Pho So 1 Boston
Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Dorchester223 Adams St
(between Arcadia St & Dorchester Ave)
Dorchester, MA 02122 (617) 474-1999
- Nearest Transit:
Fields Corner (Red)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
15 Reviews for Pho So 1 Boston
On my visit to Boston, my friends took me out to get a taste of Vietnamese food outside of CA. I was pleasantly impressed beyond belief with this place! I'm ridiculously picky on what "good" Pho is, but I enjoy even the most mediocre Pho because it's just that good in general. But this place is the 2nd best, if not the best Pho place I've been to in my life. The prices are great, the bowls are filled sufficiently with everything, and the broth is brewed to perfection. I don't know what else to say, just go here, it's top-notch!
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Six weeks from now I'll be scratching the walls like a catnip-crazed kitty and screaming for some Pho So 1 back in England where we have approximately zero Vietnamese restaurants. Sigh. However, here at Dorchester's Fields Corner Pho So 1 isn't even the second best in town. I'd place it third behind the neon-crazy Pho 2000 and the grandaddy supreme: Pho Hoa.
It ticks a lot of the right boxes for Pho at least - great soup, a good ceramic spoon, cheap prices, big portions and friendly staff. But the little things niggle... the decor is a bit bland, the room was cold, the family next to us smacked their child for crying (awk) and the fried chicken app was a bit lacklustre. But beyond those niggles there are two major fouls which is why Pho So 1 comes in third place in the Field's Corner Stakes:
* Pho came out warmish but got cold quickly
* Vegetables didn't appear to be very fresh
Still even with these faults, I'll be craving this Pho or any Pho in six weeks and will be stuck with nothing. And don't tell me to take a $70 Pho cooking class - I'd rather just buy a one-way ticket for Hana T to come cook for me.
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WOW, as a Pho veteran for over 7 years(i probably eat pho at least 100 times a year), I have tried Multiple Pho pasteurs, 99 Cafe(from way back in the days) Pho 55,5.5, 52, 44,33,32, 22, House of Pho, Pho vietnam, Vietnam Pho, Canada pho, New york etc. and I have been faithful to the Pho Hoa in dorchester all my life. Because I think the soup there tastes amazing(ofcourse, that is you are used to heavy loads of sodium and msg like me). But after many people telling me how amazing Pho So 1 is, I finally decided to try it out today even though I was very skeptical about it( I didnt believe any place could even compare to Pho Hoa). However, I must say i was so amazed with the food and the service.
1). The Pho was amazing, broth was very flavorful and as expected, contained alot of MSG(never a bad thing). Plentiful of noodles and the meat was very lean(I do miss the fatty flank and fatty brisket though). But they only gave 1 place of tendon.
2)Service was awesome, not only were the waitresses hot as shit, but they were very nice. I coudlnt stop staring at one of their chests the whole time was eating, probably why i kept choking on my bo vien(beefballs). But they werent as hot as say, Sha Bu Zen
3)The shakes there were great, tasted way better than Pho hoa.
Overall this place is great, I should give it 5, but that will be after i visit this place more often.
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Pho So 1 Boston serves excellent Vietnamese food in the Fields Corner section of Dorchester. The service is quick and the restaurant is clean.
The shrimp and pork spring rolls were huge and delicious, they might be the best ones I've ever had. Needless to say, the Pho is superb.
Pho is basically a hot soup served in a large bowl. It is made up of white rice noodles in a clear beef broth with onions and coriander leaves. With each bowl of Pho comes a side plate of bean sprouts, basil leaves, mint leaves and lime wedges for you to add if you choose. With this standard soup mixture you have your choice of meat or seafood. Some common choices include: slices of eye of round steak, beef tendon, beef brisket, tripe, seafood, or chicken. I like to add some brown hoisin sauce to the broth and I generally stay away from the fish sauce.
If you've never had Pho just try it once and you'll be hooked. If you're a fan then you already know what I'm talking about. In any event, try this place.
-Thanks Ryan L. for taking me here.
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it has been said before (see: sunrise review) and i'll say it again: get yer pho in dorchester. otherwise, no pho.
i was a big fan of my neighborhood pho joint, sunrise, until one day my vietnamese co-worker said, "that place is lazy. their pho is not so good." oh? what's better?
a:
1-his wife's. but this takes days of preparation, and i am not invited.
2-his mom's, but i think he's just saying that.
3-pho so 1 boston!!
and he wasn't kidding. the pho is still big, even though it is a whole dollar more expensive than other pho joints in the area. (so, 7$.)
the beef-base pho is quite meaty and the broth is dense with thick cow-flesh extract. but with delicate and balanced spices (as with anywhere, add hot red paste, fish paste, and vietnamese basil to taste). the broth really elevates this above other places.
if you get tripe and tendons in your beef pho, and i do, they are very soft and not gummy, and the tripe doesn't taste or smell like acid.
the seafood pho is also quite good, with each component holding onto its unique fishy-ness, instead of melding together into sea-blah. and but the broth is also better than other joints' sea-pho.
i have also been here and gotten some super-fine special dish that they only have on saturdays, that is not on the menu, and requires that you have knowledge of vietnamese culture and language (i brought a friend) and it was extra special.
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Pho So 1 is flat out da bizommb. I've had pho at many a place (Pho Woburn, Pho Pasteur, Pho Vietnam (when it was still around), Pho Tian Tian, Saigon(in brighton), Pho lemongrass, pho hoa, and little vietnam out in LA and this place makes a good bowl of pho. Prices are crazy cheap, portions are huge, and the taste is fantastic. Parking is decent as there's alot of street parking on Dorchester Ave. The rolls are excellent and huge as well. Big place that can fit alot of people. As I am not vietnamese, I can't truly say this is the best place but it's gotta be up there.
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ah, Pho So 1 Boston.... I have such a soft spot in my heart for this place. Used to live right down the street. On cold, snowy, winter days nothing would beat being able to walk down to this joint and feast for short money.
Pho quality: inconsistent, you never know what you're gonna get here. I've been dazzled by the best pho here as well as diffused by the worst.
Other food: they have like chickens feet and pig knuckle, standard Vietnamese fare. The menu is a trip. Very good spring rolls, avocado smoothies, great hot tea.
Atmosphere: This is where this place shines. It is culture shock walking in here, the smells are decidedly un-American, the Viet-pop blaring on the cd player skips every other track, theres about a 15% English language recognition factor going on, and usually cute young Vietnamese ladies serving your food (if you have a fetish for that sort of thing).
This place is delicious! I always went to Pho Hoa, which is like three blocks away, but now I think I will always come here. The service is godly compared to the Pho Hoa service in Dorchester. The pho broth tastes amazing, not much different from Pho Hoa. The only thing I don't like is that the brisket isn't fatty, but I don't really care much about that. The price is reasonable, and the setting is very amiable.
Also, the smoothies are delicious!
Excellent, authentic Vietnamese cuisine! I love coming back to the Boston area for holidays, particularly for the wicked Vietnamese in Dorchester (don't tell my folks, LOL!). I even dragged my Mom & Dad, who don't usually go for this sort of experience, and they loved it too. We had a duck salad appetizer, which was huge, had tons of duck slices over a crisp and flavorful salad. The salad would have been nice even on its own - loads of chopped cabbage, nuts, and a lemongrass dressing - and the duck was a nice touch as well. We also had their fresh rolls, which had ham and crispy noodles inside; I hadn't seen that before. Their bahn mi comes as a soupy stew, with bread on the side. You take the beef bits from the soup, dress the bread with the broth, and eat - it was zesty, tasty and unique. The pho was very special, chart topping stuff. Tons of fresh eye round, rich & savory broth (WAY better than that fake stuff in NY), just a joy to eat, and so fresh and clean. It's the kind of meal you can stuff yourself on, and still feel not-too-gross afterwards.
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I come from an extremely "FOB-y" Viet family & let me tell you, this place does NOT live up to delicious, authentic Vietnamese food.
Last time I went, the Pho had very little flavor & they were very stingy the Tai beef & Bo Vien. Big disappointment, especially compared to my mom's pho.
Much is left to be desired of the decor & service is neither friendly nor helpful. But I didn't mind the rice entrees so much; I didn't mind the Com Suon Bi Cha (rice w/Viet-style steak & pork rinds).
Pho So 1 is definitely NOT my cup of tea. At all :]
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The broth at Pho So (Number) 1 isn't as rich and smooth as Pho Hoa, but that's because I am a Pho connoisseur. If you are a fan of the meat in pho, then this place will be your best friend. They give hearty portions of meat.
This is the second best pho restaurant in Boston. They are super friendly when you walk in and they serve you well, especially if you are non-vietnamese because they want you to come back.
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I've ordered take out from them all the time. I think this place is one of the best Vietmanes food in Dot Ave. The food is ok for the amount of money on take out.
I love this place. The bun {vermicelli) with egg roll or grilled shrimp is the best. The fresh spring rolls are fab.
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my vietnamese friends like this place a lot. the food is authentic and tasty, the diners are mostly vietnamese and the interior decor is simple. but if you aren't used to MSG or can't eat it, make sure you ask if there's any in your food before you dig in like i did. i often have a little MSG in my food, but it wasn't close to the amount they drenched in my soup. i had the BIGGEST migraine in my life, which lasted for a good 3 hours. i gulped about 2 gallons of water and i rested my head on my desk until the pain slowly subsided. it truly was a horrible experience.
if they don't understand your english, make sure you ask someone to translate. the food is so not worth your system crashing down on you like that. MSG is EVIL.....
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