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Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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I've been here 3 or 4 times now, and am thoroughly satisfied each time. I get the #9 eye of round steak and well-done brisket.
The broth is really bomb and adding basil to the mix just heightens the flavors. I love the simplicity of Pho and believe it is one of the best hangover cures in the world. I know from personal experience, most recently 22nd b-day. I'll leave out the details but after pre-gaming for a Giants game, hella beer at the game, a 2-3 hour bar crawl, you can only imagine the next morning. Pho saved me, it is very easy to eat, and because of the broth and noodle base, it coats the stomach well and soaks up the alchy.
Mix the Sriracha and the Hoisin sauce for a decadent mix to dip the noodles, and sprouts in! Definitely coming back again! Oh ya and it's not gonna break the bank at about $7, its a great buy
Customer service= F-
Pho=C
Total expericience at Pho to Chau=D
I'll never go back. Pho can be done better.
its your classic hole-in-the-wall off Castro St. The pho is cheap, the service is non-existent, and the broth is good; the three criteria for a decent bowl of pho. It definitely beats out the rest of the pho chains in Mountain View. One weird thing was that our egg rolls came after we finished our pho...
But overall, a good place to grab that bowl of pho you're craving.
Nothing fancy, just a soothing broth that's got flavor but isn't too salty. A nice balance. The toppings are fresh unlike the bean spouts at it's nearby competitors.
Go to Minh's for similar/better quality, normal/pleasant service and nice atmosphere. I've been here twice and not been particularly impressed. Today, the service was so bad and insulting I decided to not go back.
This is the best pho spot in downtown Mountain View...that doesn't say too much because the other pho places are mediocre chains...but if you are craving pho and in the area, turn down the little shady lane to Pho To Chau and check it out!!
The broth here is yummy and the egg rolls are really bomb. The food is quick and pretty cheap, so that covers all the criteria for quantifying a good pho place. It is no Turtle Tower or Pho Kim Long, but its for sure a worthwhile spot to check out.
I think my only complaint about this place is the service. I'm used to pho places looking like dives, but if you get this one guy as your server he might act like you are a burden to be there. Haha I felt like I was inconveniencing HIM for ordering. Oh well, its only that one person...and its actually kind of funny anyway.
Summer is just about to start, but I still want some pho....
It all about the pho here!! It is pretty bare bones, brusque service but the pho was yummy and it is cheap. I recommend the meatball pho. I am going back for sure.
This is my go-to place for pho near my house. We come here for lunch a lot too. The broth is tasty, they give you plenty of food, its cheap, its fresh, its quick, and basically all I want from a pho place. Its not oily and you feel like the pho is good pho you! The service is crap, but I've also come to expect (want?) that from a pho place.
I liked this place way better than pho hoa on castro st. pho hoa's soup wasn't as tasty as pho to chau's.
We came here again after a long time because my dad came back from Asia and craved pho, and we use to go here because his office was 5 minutes away.
During my hiatus from Mountain View, I've been eating and criticizing Vietnamese service and sometimes the food for 2 years already with my boyfriend and his mom (who are Vietnamese haha).
1. service sucked, but they kind of made up for it later by refilling water like 3 times
2. pho soup is NOT OILY = COOL!!
3. pho soup is NOT HOT ENOUGH = uncool
4. bean sprouts and basil and lime were prepared earlier so they showed some wilt and refrigeration evidence...
5. fried egg rolls only gave 2 lettuce leafs, had to ask for more
But, if you want some non oily pho, go here! I love the sentimental value of this place, but I actually like my bean sprouts fresh and don't mind the oily pho soup; I'd rather go to SJ. Nevertheless, if you are health conscious, the non-oily pho soup is great!!
Pho To Chau rocks! I ate here a few weeks ago and will definitely return again in the future.
I had one of their many vermicelli dishes. It was excellent. Such a large bowl too. Perfect grilled beef.
Another advantage here is that the food is prepared pretty quickly and is pretty cheap.
Like Samantha R. says and which I agree with, it's no Pho Kim Long, but it is for sure a worthwhile place to check out, especially if you are in the downtown Mountain View area.
Num num num.
I don't know what some of these folks are talking about-- I've been to Pho To Chau many a time and always gotten basil, bean sprouts, and little jalapeno circles.
If you're a fan of offal in your pho, this is the sorta place to come. I'm not, but there's still plenty of options for folks like me. Plus it's pretty cheap. I get a small bowl and usually can barely finish it. The larges are Americany-large, plus some.
Get the lemonade! It's a little bit sweet, but super refreshing and housemade. Deliciousness, perfect acidity to help you digest your pho.
Service is basic and cordial. This isn't exactly expensive fancy dining, folks, so breathe and relax a bit.
Now that this place is only a short jaunt from my apartment, I'm sure I'll be here more when I don't feel like cooking dinner for myself. Maybe I'll try some of the non-pho stuff someday and report back.
P.S. This place is also pretty good sick (or hungover) food. Do not confuse with Pho Hoa, which is only good as drunk food.
The pho broth is ok but somewhat bland. Maybe they don't use star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom. They skimped a bit on the beef. The service was strange. The waiter came up to me and my companion for our order as soon as we sat down. When I told him we weren't ready yet, he gave us a very nasty snide look. The place was about a third full at most so he wasn't rushed. That waiter needs a lesson in manners.
Came here last night for dinner...I thought this place was better than Pho Hoa on Castro...our waiter kept pouring us water haha! so I guess service was decent...pho was good but it's a little pricy for a pho place...but again it's Mt. View...
I'm a pho phanatic and this place is my go-to place for a work day pho phix, though that's mostly because I can't go too far on my bike during my lunch hour. The ride back to work is always tough due to the belly full of soup!
I don't think I have the discerning palette to tell you if it's better than other places around but I've enjoyed my meal every time I've been there. Except the nearby chain pho hoa which is to pho what mcdonalds is to hamburgers. blah.
At pho to chau I think the steak is a bit tough, maybe it's cut too thick. I always get brisket, which is tender and delicious. I've also ordered the wrong meat a few times - well-done flank is yucky fatty stringy stuff, in fact that's the main reason I wanted to review the place - to remind myself not to order that again!
Service is quick and curt and often not fluent in English. It's a point at the menu kinda joint. Not atypical for pho places, in my experience. They've never screwed up my order or forgotten my drink and I've always been served the usual side dish of sprouts etc... I don't look around for cleanliness. I've learned not to ruin a good thing. I figure if I don't get sick...
Today I had a delicious thai tea bubble tea. Yum!
Great pho (veg option comes with a lot of veggies), but the spring roles were nothing to write home about.
This place is decent. I usually just come here when I want a warm bowl of pho because it's the closest thing to work. For two large bowls of pho with tip, it usually comes to $20 even, sometimes more, sometimes less. I still don't understand why my cousin and I can come here every week, order the same thing every time but the price comes out different every time. Anyways, I usually get the #1 with beef balls and beef on the side, they usually give about 5-6 slices.
This place is pretty random, on a good day, they will take your order and give it to you in less than 5 minutes and on a bay day, it could take up to 10 mins to get everything. Sometimes, they will completely forget to give you your drinks including water and tea. Anytime you go to the cashier to pay, it takes a few minutes for someone to ring you up because they are under staffed so be patient when you come here.
I've been going to this pho shop for years and I love it. The pho is some of the best around, and every time I come home I find myself craving it!
Breakdown:
Broth: I LOVE the broth here, although it's inconsistent (but consistently tasty!). It's very rich and flavorful. There is definitely a sweet taste going on, but I happen to like it (and the sweetness varies).
Noodles: Good portion size, and great texture. They have a good chewy-stretchy-soft quality and they keep their consistency and don't get mushy by the end of the bowl.
Meat: Generous portions. The flank is very tasty is for more adventurous people as it can be full of tendons and fat (which I love... but if that's not your thing then stick to the brisket or steak). Great tripe and soft tendon too!
The service is laughably bad here: it's fast, but the servers are all grumpy and don't speak much English. Point to the menu and don't ask for substitutions unless you (a) speak Vietnamese or (b) want your order to come out wrong. The restaurant itself is sort of a hole in the wall, but for some reason that never seemed to bother me... I think I was too busy eating to care!
You know the saying "even bad pizza is still good?"
It really doesn't work with Pho.
Bad Pho is like the dollar store.
Full of hope and the promise of great value for something really fulfilling.
But alas...
In the end, you are left with, in both cases, a pile of shit.
One figurative.
One literal.
Pepto.
I see a lot of complaints about the service in other reviews, but I thought it wasn't that bad. The pho here was pretty tasty. The broth was very flavorful, and the steak was very tender. I know I really liked this place since I rarely finish a whole bowl of pho, but I finished everything until the bowl was clean. If I lived in Mtn. View, I would definitely come here often.
This pho place gets a 4 because it's the best around, which means Pho Vi Hoa on San Antonio and Pho Hoa right next to it. It's the most authentic tasting and least Americanized compared to these two joints, though it's like picking the worst of three evils.
You get bigger portions here and decent broth and meat. Nothing to get all excited over though. In a bo vien (meatball), you get more meatballs than Pho Hoa and Pho Vi Hoa, last time I checked. The broth isn't that addicting like other places I've seen back home in socal or in San Jose.
I tend to get the rice plates or vermicelli dishes when I go here, although I do the same at every pho restaurant I go to. I like the fact that they actually HAVE rice plates here, unlike Pho Hoa. They're not too bad, and layout of the food is normal, unlike Pho Vi Hoa where they give you a scoop of rice on the side and have the vegetables separated on a different plate (no idea why - probably too Americanized). Once again, portions are bigger and it's more authentic tasting. I don't like how there are no "com tam" offerings around here though.
I come here for "che ba mau" (a three bean dessert) pretty often, and once again, unsurprisingly, it's bigger and yet priced the same as Pho Hoa. This place tends to be pretty empty all the time and decor is pretty bland, but I'll take it for the better food. Prices ain't so hot cause, frankly, there aren't many Viet restaurants around so they and Pho Hoa can charge high prices. But when I gotta have a Viet dinner around here, Pho To Chau is the place to go.
Pho was OK. There was nothing special about it and thought it did satisfied my craving for Pho.
**Pho Quest Stop #11**
This stop was actually over a year ago and reflects various visits I've had to Pho To Chau over the past 10 years. It's never been a first choice, even back in the day, but it's food has always been quick and affordable.
Located on a side street off Castro, Pho To Chau is overshadowed by the presence of both Pho Hoa on Castro and by the extremely popular Ryowa Ramen. Whereas those places have people lined out the door, I've never seen Pho To Chau that busy. To be honest, the majority of my visits to Pho To Chau were before either Ryowa or Pho Hoa were even open. I'd say the crowds are even smaller now.
As for the food, it's really average fare with few surprises. The pho soup is tasty but unmemorable. Same goes for the noodle and beef. The one saving grace, and why I would always prefer Pho To Chau over the nearby Pho Hoa, is that you CAN order rare beef on the side. Til this day, the fact that you cannot at Pho Hoa makes me question it's authenticity and its freshness.
As for other negatives, I'd agree with reviewers who find this restaurant a bit dirty and the service a bit lacking. But you usually have your pho in 5 minutes and you'll be gone with almost no lines. Rice dishes and spring rolls are similarly safe here too. Not the greatest, but definitely better than places I avoid.
Short and sweet:
PROs: um...still thinking
CONs: The broth is not very flavorful, it doesn't come with basil, the place looks too much like a hole-in-a-wall.
The place was empty. That should've told me to go somewhere else. The food isn't terrible, but there are much better places to get pho.
Broth is not bad....lots of meat but could use a few more noodles here. Either I was very hungry and finished the bowl really quickly or there wasn't that much to begin with. ;0)
I'm sure I've written about this place in the past and I think the service/food quality has gone way down.
No basil or mint for the side dish? That's a definitely first for me and I was so shocked.
The broth ain't so tasty. You really gotta go down to the south bay (SJ) to eat good pho. Sigh.
I'm giving this place 5 stars, because they have served me well over the years. Let me give you a little background: I've been coming to this place for the last 2 years, I've seen every waiter and waitress they have, they practically know me by name...although the communication channel between the staff and guests is minimal and scattered at best. I get the same dish, small Pho Ga every time I go because its damned good, and I've tried every other place in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, etc. and they simply do not taste as good to me.
First of all, the place is crusty, no frills whatsoever, the staff is mostly going to be brash and not patient with you nor will they make unusual accommodations to dietary or other special needs. The quality of the food is not top notch, the ingredients are standard and pretty much comparable to all the other pho places around, however, on one particular occasion another person at our table found a fly in the food, thats correct an insect in the food. While I was not particularly turned on about it, I kept eating my pho, realizing the fly was probably in the same broth, and I was essentialy eating fly juice, yes, its THAT good.
So, now you understand a little background on the place, you might wonder "why the hell would anyone ever eat at such a crappy hole in the wall", let me tell you: there are just little subtle things that make this place homey and comfortable for the average consumer willing to pay $6-7 for a decent meal that probably won't kill you (I can't guarantee that of course). For instance, if you crack a joke with the staff they probably won't get it (because of the language barrier), they will probably just smile and look at you crazy like the crazy person you must seem to them. If you are a regular (like we are) they remember you, remember what sort of things you like, and make it the way you like it... its not a faceless corporate chain, its a little family owned hole in the wall, and thats the kind of place I want to support.
The pho here is pretty gross. The last time I came here the broth was sweet. The portions are not particularly good nor a good value.
Head on over to santa clara or san jose where the pho is a lot better...
It's funny cause I avoided this place for all my years living in the area until a week before I left. I had always gone to Pho Hoa across the street mainly because my friends first took me there and it was open late. Plus it seemed like a more popular destination.
However, I have to say that the pho at Pho To Chau is a lot tastier and richer in flavor than Pho Hoa. Prices are cheaper and the meat seems to be better quality. The only downside is that they close early so make sure you get there before then!
There was a stretch of time when I ate here at least 3 times a week. It's cheap, the portions are large, and if you work in Mountain View, this should be a frequented lunch spot.
My only gripe is the service and cleanliness. If this matters to you, then caveat emptor.
The location is convenient, but the pho just doesn't cut it. Bland.
I go to Pho To Chau Wednesday nights with my Sports Illustrated and an appetite for tripe.
They take care of me there. The waiter never smiles and looks like Droopy (really, this dude looks like the hound and has the dry wit to back it up), but always hooks me up with an unbelievable #7 regular -- pho with beef flank, brisket, parsley and shredded tripe -- 5 minutes after I sit down. I used to get the large-sized pho, but realized 3 years after going to this place that regular is more than enough... sorta like how I used to wear large-sized clothing in high school, medium in college and finally accepted I was a small after graduating from college.
The pho, spring rolls and bun -- dry noodle salad that comes with your choice of pork, shrimp, vegetables and fish sauce -- are definitely the main draws, but there is something else I like about this place. I like to be alone and have quiet Kevin time every week. Pho To Chau is one of my havens for solitude. I can walk into this place, pick wherever I want to sit and eat my pho without any chicks bothering me for my digits.
Other people see a dirty pho joint and would rather partake in delicious ramen next door at Ryowa. Go ahead, you naive patrons of Mountain View. Slurp your ramen and leave me alone on Wednesday nights. I'm busy enjoying Vietnamese cuisine at its best while reading commentary on why Tiger Woods is such a pimp in my Sports Illustrated. I'll join you tomorrow night... Ryowa is my Thursday joint.
And don't even tell me Pho Hoa is better than Pho To Chau. Pho Hoa is Scottie Pippen and Pho To Chau is Mike Jordan.
Pho To Chau, you're just so phoking useless.
You're a minute walk away from my work, which is the only reason you ended up with my $7 dollars today. I had to grab a quick bite to eat before I had to be back at the office. The weather was a little cloudy, and I don't believe in chain pho restaurants (Pho Hoa).
So yes, I did come around 1:00 which was your lunch rush. You were a little crowded, but nothing crazy. You should know how to manage crowds like this...its nothing unusual.
I stood at the door for a good 5 minutes trying to get someone to make eye contact with me. Finally someone did, and I signaled for a table for 1. You sat me down at some innocent mans table who was seated, and then proceeded to the bathroom. I was hesitant to sit down because I had saw the guy leave, but you said he was gone. I sit down for no more then 30 seconds, and he comes out. Now I have to get up, and explain why you messed up.
There is mad confusion going on right now and you scramble to get me seated, fine.
You seat me, and then I wait a little longer for a menu. Once I get one, I have you hang around until I order because if I don't, then I won't see you for another 10 minutes.
This is where it gets....interesting.
You take my order, and I wait 20 minutes for a small bowl of pho. What the phuck is up with that?
My noodles were hard, the broth tasted off, and the price was higher then normal. Hell, you didn't even bring out tea to me. I had to ask you a few times for it because I needed something to wash out the bad taste in my month.
Pho To Chau, I'm disappointed. If you feel the need to refund me my money for my poor lunch experience, you can pin my $7 to my car windshield. I park in the lot behind your restaurant....
Thank you.
I can eat here any day. Super fast, cheap, edible as far as Vietnamese joints are (hey, it's Vietnamese food, not French cuisine; it's Asian food, so wipe down your utensils before you start chowing down). Pho To Chau does it better than Pho Hoa in my book.
The staff is funny. Once, the guy taking my order was like, totally surprised, "You're not Vietnamese?" -- Hello, I ordered in English. I thought Asian people were supposed to be able to tell each ethnicity apart! I'm Taiwanese, BTW.
The place grows on you. Their staff too. And whoever said this place is empty all the time... uh.. it's packed every time I've been there. I watched a guy bus his own family's bowls and stuff from the table one time cuz he felt bad for the super-busy staff. This place is busy for a reason!
I've been here at least 3 times in the past 7 to 8 years, and it pretty much proves that average dining experiences are definitely forgettable even if remotely forgiveable. Good food is like your close friends who leave an impression on you forever. Mediocre food I liken to flakey aquaintances whom you have little to no attachment to, much like some of you who like to do booty calls with your "fuddies" of F-buddies, or you are a man-ho to begin with and like to conquer and pillage like Genghis Khan. But bad and mediocre food experiences, they can make for great review material (see multitudes of examples of Nobu K's greatest 1 star reviews) unfortunately at your own expense.
Today was a borderline yet amusing experience, just based entirely on my own experience.
The meal was like:
* starting off almost like a Wagnerian opera, and ending like a Guns N Roses concert with the band leaving the stage early and fans rioting while destroying property.
* an intimate moment with a loved one who at the near point of explosion, notices the cracks on the celing and decides whether to paint it white or brown out loud, and wants you to pause so he/she can go on a potty break.
Interesting that I never noticed such subtleties like this before in the past visits. But anyways I thought I'd give PTC a fresh perspective and came in for lunch.
Ordered the #1 regular bowl of pho which had eye round/rare steak, tendon, tripe, fat brisket, well done flank ($5.60 ish) , and also an ice milk coffee ($3).
Right after ordering, I made a quick trip to the men's room. When I came out, and sat down, immediately my order came out. Granted it was past 1 pm and the restaurant was not busy at all, but this was UBER fast. Good things to come, I thought....
Well here's the skinny:
Noodles - great consistency. A tad bit thinner than many other places. Not clumped together, Light and quite nicely done.
Eye round steak - the pink was almost gone, decent but not the best quality meats
Fat brisket - goooooooooooood. Supple soft, moist in a non sexual way, but every way delicious
tripe - wow cut uber uber thin. But doesn't have that great taste like Pho Dong in Redwood City who I think still does the best prep
flank - forgettable
broth - ok this was the MAJOR let down. It was a few tones darker than the clear salt broth version at Pho Binh Sunnyvale that I prefer, but I swore today's batch tasted less beefy and more soy sauce and sugar :-( WTF?!
The biggest let down was the cafe su na da (ice milk coffee). The drip coffee itself well it did look dark brown, and even after stirring the cup and pouring it into the glass of ice, it still looked ok. But taste wise....
it was like this
You take a sip, for a split second you taste a layer of coffee. Then immediately you taste more milk and then water. Then the aftertaste disappears. I swear my tongue is not dysfunctional, and I have no idea how PTC created that coffee to do such a thing. But $3 for a coffee that does c0ckt3a$ing functions is so WRONG.
This place had SO much potential. Quite a few good things going for them, yet the broth and the coffee were really teasing my tastebuds. 1 star loss for each of them for not doing it right.
I agree that this is the "best" pho in Mountain View downtown, but that's not saying much, since MV has become restaurant capital in the area, but a lot of mediocre choices, with only a handful of good restaurants. 3 stars at least for mostly decently done meats in the pho, the noodles, and the uber quick toilet time turnaround service!
a.k.a "Fighting Pho" (inside reference)
This is my favorite Pho restaurant in MV. They serve southern vietnamese Pho with all the things you're accustomed to. The broth is fairly murky (good sign), the noodles make you want to shovel them into your mouth with a fury and the meat is always mouth watering. Top all this off with the best lemon soda I've had and you know why I always begged my ex to go here. The key to a good lemon soda btw, is tons of sugar and it absolutely has has to fizz almost to point of overflowing every time you stir it. They have this nailed (it's simple people). Before I leave the food, I've had their Bun too, and it's good.
The restaurant itself is a huge box with glass in the front and tables. It's a "no frills" kind of place. The service was always good enough. You may have to flag down someone but, big deal. They'll run over and take care of you. Thinking back I think this place may be cash only. I can't recall but be prepared. The prices seemed reasonable if not cheap.
Parking? pssh. There is a huge multi-level structure across the street.
I completely love this place. I was introduced to pho here, and I always enjoy coming back. The shabby interior, contrary to other reviews, only makes the place more authentic to me! I would say that they provide substantially more meat than Pho Hoa, and the broth is tastier too!
EDIT 9/26/07
I came here a few weeks back with my parents, and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed! The service was gruff, as usual, but the broth just wasn't as savory as it should have been. It seemed watered down somehow.
The vegetarian pho is warm and hearty on a cold winter day.
Can't really give the place more stars since that's the ONLY dish I can have here. :(
Sometimes, you just want some pho, you want it now, false pleasantries be damned.
Tasty, cheap, don't-beat-around-the-bush service. Perfection.
It's fortunate that this place is close to Pho Hoa because that allows them to get the Pho Hoa spillover from when they are too busy. Otherwise, I can't imagine why you'd choose to come here. The place is dingy (dirty, not a boat), and the staff is very standoffish (I felt as if I was inconveniencing them).
The food tastes alright, but seeing the grungy restaurant makes it less appetizing. Still, under the assumption that it's clean, I gave it 2 stars because it's nice to know that you can get a filling meal with a drink for under $10 in the Bay Area.
Pho Hoa rules!
[EDIT] Okay, so after a long hiatus, I finally went back to try Pho To Chau's pho... and OK I ADMIT. Their broth = heaven. Dear lord it is good. :O.... It reminded me why I loved pho... my most recent bowl of pho before that was this gigantic $6 at some random place in Boston Chinatown that tasted like... nothing. The pho at Pho To Chau was like the OPPOSITE.... ZOMG ZOMG.
Aaaannd....the rest of the review still stands. Except that there was a lot less meat these last two times here... Hmm.[/EDIT]
So many people say the pho here is better than right around the corner at Pho Hoa, but I honestly can't tell the difference. It is definitely very good, though, and one noticeable difference is that Pho To Chau includes a whole lot more meat than its neighboring Pho Hoa. The only other difference is that their prices are marginally different - sometimes higher, sometimes lower, but (of course) always going up.
One thing that prevents me from giving this place a 4, though, is its shabby and dirty-looking interior. I walked in once hoping to eat here during the summer and was met with hot, humid, stagnant air. I don't think there was even a fan inside... I ended up going around the corner to eat at Pho Hoa just for the air conditioning (and its look of cleanliness).
Mountain View, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Los Altos, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Mountain View, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Mountain View, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Mountain View, CA
Category: Vietnamese
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