Kathy Y.

So glad we have a good local place that serves banh mi and at a reasonable price! Bonus is they are including free Vietnamese coffee for the time being. Our favorites are the au jus beef banh mi ($12.50) which comes with soft cuts of beef plus dipping sauce as well as the classic combo cha banh mi ($8.50). The sandwiches are a good size and filling. Can't wait to try the bbq smoked pork and pho beef. Sounds amazing. Go now while they're offering the free coffees. Total deal!

Sandy N.

The hubs and I are always excited to try new places for our lunch dates, and this time Yelp led us to Boban/One V Pho ~ the newest Vietnamese boba & bánh mì (baguette) café in the area. Located in the bustling One Stop Commercial Center in Lake Forest, Boban occupies a spacious corner lot of the plaza ~ facing Lake Forest Dr. Parking is plentiful, with spaces surrounding the restaurant on all sides. I had heard about this chain opening in Garden Grove, so I was excited to see one open closer to home. My first impression was that the restaurant is modern with simple decor. It's clean, bright, and inviting. We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon, and there were plenty of tables to choose from. Although a few customers were waiting for their to-go orders, it wasn't very busy. The young gentleman manning the register was super friendly and invited us to sit wherever we liked. After looking over the straightforward menu, the hubs & I opt'd for the pho gà (chicken pho ~ $15.95) and an order of egg rolls ($12.95) to share. Since it was a hot afternoon, the lychee strawberry fruit tea ($6.50) sounded especially refreshing. I ordered mine at 50% sweetness, which was perfect since lychee teas tend to be on the sweeter side. My hubs went with the mixed fruit tea ($6.50) at regular sweetness. Both were fresh & delicious ~ we'd definitely order them again. While the egg rolls and pho were good, they weren't particularly memorable. The house special ginger sauce really helped elevate the pho gà. Otherwise, the broth wasn't as rich or flavorful as I'm used to. IMO, it was missing a bit more depth. The chicken was moist, but I wish there had been a more generous portion. All in all, Boban is a solid option for those times when you don't wanna make the drive to to Bolsa/Westminster, or cook pho at home yourself. We'd come back for the convenience and refreshing drinks.

Terrence Y.

Newly opened Vietnamese Bahn mi restaurant. It's a nice big corner location well decorated with Asian modern aesthetic. The service was very pleasant when I arrived and my order was ready quickly. I got a bbq pork Bahn mi and Vietnamese coffee. The highlight was the bread. It was very fresh. Crispy and flaky on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. The pork was also well seasoned and perfectly cooked. I also loved my coffee. I'll be back to try more.

Tanya S.

What a find! Brand new gem for good Vietnamese food and Boba with a modern twist. We loved our sweet potato fries, beef Bahn mi and "dry" pho. My daughter and I shared their generous portions. Thai iced tea was delicious!

Heather T.

Boban just opened a few months ago and they're running a free coffee with each banh mi or pho order! I don't usually eat banh mis but wanted to give it another try. I ordered the bbq pork and my husband ordered the pho beef. The veggies were super refreshing! The filling to bread ratio could've been a bit better, I'd also order extra sauce on the side. We ate ours at home so most of the tasty sauce absorbed into the bread. We took a sip of our coffees and liked it, would come back to order it again! Since we came in for dinner, we decided to save the coffee for tomorrow. Instead we ordered the lychee strawberry fruit tea with lychee jelly and brown sugar boba milk tea. The fruit tea was very refreshing, perfect for a hot day. The brown sugar boba milk tea was standard, would order again but not a standout item. We were supposed to dine in but it was extremely hot inside the restaurant. Assuming we went in while the AC was down because that would be way too hot for a regular day, so that was a bummer. The restaurant was super cute inside! Service is quick and there is plenty of parking. Worth checking out if you're not in the mood to drive to north OC!

Vivy T.

Food & Drinks: 3/5 I ordered the Rice Chicken with dark meat. It wasn't the best rice chicken I've had--I wish there had been more meat, and the rice was a tad too dry for my liking. I also ordered a Matcha Banana Latte, but unfortunately didn't get a picture because the drinks spilled in my car. There weren't any stoppers in the cups, which surprised me since this is one of the few places I've encountered that doesn't provide them for takeout drinks. The drink did taste good. My coworkers tried several other items, including the Pho Combo and Bánh Mì, and they enjoyed their food, so I'd be open to trying something different next time. Takeout Service: 3.5/5 Our order was ready promptly when I arrived, which I appreciated. However, our office ordered at least five different entrées, and everything was divided between four small bags plus a drink carrier. Trying to carry it all out at once was a nightmare. Bigger takeout bags would make larger orders much easier to manage. Location & Parking: 5/5 The restaurant is located in a large plaza with plenty of parking, making pickup convenient. Ambiance: 4/5 I came before the lunch rush, so it wasn't very loud or crowded. The atmosphere felt pretty relaxed and comfortable at that time. Overall: 3.5/5 My personal order was just okay, but my coworkers had a better experience with their food. There's definitely room for improvement with the takeout packaging, especially for larger orders, but I'd be willing to come back and try some of the other menu items.

Angela C.

I was excited to see a new pho and bahn mi place open up around here as there's not that many options. First impression was interior was very esthetic, and modern looking. Menu was also easy to read and follow. Since they're new, they currently have a promotion where you get a free Vietnamese coffee with any purchase of bahn mi or pho. I got the Pho Bo and was pleasantly surprised at the flavor of the broth! The meats were disappointing though as they were all rather tough. The noodle portion was also quite small compared to other pho restaurants. For bahn mi, tried the smoked chicken bahn mi which had a barbecue flavor. I prefer the original grill kinds you get at bahn mi shops. The bread was also a little dense and not soft. I also prefer bahn mi to be cut in half for better ease of eating. The Vietnamese coffee Sua Da was actually pretty good! Good amount of strength without it being too bitter or masked by sweetness. The staff were all very friendly but you could also tell they're new as they didn't know how to answer some questions I had about their menu. What REALLY fell short was the restroom! For a new restaurant, the restroom was disgusting. There were water and toilet paper on the floor, and an unpleasant sewer smell. That being said, 4 star given scarcity of this type of food around this area but would probably give it a 3 star if surrounded by other similar type restaurants in Garden Grove.

Candyce P.

Came here on a Saturday evening and the restaurant was pretty empty. The interior is super clean and modern and brightly lit. We ordered the normal pho, dry beef pho, goi ga, and pho banh mi as well as a couple drinks. The drinks were good but nothing special tbh. We really enjoyed the dry beef pho with sate sauce -- super flavorful and loved all of the textures. We also really liked the freshness of the chicken in the goi ga. The pho banh mi was really unique and the meat was tender and had a Smokey flavor (was a bit on the pricey side tho). They do not skimp on the protein in any of the dishes either! All in all, solid restaurant -- everything tasted fresh and clean, nothing was too oily or greasy. So glad to have another Vietnamese restaurant in the area!

Phillip T.

Lake Forest gets a good banh mi and Pho spot! Boban opens a new location in Lake Forest. They're known for trendy drinks and coffee and Vietnamese sandwiches. This time I got a coconut drink and a smoke chicken banh mi. The meat was smoky and tasty and I like the pickled veggies, but like plenty of shops I wish they stuffed the sandwich with more. The drink was also refreshing. Service was friendly too. My friend got a beef Pho and the soup broth was very flavorful. Tasted like a broth I would get down in little Saigon. While not quite as good as a Phoholic or 79, it definitely gets most of the way there. Would recommend you check it out if you want to save a drive to garden grove and still get some good Vietnamese food.

Robert N.

I saw this newly opened place in Westminster/Garden Grove and was going to give it a try, but then I ran into their second location in Lake Forrest and decided to try, with their promotion of free iced coffee with a bowl of pho purchased. So here we go... the good: the place is well lit, clean, and nicely decorated with low volume of house music playing in the background. The service staffs were nice and cordial. The phở came out piping hot, which is how it should be. Now the bad... well, I wouldn say it's bad, but more like not good. The broth, I find is somewhat lacking in flavors. There were plenty of meats in the bowl, however, I think the brisket was chewy, and the rare sliced steak was thick and all clumped together and chewy as well... the noodles has a nice bite to it. Overall, it is really an average bowl. As for the ugly... well there's no ugly. This is a decent lunch place, for Lake Forrest. I wonder how the Westminster place will taste. If it is like this, then they won't be able to compete with all the good viet eats there... The phở special came out to about $18. Overall, decent average viet resto.

Christine T.

Finally, a place that does dry pho!!! If you haven't tried a dry pho, this is your opportunity to try one. It's really good. Textures are well balanced. Chewy with the noodles but also crunchy with the bell sprouts and fried shallots. It was very refreshing. I was worried the beef might be overdone but it was nice and tender. The only thing missing that would take it over the top is some sort of fresh chili vinegar. Either way, very tasty. Will have to come back to try the chicken version.

Sara B.

First thing that really impressed me was the decor and vibe of this place. I really love the lighting and the plants. It's a pretty hip place. I'd describe the vibe as pretty casual. Really quick service so if you want to eat and go, it's definitely good for that. Servers are not too chatty or anything but pretty attentive. We got the crispy chicken and the dry tofu noodle. The crispy chicken is not like a popcorn chicken. It's a bone-in crispy chicken wing with like a sweet and sour sauce. It's good, but expect to eat with your hands! Super crispy. Dry tofu noodle was also tasty. I enjoyed the bean sprouts and basil with it. Honestly, it's a great quick lunch spot with decent prices. We didn't try the drinks they serve there but they look good too from what I had seen around me.

Morgan K.

So excited to have a local spot for bahn mi and boba drinks! Food overall is solid for Vietnamese food in south OC. I also love their green Thai tea, which is harder to find at tea shops. Servers were all very attentive and sweet, letting us know about their special promotion. Very nicely decorated. A great spot if you're looking for a cafe vibe, quick lunch, or sit down meal. You should check it out!