Pho Bien Hoa

Scale of 1-5

1.)    Quality of broth:  2

2.)    Quality of meats: 3

3.)    Server : Courteous

4.)    Freshness of garnishes: 5

5.)    Size of bowl: 4

6.)    Restaurant cleanliness: 4

7.)    Overall dining experience: 3.5

8.)    Frequency of visit to restaurant: once every few months.

9.)    Plan on returning to restaurant:  Not for awhile

10). Would I recommend this place to friend:  Not for pho.

11.) White to asian: 16 white, 3 asian  (Dinner time)

12.)    Dish ordered:  Pho Dac Biet

13.)    Price :$6-$7

14.)    Time it took to receive food once ordered: 10 min

15.)    Menu selection: great

Over the years, I have been quite a fan of this place.  The owners and waiters have been great and always accommodating to me and our friends.  The Pho broth was excellent and the meat/noodles portions were very generous.  Things have slightly changed.

When I walked in yesterday, there seemed to be a new atmosphere.  Smack dab in the middle was a huge 100+ gallon fish tank. I liked that.   Around what seemed like every table, there was some sort plant,/tree/something green accompanying the dining experience.  While great for the eyes, and oxygen,  I felt like I was in a tropical rain forest. If they were going for the Vietnam jungle look, they get an A+.  The walls were still the same “Cricket” wireless  green.

The waiter was very kind and prompt, I didn’t expect any different.  When the Pho was brought out, it looked visually right and the smell of the cinnamon and licorice was sweet to the nose.  After my first sip, I realized they forgot something… FLAVOR.  I had to ask for more fish sauce,  and even desperate enough to put soy sauce in to balance out what tasted like “added water” to a soup.  Maybe ok to some, but to me, a great bowl of Pho needs nothing but garnishes and chili/spices as tolerated by the consumer.   The portions of noodle and meat were very generous.  This is place is one of the few places that do not include the beef balls in their “dac biet”.  That comes at extra charge.

The best part of my meal had to be the Avocado shake.

Overrall, I would come back to this place as I love the people, their owners, and their overall ability to pay attention to details.  The place is clean, upbeat, and always looking to improve.  But if I based my recommendations on the Pho with last night’s visit, I would say, “order something else”.  Their flat noodle dish is great, but their Pho broth doesn’t compare to other places.  I want to be able to taste the flavor of the bones/spices that have been marinating in the broth.  Yesterday, it tasted like it could have come out of  a Beef Pho flavoring packet.

Rating:  **2.5 bowls of pho out of 5. **