5 stars for the service, 3 stars for the food. I came here on a Tuesday evening and happened to make it on time for happy hour. They have a good selection of food and drinks on their happy hour menu and we opted to try the fried calamari, imperial roll (pork), and the holy basil pho special. Overall, I would say the food is about 3 stars. We got the - Fried calamari: is probably the best part of the whole meal. the calamari was nicely fried and crispy. not the biggest fan of their dipping sauce - imperial roll: hard pass for me... it was pork sausage wrapped in rice paper and then fried. not my preference but can be yours - pho: good portions, meat was tender and great. the broth was a little on the sweeter and bland side for me. However, the service was great here. Holy Basil Pho is not somewhere I would recommend if you want the mom-and-pop pho but great if you want Vietnamese with a hint of fusion. read more

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I was in the mood for comfort food for my "Yelp's Big Night In" meal. I remember seeing that Holy Basil Pho had oxtail (yum!) pho ($19)and I'm a sucker for chicken wings so I went for the honey chili ones ($12). Easy ordering process - called and picked it up promptly from the establishment. I made sure to give a good tip as an extra thank you. I had set up my table at home and was ready to dig in! The pho broth was super hot still and I poured it into the oxtail and noodz. The sprouts, basil, sauces, lime were neatly wrapped in plastic. The oxtail was cooked until just tender, the broth tasted like a hearty not too salty bone broth, and went well with the rice noodles. The chicken wings had a nice sweet salty flavor- they were a tad hard for my liking but they were good. I plan to eat the rest of them with rice in another meal. Overall, I was happy to support my local business and that I had a yummy comforting dinner! read more

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This is a wonderful place and love the many options. We so look forward to our next order!!! Thank you!!!

Absolutely love Holy Basil - wish they'd stay open a little later! I'm a night owl. Holy Basil isn't your traditional style Vietnamese place - there are definitely some modern and Asian-fusion elements. Think curry, pork belly, satay, etc. Take a look at the menu and you'll see what I mean. The cocktails are super tasty - try the lychee mojito! Food: I've been here twice with my SO so far and I think we've gotten the same thing each time. I got the #2 traditional "give me everything" pho combo, and really enjoyed the quality of the meats and the flavorful broth. The traditional spring roll appetizers were pretty good too - fresh and tasty, not pre-made and old tasting like some pho places. I'm looking to try more off-the-beaten-path stuff like the bao, honey glazed pork ribs, and the ceviche + tartare next time. read more

Great vegan selections that are clearly marked on the menu. I tried the vegan chicken bao and vegan beef pho. Both were excellent and the mock meat was a good texture. I carried my food out but did take a look at the bar menu which had some really great options (like lychee drinks) so I'll certainly be back to dine in during happy hour. read more

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WHEN: Friday @5:30pm I can here for my company's holiday dinner. Our party of about 20 had reservations upstairs all to ourselves (2 long tables). Service was fantastic as the staff was very attentive and friendly. This family style dining was perfect and everything tasted so good. Here's what I had: LYCHEE MARTINI - $11 A refreshing mix of Ketel One family made vodka, Lychee Liqueur, Splash of Lychee Juice and a Lychee Garnish. Oh this indeed was refreshing! Just the right amount of sweetness, and the wonderful flavor of lychee. I really appreciated that it was a real lychee fruit that wasn't canned (I think?). Regardless this was so good. I ended up having 2 more. The price was decent too! FRESH SWEET SOY MILK - $4 I got really excited seeing this! It's been so long since I had home made fresh soybean milk! And it tasted exactly how I remember and expect. I recommend giving this a try. FRIED CALAMARI - $10 With Sriracha aioli. Oh yes, I fully enjoyed these. They were brown, crispy, and I loved eating them with the sriracha aoli. HONEY CHILI CHICKEN WINGS - $12 These wings were hefty! Lots of flavors I feel a lot of people would enjoy. SMOKED SALMON AVOCADO SPRING ROLLS - $9 Rice Paper, Lettuce, Mint, Basil, Cilantro, Vermicelli, Bean Sprouts, Carrots, Chive. Served with Peanut Sauce. I really liked the peanut dipping sauce! Very peanut buttery with other sweet and savory flavors. The rolls themselves were interesting. Never had anything with smoked salmon before, which could on the saltier side. I didn't taste any avocado but it's in there. FIVE SPICE PORK BAO BUN - $12 Pickled carrots, Cucumber, Cilantro, Onion, Hoisin Sauce. Okay, to be honest, I didn't try any because I was saving myself for the the main entree. It looked good though! SAUTÉED GREEN BEANS This not too tender greens had a nice garlic flavor and gives us a nice break from all the meat and carby dishes. I didn't see this on the menu to know the price, but it's a good dish to have. GARLIC CRAB & GARLIC NOODLES Perhaps this is only available for large parties, so I don't see it on the menu either. This dish was definitely for the entire table--it comes with a whole crab on top of a large pile of yummy garlic noodles! To bad this came out last because I was already full from the appetizers! This dish had so much flavors--the crab was so good and there's so much good garlic in it! I liked it here, and I need to come back to try the non-large party dishes like the noodle soup. All I can say was that my company made the great choice of having our company holiday party here. It's SO much cheaper than San Francisco, and we are able to support a local Oakland shop--and it felt really fancy!!! I'll see you agin real soon, Holy Basil Pho! read more

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When it comes to pho, I'm pretty much a traditionalist. Give me pho ga or give me my pho mí and I'm pretty much set. No bells and whistles needed here; just gimme that basic chit and I'll be satisfied. When I came across Holy Basil Pho and saw some of their rather "interesting" pho flavors, it kind of turned me off initially. But after finally trying it, I've gotta admit that I'm quite pleased. Dropped by for lunch one early weekday afternoon and I was surprised to see that I was the only one there. Service was fast and friendly. When I got the menu, I really had to examine that thang for a second. Like REALLY examine it. Did you say... oxtail pho? Chili coconut peanut pho? GUMBO noodle pho??? Hmm. I felt like they were being a little too adventurous. Well, that was until I tried it of course. That pho was pretty damn bomb if you ask me. Ended up ordering the Casian Gumbo Noodle Pho and it was a hit! Didn't really taste anything like gumbo and I didn't expect it to, but it had a wonderful flavor to it. The spices and the aromas were undeniable in this soup. The noodles were nothing to brag about but the broth was the real winner here. This pho came out piping hawt and I had to wait a few minutes to take a sip. The only thing I would have liked was to have more meat. It seemed like the meat was kind of lacking. The garnishments were fresh and the soup was still hearty even with the lack of meat and seafood. I've gotta say that this is the prettiest pho place that I've ever been too. I remember when this spot use to be a Chinese food place and I've just always admired the decor and setup. It hasn't changed and that's a good thing. This spot offers a TON of vegan pho options! They might even have more vegan pho versus regular pho. The price points for their pho is on the higher side and range for $14-$18 a bowl. I know... hella pricey bae! But this ain't your average Joe pho spot though. It's definitely a splurge day type of pho. They have a full bar inside and they also have lots of happy hour deals. I'm glad that I finally tried this spot out because it's actually really tasty. read more

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The good: friendly staff The bad: the food. I ordered a bowl of beef pho and it was a big disappointment. Way too salty. No depth to their broth. Stingy with the beef. I've never had tendon the sized of dimes in pho before but i guess there's a first for everything. The only saving grace was their free iced-water. I won't be back. read more

Holy Basil is one of our absolute favorite places to get delivery from in the Bay Area. Our kids are addicted to the bao buns and garlic noodles. I'm obsessed with the tofu vermicelli. Nothing is cosier on a cold day than their Chili Lemongrass soup. Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day than their fresh rolls and ginger lemonade. We love Holy Basil food! read more

Oh it is great to go out and enjoy a good meal in a beautiful space. This spot ticked all the boxes for me tonight. Food, Friends and Fun! We started with the bao with spicy pork belly (not spicy for me) but that was fine because they have a few chili sauces on the side. Complex layers of flavor and textures made a terrific appetizer. Had the ubiquitous pork and shrimp salad roll with peanut sauce. It was fresh and good. My main was the Chili Coconut broth with seafood. The mussels were huge, the shrimp jumbo and tiny bay scallops sweet and tender. Enjoyed the fish balls and the squid too. Now, the broth was good but they make a house lemongrass chili sauce that elevated the broth to exquisite heights. The waitress came by and mentioned they sell several different size jars of the stuff. I will snag a jar next visit. Portions are large so go hungry. Service was really personal, our waitress came by and chatted a few times. So sweet! We will be back! read more

Happy hour is still alive at Holy Basil from 4-6 on weekdays, even during the pandemic! They have $8 cocktails and plenty of appetizers to choose from during happy hour. It's delightful to see so much selection on their menu. I tried the rum punch, vodka mule, and lychee martini cocktails (yes, all of them). They were super good and not too sweet! The food is a great blend of sweet and savory Asian spices. I highly recommend the calamari or the garlic noodles. This is a great way to spend an afternoon in Rockridge. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Rum punch cocktail - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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The most incredible vegan options!! Everything on the menu is delicious. They have great happy hour specials. The salt and pepper tofu is the best I've ever had. I love this place read more

We come often. Love the Salmon. Called for take out w salmon through DoorDash. I was surprised to find that it was chicken rather than salmon. They had called DoorDash but I didn't hear. Anyway, I came back very close to closing time and the kitchen was closed. They were so nice to open it up so I could get a prawn noodle dish. Above and beyond!!! Please support this neighborhood gem!!! read more

Holy Basil Pho is my go to place when craving pho. I usually get the beef pho, I love the taste of broth and the beef is done just right, plus their servings are pretty huge. When ever I eat pho here I get super full. Besides the pho, the restaurant is clean and spacious, with plenty of tables and chairs, so great for group gathering or dining out with family. The ambiance is really pretty as well, strikes a good balance between casual and upscale. So would be a good spot for either a date or casual outing. The staff is friendly as well, when entering I'm greeted right away, and when I'm ready to order they take down my order quickly and accurately. Just a great spot for pho. read more

Ali Wong once said that you can tell a Vietnamese restaurant is legit when you leave this restaurant deaf and emotionally abused. I can't say that I left the place with the same sentiments, but I did enjoy watching the mother/daughter duo crank out orders. This place is closer to a 3.5, but I rounded down due to the service during this first visit. It was the day before Thanksgiving and we stumbled upon Holy Basil because our usual go-to pho places were closed early for the holidays :( but it luckily gave us a chance to try a new restaurant. Holy Basil Pho is more of an upscale pho restaurants with two floors, modern decor, and a bar near the front. It's located near the end of College/Rockridge so street parking is the way to go and there's no parking lot. If you don't feel like eating in, they even take orders on Caviar. To start, we ended up getting an order of the pork/shrimp imperial rolls $9. I would suggest getting this! It's not the usual fried rolls I'm used to but I enjoyed the flavor of the meat and it was perfectly crispy. Dip it in the sauce and you're good to go. For $14, I got the large beef pho (you can pick three meats) and I left with half the bowl still full. The small was $13 so I opted to go large for $1 more and boy was I surprised at how big the bowl was. For the price it's not the cheapest bowl of pho, but I do think that they give you a good portion of meats/noodles. The meats were plenty but the noodles/broth were OK - can't say I would crave this bowl over other places. If you make it in time, they also have a Happy Hour menu. I tried not to hammer down on the service too much because they did seem understaffed. However, it did take a while to get our orders in and them to wrap up our food before we left. It might have just been the day, but we left around 7PM and there was a wait to get in, but I feel like they try to space out seating to not overwhelm the staff. All in all, the staff was super cognizant of this was was friendly where it was fine because they also had the game on to keep us occupied. If you're craving pho I think you should check this place out because it's a local restaurant that knows how to hustle. Plus, it's a good sign when the place is almost at full capacity right? read more

Holy Basil Pho - Large beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Best pho I've had in Berkeley, and the inside was really nice too. We went on a Sunday evening and were seated immediately, had a great time. read more

Reasonably priced, large portions, and friendly wait service. What more can you ask for? Currently they are doing outdoor dining and have a portion of the parking area next to the restaurant blocked off with tables at which you can sit down for a meal. I ordered the Large Combo Pho and was impressed with the quality of the broth. Provided the Bay Area does have exceptional asian cuisine, this is definitely up there in terms of some of the better pho restaurants in the East Bay. There was only one waitress while I was there with my friend and she was prompt with taking our order and wore a mask the entire time. My friend was craving pho that day and she definitely got her fix here at Holy Basil Pho. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get a large bowl of pho for a decent price especially as the weather gets colder towards the end of the year. Definitely a nice local business that I look forward to coming back to. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Combo pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Holy Basil Pho is spacious and well decorated. It's in a nice part of Oakland with street parking available in surrounding neighborhoods. The food presentation was very nice and the menu was exciting. The Thai tea was a little bland, the chili lemongrass soup was solid but a little lacking flavor. The bowl with garlic noodles was very good with the sauce they provided and something I would get again. My favorite was the salt and pepper tofu which came with a delicious sauce and was packed with salty/peppery flavor. read more

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Came here for the second time ever (I have been here before prior to the pandemic) and it was just as good if not better. The service was really good; greeted kindly while walking In and seated promptly, very helpful wait staff who remade my gf's mojito to make it more minty, and overall they checked up on us a few times but not too much to feel like a bother, and finally helpful for giving input on what to order. Food was again above average and yummy. Appetizer was the bao bun with vegan beef. It was stellar considering I don't really like fake meat. Main courses were the veggie pho(I tried a bite and it was yummy), and I built a bowl with jasmine rice/over easy egg, imperial roll, mixed greens, and five spice jalapeño tofu with fish sauce to add. It was fantastic I devoured mine quickly! Drinks were the virgin mojito(my gf had them remake it to make it more minty), and I got a ginger Sidecar that tasted good but maybe wasn't strong enough (which was ok cause I didn't want to be tipsy at all). Great place, chill vibes, good drinks , very good tasty A+ food. If you're trying to impress someone on a date I'd skip the expensive restaurant with small portions , crowded tables, and come here instead! read more

Holy Basil Pho - 4 Bao Bun - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Super friendly staff at Holy Basil which was very nice. I am a big pho fan and always like to try different broths and meat combos. Sadly, I found this broth to be a bit lacking in flavor and depth. Adding chillis helped, though. The meatballs had a strange flavor and were not split as I'm accustomed to seeing. And, the brisket was tough. Try it, you might like it. I plan to return to my go-to spot, Monster Pho which is also within walking distance for me. read more

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Wow, so delicious. I didn't even take pictures because I ate it so fast. I ordered the beef pho and the chicken spring rolls and my group ordered a bunch of other pho and apps. The food took about 40 minutes but arrived fresh and hot. We had three types of pho ordered but they only gave us two bags of bean sprouts, lime, basil etc which was a bummer cause I definitely coulda used my own bag. The broth on its own was amazing. It was a cold night in Oakland so tasting this broth was flavorful and just what I needed. The spring rolls were great as well and came with your standard sauce. The chicken was well seasoned and worked great as a leftover post dancing. When I'm back in Oakland this will be my go to viet spot. read more

I ordered via Uber Eats and had a mixed reaction to the two items I ordered: Vegan spring rolls and plant-based "chicken" bao. Both tasted pretty good, but the spring rolls were a little too oily and the bao would have been better if the "chicken" had been cut up a bit more, rather than left as big chunks that promptly fell out of the bao when lifted. My biggest issue, though, was that I got a headache after eating this meal. Yes, I am food-sensitive, but there are restaurants that do not trigger my headaches. That, plus their continuing use of plastic food containers, makes me question their ingredients. Such a shame, as I truly appreciate any restaurant that features vegan bao! read more

Really good hidden gem in Rockridge. Came here on a whim and didn't truly realize how many vegan options they had which is amazing and super rare for a viet place. Loved the bao bun appetizers, delicious with the vegan beef. Also had the garlic noodle bowl with tofu which was tasty and very filling. My only wish is that they didn't up charge for vegan meats. They shouldn't be more expensive than meat, it's just wheat or soy for God's sake! Other than that, will be back and hope my next dish is as good as the first. Also, prices are pretty reasonable. read more

Holy moly, sweet basil!!! After a long day at work, and a case of the husband's sniffles, we decided to order in on hump day. Pho seemed like the obvious choice, but it was seemingly tough to find a good local pho spot that delivered... thank you Caviar for introducing us to Holy Basil. Take a quick look at the menu, it was surprising and so exciting to see all the vegan options. After some thought (and a desire to try everything) we settled on: Vegan beef Bao: Lovely!! The vegan beef was well seasoned (though it didn't really mimic beef as well as expected) and the slaw was perfectly tangy, balancing out some of the sweetness of the "beef" Chili coconut peanut noodle: My favorite dish we ordered! The broth is a beautiful, creamy orange and fully packed with coconut flavor! Topped with a variety of veggies, it felt like there was no bottom to this bowl of noodle soup. So filling and so so satisfying!! Vegetable Pho: The hubs noted the veggie pho was tasty- noting it would have been better had he added the hot sauce. Next time!?? Delivery was quick (and worth the $3.99) fee. Looking forward to visiting the restaurant in person!! read more

Holy Basil Pho - Chili coconut peanut noodle - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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We love their peanut chicken / vegetable soup. Excellent fresh rolls and noodles as well. Great for takeout or eating in. read more

Service is great. Food is fine. Prices are a bit much for what you get. Chicken pho $16 - the amount of chicken inside definitely left something to be desired. They charge $6 for 5 shrimp (more than $1/shrimp!!?). Inflation, I know. But just overall not worth it. Oh and charging me $0.50 for a take away container!? You're definitely making profit on that. read more

The meal was so delicious. The pork was flavorful and tender and already served in bite size morsels to make it easier to eat. The salad was lightly dressed and was perfect with the umami of the meat. And of course, jasmine rice and a sunny side egg to anchor this great meal. The Java fries were also so good! The serving is enough of a side/appetizer to share with a party of 4. The interior is spacious and intimate, all at once. My server was incredibly attentive to my needs and the other patrons with great efficiency. Come by! read more

Holy Basil Pho - Java Fries - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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My wife and I love this place!!! We loved ordering the Spicy Lemongrass Vegan Beef Pho, and the Chili Coconut Vegan Chicken--the broth is very tasty! And you won't regret ordering their Spring Rolls w/ their peanut sauce that is to die for! read more

Holy Basil Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

We were looking to try a new place and got a hankering for Vietnamese food. We ordered the Beef Pho, which was well-seasoned and warmed my soul! We also ordered a bowl of garlic noodles with shrimp and an egg on top. It was delicious, but had way too much mint. I recommend asking for mint on the side. The Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk was the perfect amount of sweet and it was served in an interesting cup. I'd never seen one like that before. We needed assistance to use it. Lol. I need to come back so I can practice, and try more great food! read more

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They do not provide utensils with food Food is not good without utensils to use They not a good restaurant to order read more

The portion sizes are huge here. We had the crispy wings which were well seasoned with lemon and just a little heat. The Spring rolls were like burritos. Tender shrimp with lettuce and rice noodles. I had the pork belly mushroom special noodle. The broth had a rich five spice beefy flavor. Enough for two meals. Large chunks of tender porkbelly. The cocktails were also good. A definite plus. read more

Beef pho was very yummy. Not too sweet or salty and enough beef in the soup. Service was good for take out and will recommend to others

ordered seafood pho togo and this is the bag of sprouts they gave me. old, soggy yellow slimy sprouts. the seafood pho was a disappointment, the baby scallops were tasteless and yellow in color. its like they it came straight out the freezer and thrown into the hot pho before serving. just poor execution overall. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

It's been pretty cool lately, so I was in search for some Warm pho. This place has great ratings so we decided to give it a try. Upon walking in we noticed the chic and trendy decor. Definitely a cool vibe, the music was a little lack luster. I think I heard Brittany Spears, Hit me baby one more time, at some point. For the food, my friend ordered the imperial roll. Though I wasn't a fan of the texture, the taste was really good. We both ordered the seafood pho, regular size. The regular was surprisingly large! Very good broth, you can tell that they have fresh ingredients. I would definitely recommend! read more

Holy basil, Batman! This restaurant has pretty good food, but the ordering system is whackadoodle. The vegan beef peanut noodle soup comes with veggie beef because it says "beef," but the vegan peanut soup comes with chicken because "it doesn't say vegetable." To get the chicken omittted, you have to pay to "add" vegetables. Keep in mind, that's just to get everything except the chicken, not to get anything extra. This is literally what the staff told me and the manager texted to me. I am imagining a cartoon arm just barely remembering as the chicken piece dangles dangerously over the pot). Some sanity to the menu could be another option and they did finally update it. Phew. The first time we ordered take-out, they put actual chicken, which I'm allergic to. (I know, weird). Thankfully, my husband was there to taste it before I did. The second time, it seemed like vegan chicken, but I was on my own and didn't feel like taking the risk. And the menu didn't say anything about any kind of chicken being in it at all. So I asked for a refund, which I hadn't asked for the first time when it actually could have made me really sick. Then the staff told me they couldn't call their manager to request the refund because they didn't get paid enough. This person also said they needed to make sure the kitchen was doing their job. Minimum wage: not enough to make a call, definitely enough to make sure everyone else is doing their job (cause they must be making all the bucks back there? Honestly, they're the only ones doing their job seems like.) Mathematicians, can you tell me if the $0 I made to contact the manager is less than minimum wage or is this a "vegetables" = "chicken" situation??) In the end, after 40 min of texting, the manager finally issued a refund for the item that she said wasn't listed on my order "as a courtesy" (not cause they almost killed me and then messed up the next order) . She showed me the item she was refunding (you know, the one that wasn't there... even though we could see it perfectly fine on the screenshot I sent her...but, then again, if it that item becomes invisible over the inter webs that would make all this make a whole lot more sense... Next time I'm going to Old Waeng Ping or Neecha Thai or Joe's Pho or Golden Lotus. ps Can't wait for the manager to deny this even though I have screenshots... read more

Okay pho, they come out in a massive bowl and the soup is nice and salty. The meat was okay but some of the pieces were a bit tough. Next time I'll try the tripe and meatballs. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

As a meat lover, the meat options here are below average. The noodles are not chewy, the soup lacks flavor, and the meat is tough. The only positive thing I can say is that they do not skimp out on the amount of meat they give you. However, my vegan friends loved their order. The service was good and the ambiance is very modern. I would only recommend this place if your looking to try some vegan pho. read more

Vegan!!! Pho!!!! Been looking for *years* in Oakland and haven't found anything legit, this place came outta nowhere and I took a peak at the menu and decided to try it. So glad we did, it was phenomenal! Gonna come back and try everything else. read more

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i really love that they have a full menu of vegan pho's with lots of faux-meat options, not just a single vegetarian pho like most places. vegan chicken bao was pretty good, but my vegan lemongrass pho was on the oilier side and the noodles were too soft. the flavors were nice and i'd come back to try more of the phos. read more

The service was really good! But that does not warrant more stars as the food is really meh. I got a bowl of pho and the broth was really bland. My friend got something else and it was better but still just ok. I wouldn't recommend their pho, and would suggest getting a different dish if you go here. read more