for Pho Cafe
Review Highlights
"The spring rolls come highly recommended."
(in 100 reviews)
"One less star cause it's cash only."
(in 90 reviews)
"I also dig the spring rolls with the lemongrass steak."
(in 21 reviews)
Loading...
624 reviews in English
-
Review from claudia m.
Los Angeles, CA
1/19/2012
ah ha! i found it! since having been introduced to this place, my friends and i just call it Secret Hipster Pho. the reason for this is that there really is NO discernible signage and the minimalist decor does not plaster their brand. At. All.
but, the thing is, the food is SOOO good. once you know where to find it, you're sure to return over and over. the service is a little weak and the seating is sometimes awkward, but these things matter little when, again, the food is so good. i've tried a bunch of different things... all yummy. my favorite are the veggie pho or the chichen pho with the ginger sauce. OH, and the spring rolls... yum. -
Review from Fred L.
Los Angeles, CA
2/7/2012
So it just amazes me how a restaurant with no name can have a line out the door at all times... After the 5th time I went, I finally checked on my bill to find out the name of the restaurant. Their food is really good... I love there vegetarian pho, its simply good! Also there peanut sauce that they give with some of the food is very flavorful.
One complaint I have, as I do with many mom and pop places is that their service is not the greatest. You can never get a smile out of the waiters and they never come back to see if you need anything else after you have ordered.
Good food is great, but service is the key, smile more and ask questions. -
Review from Annie M.
VALLEY VILLAGE, CA
1/27/2012
An asian sensation, The Pho tastes good, but the line ups are ridiculous. It's just Pho.
The service is alright, but they can get more cashiers and start taking Credit cards because an ATM is no where to be found. -
Review from Michelle M.
Los Angeles, CA
2/7/2012
This place is excellent for pho! If you go at off times, the crowd is not too bad. Cash only can be a pain, esp in that area - there are not a lot of places to grab an ATM so if you do not plan ahead it can be a nuisance.
-
Review from Andrea Z.
Los Angeles, CA
1/12/2012
THE PLACE to get Pho at in Los Angeles.
A guaranteed delicious time!
(Remember, cash only!) -
Review from Ryan S.
San Jose, CA
12/30/2011
I'm from Norcal, and I don't know how all the other pho places taste down here, but a lot of people from Socal reviewed and placed this place above average. First off, the waiter said the wait would be 20 minutes, wrong, it took 45 minutes. Second, a bowl of pho is near 8 dollars and the portions are so tiny. Usually, food with smaller portions make up in taste, wrong, the food is tasteless. It doesn't even taste like pho, I could compare it to some kind of canned campbell beef noodle soup. The taste was dull, and the broth was lacking that taste of what "pho" is. I tried to like this place, but I just couldn't and the service wasn't that great either. To me, tip is optional, and if I LIKE the food and the service, I will tip. I did not tip and here's the conversation that followed me after I left past the door.
Waiter- Hey, did you miss something? (He is holding the tray you put your tip money on)
Me - Uh, no...I don't think so.
Waiter- No tip?
Me-.....wow....
If forced gratuity is something you do, then maybe you should include that on the final receipt. -
Review from Sara S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012
This is my favorite place to get Pho and Bún.
While the patrons do admittedly tend toward the hipster persuasion (this is just what the neighborhood is like people), the staff is nothing of the sort.
The wait is usually long, but I've never waited more than 30 min for a place to sit.
Once you're seated, service is fast, food is good, and the treatment is no frills and free of bullshit - just the way I like it.
And to that reviewer who claims tip is optional, it isn't.
Tipping is a responsibility.
If you don't want to tip, eat at home. -
Review from Brooke B.
Monte Rio, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Perfection.
-
Review from Nadia B.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012
Silverlake's neighborhood Pho joint.
The good: clean, minimal, highly efficient wait and cook staff, decent prices, consistent food. (Aside from the pho, worth mentioning is #16. Cold rice noodles, lemongrass beef, egg roll, hot oil sauce, some greens, delicious.)
The "cons": the line, the wait, and the crowd if you get there on the later side of the evening. "15 mins" is usually more than 30. It can be quite loud inside when it's busy, and you're also elbow to elbow with your fellow diners.
CASH only! I believe the closest ATMs are at the liquor store or the bodega across the street. -
Review from Vinh C.
Los Angeles, CA
12/28/2011
THEY DON'T TAKE CASH!!!!!! (really annoying for overpriced Vietnamese food)
I like this place and I've been coming here for some time. However, my last experience hasn't been so pleasant. The food is good but the waiters have are a bit rude and grumpy.
One guy was helping us at our table, but then apparently he took his break but we didn't know. He started to ignore me constantly when we needed something. Then, he sat down at the table next to us with a steak and bowl of french fries. That's when I realized he was on his break.
He could have simply told us he was taking his break and got another waiter for us. In addition, I'm not hating but eating items not on the menu in front of us is kinda weird. If he really didn't want to deal with customers, why not eat at one of the back tables or even in the break room?
If you don't mind dealing with grumpy waiters, this place is pretty good in terms of food.
Cash only is pretty annoying especially when the Thai place next store takes card. -
Review from Veronique L.
Brooklyn, NY
12/24/2011
Excited to see Bun Cha on the menu!! Seems like it's rare to find.
Except I went for the Pho, naturally for my first time. Plus it was cold out and it didn't make sense to have cold noodles on a cold day. Pho was awesome. Spring Rows were great. Very fast service, very reasonably priced. Oh, and we saw Flea here. -
Review from Annie Y.
Los Angeles, CA
12/17/2011
Great pho, unexpected crowd. I came here with an old coworker on a Monday night and there was a ridiculous line of hipsters and other assorted white people waiting to be seated. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just used to the all-Asian crowds at K-Town pho joints.
We waited about 20 minutes for a table. It seems like they have a pretty high turnover rate considering the tiny size of the restaurant. We split the egg rolls and each got the steak pho. The egg rolls are AMAZING -- so incredibly flavourful and stuffed with ground turkey. They only give you three, though, so don't share if you're hungry. The pho was surprisingly good -- nice portions, tasty broth, all the fixings. Prices are maybe $1 or $2 higher than comparable pho restaurants in K-Town. I would definitely come back if it weren't so far out of my way.
Note: It's kind of hard to spot this place. They don't have a name on their storefront. There's a tiny parking lot out front, but don't make the mistake of trying to find a spot there; you'll just get trapped. Plenty of street parking available out front. -
Review from Lee Z.
Los Angeles, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pho with fillet mignon was inexpensive and tasty...my girlfriend found a small snail in her lettuce. We never got a lime soda we ordered but found it was on the bill. Then the fortune cookie had no fortune inside. It wasnt our night I guess. They were very apologetic though and took the entree with the small snail off the bill. Overall experience-weird, but since the pho was pretty good and the owner aapologized and refunded the cost of the dish with the snail (crepes apetizer), overall it gets three stars
-
Review from Grace C.
12/12/2011
Ambiance: Tiny parking lot. Came at 2:30pm on a weekday and the restaurant was 3/4 packed. It's not a date place nor is it good for big groups. The tables are close to each other so you can hear what your neighbor is talking about. I don't mind as long the food is good.
Food Ordered:
1. Pho with Filet Mignon- Meat was better than at most pho places I've been to. Tender, thinly sliced.
2. Pho with Free Range Chicken- It was decent.
The BAD: This was the LEAST amount of pho and meat I have ever received at any pho place and it was still $7.50! Perhaps they should offer to give more pho and meat at an additional charge of $.25-$.50. My date was still hungry after the meal. Perhaps this was a fluke since other Yelpers noted that they loved the portion size.
Also, the broth was bland so I ended up having to add Hoisin, Fish sauce, Sriracha, and the sauce that came on the side. -
Review from kimberley g.
Los Angeles, CA
12/9/2011
Hello Pho!! Yay to Pho Cafe!! HOORAY for Pho cafe.
amazing, traditional, fresh delicious pho, if you have never tried it you need/must/have to go.
Things to love:
All the cold noodle dishes
The chicken egg rolls
The fried tofu
The vegetarian soup
The cool people
The fast service
The prices
The lovely, Asian waiter that speaks French
Only thing to note is the beef in the cold noodles is HEAVY in garlic, every time my boyfriend eats it I have to sleep facing the other direction... it's that bad. SO be warned. -
Review from Dorie L.
Alhambra, CA
12/15/2011
If you like to spend lots of money on food and get a smaller portion out of it because you want to be lite and trendy. This is the place for you.
Seating was small, there is always a wait. Pho broth isn't even legit. If you are hipster and white from the neighborhood I guess you might dig it, otherwise I wouldn't recommend it from a Pho lover. -
Review from J. B.
Los Angeles, CA
11/13/2011
Food was good, I ordered the Bun with filet which had nice flavor.
Way too many hipsters who think they're too cool for school in this place though.. The word hipster was even being thrown around by the table next to me..Seriously people, skinny jeans, blue shoes, and unemployment are not cool - give it a rest..
Back to the restaurant review..
Aside from the hipsters, the food is solid. One more gripe, however: the waiter was fighting a cold and hacking all over the place.. ..DO NOT COME TO WORK IF YOU ARE SICK AND HANDLING FOOD , IT'S GROSS.
I would go back if I was in the area (buying skinny jeans or something), but def. not out of my way to eat here. -
Review from Squirrel C.
West Los Angeles, CA
11/2/2011
The tagline for Pho Cafe should be : Where Hipster meets Vietnamese Food
Pho Cafe is understated on purpose. They have no sign nor do they want one. They don't take credit cards not because they aren't sophisticated to arrange that service, but because "Cash Only" adds to their vibe. They have blank white walls not because they can't figure out what hip art to put on up, but because the hipsters dig the clean aesthetic.
They are mad efficient. Food comes out almost immediately after ordering. It's underlying basic ingredient Vietnamese dishes but with a flair of what Hipsters want...not beef in your Bun, but lemongrass beef, it's not chicken in your Pho Ga, but free range chicken, it's not bottled water (at $2.50 a pop), but Nuoc Lanh Chai.
They cater to their target customer with precision and it works well. Tables full with a waiting line outside in the unlit parking lot stradling this stretch of Sunset. -
Review from Aj L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/7/2011
The best Pho I've had yet! My friend and I had different (beef v chicken) but he said my chicken was something he'd try next time around. Delicious. The atmosphere is mild but definitely a great place for a late-night hunger bite. The food was nicely prepared, a good amount of ingredients for you to drop into your pho, and some magic ingredient (don't know exactly what it was) that really set the entire soup off perfectly.
You may pass it driving by as there is no sign (just a number) but we easily found parking and it wasn't a far trip from Hollywood.
Try it. You'll really like it. Prices were reasonable and the service was quick and food came out just as fast. We'll be back. -
Review from Rachel R.
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
You know a restaurant is good if it's first date worthy. I didn't come here with a new dude though, but did overhear the pair next to me ask each other how many cats they have, what do you like to do for fun BLAH BLAHH.
Don't call me nosy. This place is literally chair to chair, table to table with people. Especially on Cali's first rainy day of "Fall." Line was out the door, wait was 15 minutes, empty stomach's were talking. SHIT WAS PACKED.
Decor is nice and compliments the whole theme of this restaurant - elusive and hip. White walls, clear lamps, unmarked. I CAN DIG IT.
What I cannot dig was failing to see the giant billboard I parked under in the parking lot. You can bet that I had bird shit on every crevice of my car. I looked like a fool in the self-car wash that night (forecast was rainy the whole weekend). You have been forewarned.
Menu was built with hipster language in tack. "Lemongrass steak" "Filet Mignon" Pho. Tastes like any other pho place in Westminster to me, which could be a good or bad thing. Anyhow, it was good overall but anything is good when you douse it with Hoisin sauce. Teehee.
I will come back here whenever the weather hits below 60 degrees. Because in California, that is considered fiercely cold and nothing else pairs better with that than pho. What I will NOT do is park under the billboard. Darn billboard. -
Review from Katie g.
Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2012
cold vermicelli rice noodles,
steak/fish/vegetarian- all tasty
vietnamese crepes
cold beer
eating at pho cafe is like stepping into an indy rock video.
usually a wait for dinner, but these guys are skilled at fast service,
you often eat only moments after you order.
i also love this place for lunch, when the lights are kept off and the crowd is much smaller.
very reasonably priced, fast attentive service, tasty food.
i find pho better at other spots, but my beau gets the rare beef pho tai each time we eat here.
*will eat here again
*would enjoy the same dishes -
Review from Michael B.
Los Angeles, CA
11/22/2011
Just got home from Pho Cafe. I love how this place is open late at night. After 10pm, I generally accept that my options are Del Taco or a diner or Ralph's, it's nice to learn that this place is open till midnight every weeknight.
I ordered the #16. The steak was delicious, as were the egg rolls, the noodles were a little too cold for my tastes, I prefer room temperature noodles. I give it two thumbs up.
The waiter was polite, the place was fairly clean for late night on a busy cold November day.
The price was reasonable. I hate how people complain about the pricing at Vietnamese restaurants in LA in comparison to Westminster. Rent in LA costs more money. If you want to save $2 on a bowl of pho, go spend $20 in gas to get to Westminster and back.
Thank you Pho Cafe, looking forward to my next visit. -
Review from Ebony B.
Oakland, CA
11/16/2011
I have been looking for a good pho spot and I have found it.
Nice atmosphere and good customer service...
This cafe has yummy egg rolls your choice of veggie or chicken.
My favorite Bun is the Bun Cha Gio is going to be one of staples when I come here :-) -
Review from Jonnie and sharon K.
Los Angeles, CA
11/19/2011
Pho Cafe is an "In-the-Know" joint. No sign outside. No reservations. ALWAYS SLAMMED. Don't be surprised if you go on a Wednesday night and have a 30+ minute wait.
It was the first Pho we ever ate in LA, and honestly the best. Truly authentic to the Vietnamese culture; the rest of the spots we have found around the city have tasted very packaged and cliche.
If you can get out to Silverlake, it is well worth the trip.
Hipsters, obviously welcome. -
Review from Justin C.
Irvine, CA
12/5/2011
Pho Cafe is truly a curiosity. An ethnic eatery in the heart of Silverlake, the restaurant executes an experience that caters, from top to bottom, to the aesthetics and ideologies of a new culturally literate youth. (I will endeavor to avoid a certain overused and oft-misunderstood word.) This clientele has certain demands. First and foremost, it craves authenticity, the antithesis of which is represented by the modernist stylings of mall restaurants and asian fast foods--restaurants that shoehorn both the presentation and the cuisine into narratives and patterns that are decided to be "palatable" to the culturally illiterate American. *Those* sorts of restaurants have left no cuisine untouched--even "American" food is often served in "themed restaurants" in which menus are designed in boardrooms and are divorced from location, tradition, and agricultural realities such as seasonality.
However, sparks of cultural literacy abound in America's great urban centers, arguably nowhere more so than Los Angeles, a huge jumble of ethnic centers and people, a city where even the densest of frat bros can name two types of sashimi. One of the wonderful results of this is that we get to have some of the best pho in the country, and we all know what good pho tastes like. Pho Cafe has very good pho. Not great ph, but not fake pho either because we know what that tastes like too. The food is pretty damn good. The broth tends a bit on the sweet side. The spring rolls come highly recommended.
The food in itself isn't the interesting thing about the restaurant. The restaurant, down to its whitewashed signless storefront, the monochrome, slightly worn-looking formica countertops and industrial lines of its unadorned interior, the minimalistic but eye-catching lighting, the epicurean translations of the Vietnamese preparations on the menu ("lemongrass steak" for bò xào sa), the typography of the menu--all these things screamed that the proprietors of the restaurant did a perfect reading of its Silverlake audience. The lack of a sign speaks to the desire for localness--it engenders a (completely illusory) sense that the restaurant is meant for people who live "around the block" and are "in the know." The understated, somewhat shabby industrial design gives the restaurant a countercultural air, clearly divorcing itself from the super-polished Westside aesthetic while acknowledging the principles of design absent in most "real" ethnic eateries.
Usually these semantic markers would point to a presentation of some kind of postmodern cuisine--I'd expect, based on the design aesthetic, that such a place would be the home of a young, up-and-coming chef, playing with genre and cultural boundaries in his food, someone like a younger David Chang. This is where the interesting part comes in. The proprietor of the place, the person (people?) who carefully curated the store's design rhetoric, and put together the carefully-worded menu, seems nowhere to be seen. The servers when I went were all Viet, and all of them were ESL. The stilted communication process between us and them, and the quick, wordless service was about as ethnic in style as one can find in Garden Grove. The dishes were all classic Vietnamese inasmuch as it is possible outside of Vietnam--hot water, dehydrated wrappers, and various leaves and fillings are presented without explanation when spring rolls are ordered. Postmodernity in food has taken a number of directions, and in lieu of the winking inauthenticity of the "nouveau," Pho Cafe somehow finds a way, paradoxically, to present authentic ethnic food in an incongruent but equally authentic wrapper. This seems to be, at least to me, cultural integration without subsumation or subjugation, and it should be applauded. I wonder if this is what the future looks like. Four and a half stars.
Note to Yelp: Please support unicode text. When I first posted, it deleted all of the horned-o characters I had written (such as the one in "Pho"). -
Review from K R.
Oakland, CA
12/28/2011
I went here on a Tuesday night around 10 pm and the place was packed! The interior is very chic, cute and trendy, but unfortunately lacking in space. The food is also pretty good, but service was a bit questionable.
During my visit, my boyfriend and I stood for about 30 minutes after signing in to be seated. We were excited to FINALLY see two tables clearing, and since we were next on the sign-in list for a seat, we were sure that we'd soon be seated and eating. However, to our surprise, the host sat another table who had arrived at least 15 mibs after us! Huh? I inquired with the host regarding the order, and he affirmed that we were in facet supposed to be next, however he decided to sit the other table first because of some unintelligible (the excuse make no sense).
Oh well....5 minutes later we were sitting and soon eating. Despite the weird mixup, our food came out quick and good. Wouldn't rush back, but if you are in the area and need a quick bet late night, you may want to check it out. -
Review from Zach C.
Los Angeles, CA
9/7/2011
108 Degree weather... maybe twas a bad idea for Pho??? Never! at Pho Cafe! Come join the hipsters down in this hole they call Silverlake. Sit, mingle, contemplate life and clothes/style (or maybe lack there of). But get there early, say round 7ish; cause come 7:30-8 there will be a wait. It is a smaller restaurant. We got there just in time to miss the crowd. Small tables, prob not good for large parties. Fast service, they want you in and out! Gotta move those tables!
Had a great meal here with a good friend. Large portions, bowls the size of obese babies. Had the #9 pho, noodles and steak. Very good broth, found myself drinking every last drop! Probably should have asked for them to add veggies to make it hardier, maybe next time. My friend got the veggie pho and that looked and tasted better than mine, but everything here is good... and cheap
Parking lot gets full, but plenty of street parking. Will see you here next time, and bring an appetite! -
Review from M B.
Los Angeles, CA
11/10/2011
Ok so...
The Veggie Pho is vegan and amazing. I love the broth (hold the mushrooms!) and maaaaaaybe have eaten it everyday for weeks on end...
BUT
The ambience is bright and sterile, the place is almost always packed, and it's cash only. Get it to go and problem solved! -
Review from Michelle H.
Los Angeles, CA
10/18/2011
Pretty good Vietnamese food for the Silverlake area!
This place is hard to find because they don't actually have a sign! It's located in a small plaza with about 20 parking spots in the front. It's next to a store called ESCR (with a blue crown signage). The decor is all white and sleek. They have tables along one wall, so you can easily overhear your neighbor's conversation. This was no big deal for me, since we just started talking to the table next to us. It's part of the friendly vibe at Silverlake :)
Their (bun) vermicelli noodles with egg rolls, shrimp, and charbroiled steak are popular and was pretty good!! The pho was also good, even better than some I've had in Westminster.
I was surprised that they offer Banh Xeo's (the yellow crepe-like dish)! Although I LOVE Banh Xeo, I did not try any here but the table next to me did. I was surprised that they brought out rice paper and a corresponding bowl of water with the dish. I'm sorry, you're NOT suppose to eat Banh Xeo with rice paper! The correct way to eat Banh Xeo is to use the lettuce as the wrap instead of the rice paper.
Overall, I'd recommend this place as a good pho restaurant relative to the location. -
Review from HY H.
Los Angeles, CA
9/2/2011
Ordered two most popular Pho as recommended by our server.
One was the chicken pho and the other was the filet mignon pho.
I disagree with other reviewers regarding the plenty fillings. Mine looked rather lacking in fillings than other Pho places.
The veggies that came with Pho is not fresh at all
and when i asked if they had fresher ones they told me that they'll charge me for extra veggies. Chicken pieces in my pho was rather chewy, and didnt like how there are flies all over the place.
service was prompt and the place was overall clean though. -
Review from Jen W.
Los Angeles, CA
10/18/2011
I absolutely love this restaurant!
When I lived in the area I went all the time. I always got the vegetarian pho and on occasion I've gotten the spring roll appetizer that has steak and shrimp inside - yum!!
Definitely be ready for a wait because this is a popular spot - for good reason. But the turn over is relatively quick (especially if you have a small group). Oh, and the parking lot is small so if you see a spot on the street on your approach, grab it! Once you do get seated you don't have to wait long because all the meals are whipped up quickly.
If you've never had Vietnamese food this is the perfect place to introduce you to it. The food is fresh and delicious. The staff is friendly and attentive.
Mmmm, now I'm craving Pho Cafe...where are my keys? ; ) -
Review from Courtney G.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2011
Delicious. Love that the broth isn't greasy.
Plenty of parking in their lot or right on the street around dinnertime. I'm all for cash only if it makes it easier for them to do their thing. The waiters are competent.
No complaints here; 5 stars. -
Review from Nic N.
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can't EVER pass up a good bowl of pho and this spot did not disappoint.
First we had the crepes, which are an excellent and fun choice to start out with if you are with a lot of people. At first we had no idea what to do with the three plates and bowl of water that they laid out but the server was kind enough to come over and give us a lesson after he saw the quizzical look on our faces.
Step 1 - Dip the rice paper into the bowl of water and let it soak for a split second.
Step 2 - Break up the desired amount of herbs and lettuce.
Step 3 - Place vegetables into the rice paper along with meat and wrap them all up just like a spring roll.
Step 4 - Stuff your face...and REPEAT!
After that I enjoyed a huge steaming bowl of Pho Tai loaded with spice even though it was 90 degrees outside...not the most well suited dish for hot weather...but I knew what I was getting myself into and it was well worth the sweat! ewwwww.
The atmosphere here is cool and the service is great so what are you waiting for???? -
Review from Regeena E.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2011
Very hole in the wall but yummy. This place is a bit difficult to find-it has no sign and not a very well lit parking lot. It was crowded but we were seated immediatly. They have the pho favorites and supply all the needed additives including a plethora of hot sauses at the table. Service was quick. I am not great with chopsticks especially with hot pho, and the waiter was attentive and brought me a fork :)
HA! -
Review from Athena M.
Burbank, CA
11/19/2011
I absolutely love this place! The food is amazing and for the price you can't beat it... I only wished that they had more seating cause it can get pretty packed but if you want a good place to eat that is cheap this would be the place!
-
Review from OhnoCoe B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/19/2012
I love Pho Cafe. Great broth + menu, yummy iced coffee, quick service... I failed to give it 5 stars for the ambiance mostly. The lighting sucks and the door makes it awkward for waiting for a table.
-
Review from Thai-Duong N.
Los Angeles, CA
7/22/2011
As a Vietnamese person, I approve of this place. Good solid pho, cooked by Vietnamese people.
First, they give you plenty of veggies. Some non-Vietnamese people don't understand the importance of this. For Vietnamese soups, just because the veggies are given to you separate from the soup doesn't mean it's just a garnish or snack/appetizer. It's part of the dish. To be lacking in fresh veggies when serving a Vietnamese soup is equally disconcerting as lacking the potatoes when serving a clam chowder.
Second, the broth is legit. You can even see them cooking the broth the REAL way: slow cooking beef or chicken in a large pot. Some pho places use a powder or mix to make it, which isn't as good.
Third, the place itself is in a hipster neighborhood and has a hipster "open" design, which I like a lot.
It's cash only, but that's not enough to lower it to 4 stars. Especially since they are open til midnight everyday.
Go there. Bring cash. Eat. Love it. -
Review from Robert C.
9/2/2011
May have to give this one another go because of the decent reviews but my experience was bland. The combo pho was tasteless and the squid was not fresh.
I know it's open 24 hours but hard to compete with the bacon wrapped hotdogs for $3 when a meal for 3 there costs 40 bones. -
Review from Nobody M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/26/2011
I'm guessing all the hipsters come here instead of traveling to better Vietnamese spots so they can reduce their carbon footprint (or maybe the fixies are in the shop). Anyhow, Pho was overly salty and the lemon grass steak (which is beef steak, not "tom," (pork) as the menu states) was dull and forgettable.
-
Review from Sam S.
Los Angeles, CA
7/26/2011
I absolutely love this place. I shy away from trendy places but this place is so simple and so good, you just can't resist. First off, its located in a ghetto looking parking lot and the front of the restaurant does not look like a restaurant. You have to either notice the small group of people standing outside or see people sitting through the windows.
It's just real but with some class and design. You can tell the owners love great Pho but are willing to sacrifice the traditional Vietnamese "hole-in-the-wall" vibe.
Come here with a friend or two, the place is tiny. Oh and bring cash.
Read more reviews for this business:
German (1)
