Omg I have a new pho obsession — but even more than that, I am IN LOVE with the “Banh Xeo” which is hard to describe, but it like a little rice pancake taco thing with seasoned meat in the middle. But that description doesn’t do the dish justice.
This little pancake is just about the best thing since the invention of the potato chip in my book. Wrapping it with fresh herbs and rice paper and dipping it in the peanut sauce was just about heaven on earth.
Will def be back!
-Steffi
HIDDEN GEM. Every Vietnamese restaurant has a specialty. Whether it’s their pho, or their cha gio (egg rolls), or maybe their thit nuong (grilled pork), every Vietnamese restaurant has their premiere dish. Pho Cafe’s premiere dish is their BUN THIT NUONG with CHA GIO. For those of you who might not know what that is: vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and egg rolls.
THE MEAT IS DANK (bomb af). The beef is shredded and it tastes like the flavor was beaten into the meat with a mortar and pestle. I don’t even know if I even like the way I worded that. I believe the lemongrass makes their thit nuong unique. Not a typical ingredient. Needless to say the meat is good either way.
Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepes) were crazy good. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM AS AN APPETIZER. If I’m not mistaken they serve it with rice paper. Let me just say, my grandmother would only make banh xeo on special occasions. In short, it was a bitch to make. So the fact that they make this here already won them 5 stars. Try it. Like it. Let me know if you liked it.
SERVICE IS GOOD. Ambience is sort of hipstery, although I don’t think it was the intention. I really like the decor and how things are set up to be quite honest. I even like that there’s no sign on the outside to tell you where the place is at. It adds to the exclusivity to the whole thing, hence why I said HIDDEN GEM. When you’re trying to find the place, keep your eyes peeled. Parking can be tight so be prepared to find street parking.
If you like vermicelli bowls then you’ll really like this place. Don’t forget to try the banh xeo too. Cheers and happy eating!
-Joshua
You can always bet on this spot to give you a good bowl of pho or a vermicelli bowl.
I personally really like the veggie vermicelli bowl that comes with tofu, mushrooms, and bok choy. And this is from a non-vegetarian/vegan.
The food always comes out really quickly. The restaurant is a well oiled machine and knows how to get food out as efficiently as possible.
The only drawbacks is parking can be tough and it’s cash only.
-Marielisa
Love this place, they at least 1 vegetarian option per section of the menu. Wish they had more vegetarian options but I can’t complain for a Vietnamese joint that doesn’t specialize in vegetarian. No frills or anything, but no bullshit ever. The service is fast, and humble.
They are fast with the food, their portions are great. I don’t ever feel like someone skimped me on veggies or meat when I get my order…like some other pho places around LA.
Parking gets full but I usually wait for a bit or park along the street/around the corner of the wood pizza place.
Sometimes there is a wait, but they have a decent amount of seating so I’ve never had to wait for very long if ever at all.
-Karen
Great service and yummy food!
I’ve been looking for a neighborhood pho place nearby and it turns out this place was there all along! It doesn’t have its name listed at the front of the building, so I recommend you pay close attention to its address, which is slightly faded, but still visible on the glass front.
I ordered the number 10 and it was delicious! The vegetarian egg rolls were also very good. I only recommend you bring your own red chili peppers from home if you like your pho extremely spicy the way I do. They have the red chili paste and jalapeños but I love the red chili peppers from my previous neighborhood pho spot, so I’ll make sure to bring chili along next time.
The only other thing is that this place only accepts cash, so keep that n mind! I didn’t know and had to walk to the ATM next door, not a big deal, but next time I’ll make sure to have cash with me to avoid the walk.
-Thelma
Love this place. Probably best pho place in Silverlake. Seems Vietnamese owned. I’ve been going here for years and it’s been around for quite a long time for a LA restaurant.
The spring rolls are bomb. Egg rolls bomb and Vietnamese style. Vermicelli noodles bowl bomb. The vegetarian pho is bomb too. I’d never thought I say that. Veggie pho? Yeah right. But I was with this woman who didn’t eat meat and tried hers and it was what’s the word….? BOMB.
FIRE.
Parking lot kinda small. Busy for a reason. Bomb.
-Brian
My go-to place for a delicious bowl of pho. I usually get the pho ga but the pho tai is sooo delicious if you’re into beef. If you’re really hungry, the fresh spring rolls are amazing with the peanut sauce. Sometimes, I’ll put that peanut sauce in my pho ga.
Remember: CASH ONLY!
-Michelle
As a vegetarian, Vietnamese restaurants are almost the last on my list because almost everything is made of beef broth. This place was a HUGE surprise! The menu actually labels “Vegetarian” on the side of the item for you so you don’t have to guess. Then, the food comes out SO fast…like, what? I swear to you, less than 5 minutes after we ordered, our food was out. The table next to us, too! Mind you, this was a Sunday evening around 8pm. Holy cannoli! Yes, they also taste delicious. It’s not your amazing 626 SGV pho…so don’t say I didn’t warn you, but seriously…I’m not going to lie…it feels great to have decent vegetarian Pho, or Bun after having to turn away from Vietnamese food for so long. I secretly felt like this place really liked me and wanted to cater to me…like royalty. Too much? Sorry. Relinquishing my crown.
The service was really friendly as well…beyond the speedy food arrival. I swear it’s like a Jimmy John’s version of Vietnamese food. Yes, it’s slightly pricy…yes, the parking was a little crappy (because they have the tiniest little parking lot) but it was worth parking on the street and walking a little bit. The place is kind of small with one narrow row of seats but the turn around rate for a table seems pretty quick so not much wait time. I’m so happy I found this place and I am definitely coming back again!
-Jennifer