Phobang Restaurant

 

5

37

liz h.

Flushing, NY

There are a gaziliion pho places in Flushing, owned and operated by Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, but this is the place I go to for pho.  The soup is so dirty, I love it.  I like spring rolls (fried) but I stopped ordering them here after several times because they always tasted old.  I'm guessing they're pre-fried then fried again briefly before serving.  The summer rolls are pretty fresh; I'm sure they're made on order.

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0

2

Ready G.

Flushing, NY

This is prolly my favorite Vietnamese place in Flushing, if not NYC. It's affordable and authentic;a little grungy, but the food is top notch.  Prices have gone up a dollar or two here and there, but that's the case wherever you go these days. Anyway, only reason I don't give it five stars is cause, like others have already pointed out, it's a little sloppy as far as the interior goes. I've eaten here a ton of times, but one time there was a hair in my spring roll. The food's so good that I can forgive them that one little time.

This place is very authentic (owner is Vietnamese, not Chinese) and I prefer it to the spot next door, because although the interior isn't as nice, the service is much faster and friendlier. Pho Huang (next door) is often slow and very rude.

One final thing I'd like to point out: if you can't stand cilantro (and I know there's a lot of you out there) you can still enjoy Vietnamese, just don't forget to tell 'em when you place your order. Alternatively, check out Pho 32 & Shabu, where they always put the cilantro on the side for you to make your own choice about putting it in.

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9

61

lora c.

New York, NY

Very good pho, and on the cheap too. I always get the x-Large bowl (I'm a piggy) and always get the cha gio or summer roll. Pho Bang is my go-to place for, uhm, pho. It's conveniently located right across the street from Flushing Library and Quickly's-- and I'd choose it over the one on Prince Street any day. Food is authentic, hot, and fast. Vietnamese iced coffees could be better, but they do the job and I always have one, sometimes two (when does condensed milk ever fail to do it's job? The answer is NEVER). Not in the mood for pho? Order a bahn mi (vietnamese sandwich) instead, or pork chop over rice. It's super cheap here, and very very filling. Three of my favorite dishes in one place. Come, and you won't regret it.

Five stars for what it is. I believe it's Viet-owned, not Chinese, but I'm not sure. Don't come expecting a super classy place though; it is kind of an old looking place, but you and your friends will eat and leave happy.

Oh! And for those of you that don't know, banh mi is a sandwich of mixed pickled veggies--carrots, onions, daikon, turnip-- along with pate (although it can sometimes be pork, chicken, or head cheese) served on a rice or wheat flour baguette. And uhm, for those of you who don't know what pate is, well, pate is generally... liver? :D

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1

26

Judy W.

Flushing, NY

yummyYYY!!!!!! the best pho ever! I go there once a week and order the same stuff. SPRING rolls, PHO and the rainbow drink! sooo good. The spring rolls are sooo crispy and the pho is soo flavorful. Been to "pho tuong" which is next door and it sucked!!!!!!! Try this place instead.

PHO BANG is the best...too bad the one in manhattan closed.

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0

1

LD S.

Elmhurst, NY

I just went there for lunch & ordered the chicken curry stew...advertised as spicy & not spicy at all. Flavorless even... maybe that's not  "the thing" to order here.
I usually go next door to Pho Huang, but decided to try this place based on the reviews. I'll give it another try & let u know how it goes next time.
(& I like Pho Huang btw)

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3

43

Annie H.

Fresh Meadows, NY

This is one of my all-time favorite eateries in Flushing.

They are FAST - you order (by number) and your food comes to your table less than A MINUTE.

Now, you are probably thinking, fast food = bad food.  This is not the case with Pho.  Their vietnamese noodle soups are delicious; you will even see many Vietnamese people eating here, so it must be true to its origin.

Try the spring rolls, the fried ones.  They are simply delightful.  You wrap it up in the lettuce leaves and dip it into the fish sauce.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...

Don't forget to try the pork chop over rice.  It is grilled to perfection.

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4

38

Judy C.

Long Island City, NY

I love Vietnamese food, and I love Phobang Flushing! The best thing about the restaurant are their Vietnamese sandwiches. I think if you buy 4 they give you one free. I would buy like a dozen if I went. It's like crack in a baguette...soooo gooooood!

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11

118

Jen W.

Flushing, NY

Vietnamese food is pretty good, I really enjoy their large noodle soups, and recently their sandwiches. I love their sandwiches, I'm not sure what they put in it, but its DAMN good. They heat it in the oven and gets everything warm, not sure which animals they used but it's pretty good. I usually go there for the sandwiches.
Its not big on decor, or ambiance, you go there to eat, not to sit and chat and look around and discuss the current state of global warming or how to reduce your carbon print. You could if you want, but most ppl eat, and go on their way...

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10

28

Hannah C.

Flushing, NY

I've never tried anything else but their vietnamese sandwiches, but their sandwiches are DAMNGOOD!! You get a long toasted sub with different meats and this weird pasty stuff, cilantro, and pickled carrots and radish. You can get it spicy or non-spicy, but I prefer non-spicy because it's uncooked jalepenos they put in that baby - which is not the type of spicy I like. Rather, I just put the sriracha sauce in it.

IT'S SOOOO YUM!!! All for $3. Totally, totally worth it.

[edit]
i had to take a star off because of the food handling. i saw a guy carry a tray of beef stacked high (those thinly sliced beef strips that go into your yummy sandwich and pho) and he was going through those plastic hanging things that serve as a doorway or barrier to another room and he just walked through with the tray of beef, letting the plastic just slide all over the beef. not only is the plastic thing highly contaminated, how many trays of beef did those plastic things touch??

:/

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1

9

Paul K.

Flushing, NY

I had a Vietnamese sandwich today (that's how you order it). It was $3.50 and as described in Hannah C's review. I can also confirm that it was "YUM" and "totally, totally worth it." Will go back for more.

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0

131

Anson P.

Annandale, VA

My first reaction is shock when I see the number of 4 star and 5 star reviews for this place.  On my visit to NY, I figured NY would kill VA in all food categories, but this is not the case at all.  I don't claim to be a pho expert, but I know what I like and I look for pho in every city I frequent.

Getting to this restaurant is incredibly annoying and the parking lot is always full.  Those waiting for spots often look like they want to take me out if I even look at an open space.

The pho here is not very good, in my humble opinion.  The broth is not as flavorful as one would expect and is a little too thin for my tastes.  They don't offer onions marinated in vinegar as some pho places do which is a tasty addition to the pho.  We took some sandwiches to go, and they were ok.

So far, I have not been impressed with the Vietnamese representation in NY, and would invite everyone to come down to Virginia for pho and Vietnamese food in general.  Or go sample pho in Cali and Texas, because they are supposed to kick the crap out of Virginia.

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Elite '08

94

1250

Alex S.

New York, NY

My secret of curing hangovers has always involved either soup dumplings or Vietnamese beef noodle soup, otherwise known as "Pho."  And this place is easily on of the best places to cure it.  Phobang is a part of a growing trend of Vietnamese places in Flushing and a vital anchor to the demand for good pho places in NYC.

The pho broth here is fresh and inhaling it is like a nice steam bath for the face.  Its tastes as good as it smells and the meat varieties are just cooked enough to be safe to eat while staying extremely moist and chewy.  Its not all about the pho here clearly, as there are some excellent appetizers and my second favorite entree here has to be the bun tom nuong, which is char grilled shrimp on a bed of rice noodles with bits of peanuts and lemon sprinkled over it.  

Even though this place is crowded on any given night, the spacious hall is enough to accommodate many folks at any given time.  Prices are very reasonable and its very hard to hate this place for all that it has.  It is by far one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Flushing, perhaps Queens.

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Elite '08

20

53

Michelle R.

NY

The charm of this place is that there is no charm, it relies solely on the food. The Pho is excellent, definitely not Americanized (they offer tripe). They make excellent spring rolls: shrimp, cilantro, vermicelli, lime, deliciousness. Also on the menu is a vermicelli noodle dish with fried spring rolls which is yum as well.

And all I can say is... damn, it's cheap (like $5).

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3

13

Michael L.

New York, NY

Perfect place for an early dinner after an afternoon Mets game; the noodles are excellent and the grill-your-own-meat is easily the equal of any overpriced Koreatown joint.

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Elite '08

19

146

Loretta C.

Flushing, NY

They don't skimp on the important stuff: lime, fresh basil, and bean sprouts. And they aren't substituting the basil with cilantro like my former-favorite place has been doing for the past couple of years--the SHAME.

I take pho seriously, because it either hits the spot or it doesn't. On Kissena they work it, so you can't go wrong.

Update: My opinion of the food is still the same, but recently found out from the health dept web site that this is one of the dirtiest places to eat in Flushing. So I may cut back on my meals here.

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19

153

Diana T.

West Los Angeles, CA

4 stars for the pho and shrimp rolls...maybe 3 for their bun bo hue and grilled chicken.  Portions are large w/unbeatable prices but sometimes their meat is tough and the quality isn't consistent.  Their 3 bean drink is really good though!

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6

32

Tero P.

Flushing, NY

Don't go to Pho Bang for decor, that's all I can say.

The pho, however, is one of the best I've had anywhere (I haven't visited Vietnam, yet, though).

On a cold, rainy autumn evening, a big bowl of warm soup drenched with hot sauce at Pho Bang is the best deal around. It's guaranteed to blow any trace of a cold away.

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