Best Vietnamese food in the East Bay hands down. Try their BBH, fried chicken wings, nem cuon, and bun cha hanoi. They have really good pho too. These are our must order items. So yes this area is a bit sketch but there is a parking lot. Bring your smallest car as the lot is tight. read more

The Pho Combination is AMAZING, they have fried wings OMG!! So recommend them as well!! Service is great, the waitress is quick!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is great!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

So we came here for lunch 5 people....#1 Pho....less noodles with a lot of broth....hmm very skimpy...especially with their napkins lol..they're only giving you one to begin with and also the veggies they give you along with the noodles..not much for 5 people to use. Food is decent. . read more

Pho Ao Sen - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I guess I'll have to judge Ao Sen on a curve. This place is by far one of my favorite Vietnamese places in the East Bay - maybe even the entire Bay Area. If they were located in the South Bay, the rating might be different because of the high concentration of Vietnamese restaurants. But here, this place is very special - these people are true professionals in a location that some might consider a war zone. Not only is their food good, but also immaculate at the level of a sushi bar. We had the pleasure of speaking with one of the owners, and I have to say I love her passion and commitment to excellence. Note: the Ao Sen in Albany is affiliated with this one, but is NOT the same. BB read more

!!Beware of Hidden Credit Card Fees!! I recently ate in this restaurant and was surprised by a hidden 3% credit card fee. The menu only listed CASH prices, and I wasn't informed about the extra charge at any point. When paying, all items were priced HIGHER than expected, with the fee concealed in the total. No paper bill was provided, and the fee wasn't itemized on the digital receipt either. I believe this is a violation of California law. Watch out for extra charges if you use a credit card here! read more

The restaurant is super nice with a spacious interior w/nice decorations. We had the bun bo hue, large pho, and a large pho w/bun bo hue soup as the base. It was all very tasty and we loved the broth a lot. It was light, felt hearty, and made us all warm inside nicely. The only issues we had were the portions in the pho. It was more noodles than anything. With just a small amount of meat even though it was a large. Also kinda pricey for the amount of meat you get within your bowls. Service was fine except kind of hard to flag a server down since they were running around everywhere. read more

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Lovely restaurant with its own parking lot, and lots of tables! The staff is extremely friendly, [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambiance charming, clean, and homey.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the chicken pho and enjoyed it. Shared the shrimp spring roll with a friend, and it was nice as well, but messier than usual. Will be back on a cold night! read more

Their parking lot makes me feel better when coming to this part of town. Don't have to worry about street parking! The restaurant was very clean and feels newly renovated. The food was decent. I got the special combination pho and i was mostly satisfied. However, i wished they cooked my noodles a bit longer. They were still firm. I got the coconut water drink and it always so refreshing. We got seated right away and the place wasn't too busy. It was a pleasant experience. read more

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I recently tried the Tai Chin Pho soup at Pho Ao Sen, and it was very, very good. The broth was flavorful, and the beef was tender, making for a satisfying meal. I would definitely order it again. The service was really good, and the dining room is expansive. Unlike many restaurants in the city, you're not crammed up next to other diners--you actually have elbow room to enjoy your meal comfortably. Bummer they close at 6 though, that's pretty early. That said, I do prefer the Tai Chin Pho from Pho Huong Que on International just a bit more. Pho Ao Sen comes in at a close second--a really close second. If you're in the area and craving pho before 6pm, Pho Ao Sen is definitely worth a visit! read more

Honestly I thought I would never be able to find a good pho here in Oakland area as compared to Orange County until I came to Pho Ao Sen. The broth is good, meat is good and the service is great. Everything here is clean and neat. I would come back for sure! read more

Pho Ao Sen - Pho tai bo vien - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Hours are incorrect. Here on a Friday 3/22 at 6pm. Closed as closed can be. Please update.

Food is amazing!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Its one of those places that look sketchy from the outside and not at all what you expext lol.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] And i dont know why but mexicans that come here have a staring problem!! Other than that great restaurant. read more

Great food, in a fairly small restaurant in the middle of Oakland. More expensive than I expected, but the food was very tasty ! read more

One word to describe Ao Sen: BALANCE. The most balanced bowl of pho I've had anywhere in the bay. That's being said, it's always a bowl of comfort whenever I'm back in east Oakland. I've been to Ao Sen since the days of that hole-in-the-wall pho joint. It's now upgraded to a dining hall with its own building, and....super clean and nice bathrooms! The food is always clean and...balanced! Service is very respectable and prompt. It's very nice to see how much they've grown from that hole to this fine establishment with their own safe parking space! True American Dream! read more

Food is amazing, service was great, ambiance was nice for lunch, BUT we were literally just reading of another person getting bipped in the parking lot, and it happened to us. We had just sat down, and we hear what sounded like our car alarm going off. We look outside, and sure enough, 2 cars with smashed side window with the back seat pulled down. Hopefully this review gives you a warning about the risk of a potential $200-$300 addition to your lunch bill, or the owners decide to take responsibility for their parking lot by hiring security during the busy lunch rush. read more

This is the best viet place to go to in Oakland! I've been coming here for over 10 years and the quality of food is always consistent! I definitely recommend getting the chicken wings for appetizers. It's crispy, with just the right kick from the chopped chilis. Their pho broth has a rich flavor and soothes your soul on a cold day. If you want to try something different than your typical pho, give their banh mi bo kho a try! Their fragrant beef stew served with warm roasted bread is a winning combo! read more

Pho Ao Sen - Chicken Wings - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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I've only been here once - but I wouldn't mind coming again. I walked into their doors and got a big whiff of fish sauce and knew I was in the right place for some pho and vermicelli bowl dish. Pricepoint was a tad high - but everything is going up so - I can't be too upset about it. Flavor profile was good - not too salty and not bland. Service was not exceptional but we weren't unsatisfied with it either. Everything was good! Good food and good service! Location is not in the best spot but - I am from Oakland and this is one of the better tasting establishments and finds when I am craving Vietnamese food again that isn't a Banh Mi hehehe! read more

Pho Ao Sen - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here on Thursday around 12:45pm and there was no wait and plenty of parking spaces. I love that this place has a pretty decent sized parking lot, but it does get full at the lunch rush. We ordered the nem nuong rolls (D), #1, and #5. Nem Nuong rolls usually come out first and is a good appetizer. I can't quite describe the dipping sauce, but it's looks orangey-red and goes well with the roll. The roll has marinated pork, cucumber, lettuce, pickled carrots and radish, and fried egg roll skin. The egg roll skin was a bit stale/not crunchy this time that I've had it, so it was mediocre. Do add some of the jarred lemongrass/pepper/oil on the rolls. The flavors all come together perfectly. The pho were pretty average. To be honest, I usually come here if I want some nem nuong rolls as appetizer, so the star here are the rolls. read more

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My friend wanted to try Ao Sen. The service was good it was straight forward. There a little wait for the food. I had Bue Bo Hue,I was surprised because I could taste the flavors. There were not a lot of meats, but there was a lot of liquid overall. Rare times, I was able to get yummy coconut juice. The coldness helps with the hot soup. The interior design is spacious and look so fancy. The bathroom is so clean and classy. I most likely won't come back because it was expensive for so little. read more

Pho Ao Sen - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ever since my first introduction to Pho Ao Sen, I've loved it. However, I oftentimes go to the Pho Ao Sen located in Albany, but today the store was closed due to an unexpected power outage so my company and I went to the Oakland location. I was slightly surprised by the differences between the store even though it's understandable that stores with the same names may have items that vary. I thought that the menu at the Oakland location was slightly more limited compared to the Albany location (there weren't items like the Com Ga Nuong and some vegetarian dishes--or at least I didn't see them on the menus). In terms of the environment, I thought that the Oakland location was slightly smaller. I felt very squished eating with my table of four like we barely had any arm room for ourselves after our bowl of pho/plate of rice and our beverages. The seating made my overall experience slightly worse. I was fairly disappointed in my bowl of pho today. I ordered #16 Pho Tai which is my typical order. To my surprise, the soup was overly salty and the rice noodles were overcooked and very clumpy to the point it was difficult to separate. With that alone combined with my environment experience, I felt like my hunger mood was ruined. I would probably not be going to this location for a while unless I have no other choices. Although the staff was friendly, I wouldn't willingly choose to come here. read more

Pho Ao Sen - Pho Tai - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Bun bo hue is the way to GOOOOO! And you better make sure that you get it nice and spicy because it's SOOO effing DELISH!!! This place has been recommended to me several times over the past few years. Unfortunately, my lazy arse never made the trek over to East Oakland to try it up until now. Damn, damn, daaaayum! Why did I wait so friggin' long?? Sh*t is BOMB, mmkay?! So, I can't really comment on their regular pho dishes because I haven't had them yet had. BUT... that bun bo hue deserves 5 MILLION stars! First things first; that BROTH boo thang!! CRACK... in a bowl. Mm mm mmm! That broth was so fragrant, so rich, so spicy, so nom nom. Give me s'more damn broth puh-lease!!! I would happily drink this broth alone and still be satisfied. The flavor profile here is so bananas. They don't play when it comes to the spiciness either. You want spicy? Oh, you gon' get it spicy!! The broth could serve as a delicious meal all on its' own, but what's pho without the noodles? Let me tell you; the noodles that they put in their bun bo hue are such a dream. These aren't your typical thin pho noodles. These noodles are thick, chewy, and seeping in all of that glorious broth. I believe that they are handmade and just from the consistency, it's pretty easy to tell. They'll supply you with an ample amount of the garnishes although the cabbage was a little different to see. I love the fact that they use traditional ingredients like white onions (I cringe when I see red onions being used in pho). The meats were nice and tender and the bowl was big and filling. I enjoyed their Thai iced tea but though that it was just a tad bit sweet for my liking, and I usually like my Thai teas deathly sweet. They've got a parking lot that's conveniently located right next to the restaurant, but there are several signs that reference car break-ins. Don't leave anything of value in your car! I noticed that they have employees who come outside to look at the parking lot from time to time, but I don't think that will help to deter every single break-in. The interior of the restaurant is spacious but cramped with tons table and that are close proximity of each other. It was very clean inside. Most of the consumers were Asian which is always a good sign when dining at an Asian food restaurant. Service was fast and efficient and the staff was very friendly. When you're done eating, you should walk up to the front to pay. Don't leave your vehicle in their parking lot after hours as they might lock your car in their lot. Their parking lot is gated and they close pretty early for a pho spot. All in all, I feel like this is an excellent spot for some delicious bun bo hue. The value is great and the flavor has your girl whipped over it already! Would love to try their pho ga next time, but I already know that I probably won't deviate from the bun bo hue for a while. read more

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We were so disappointed with this recommendation (which was made by Ali Wong the night before at her book tour). We came here on a Saturday morning and were surprised at the big parking lot and the nice interior of the restaurant. Unfortunately, that was all they had going for them. We ordered egg rolls, beef pho and chicken pho. I asked for my chicken pho to have beef broth, but they didn't seem to do that, and I'm glad they didn't because the beef broth had no flavor and was bland - it just tasted like hot water with a little bit of flavor. The egg rolls were over cooked and difficult to finish because it was tough to chew. We also ordered an iced coffee and young coffee. The coffee had WAY too much ice - both regular ice and crushed ice and not much coffee. Then there was the coconut juice... I specifically asked if it was fresh coconut juice and the server said yes. When I got it, it was clearly from a can and had way too much added sugars. This place was disappointing through and through and made us second-guess the rest of Ali Wong's list. read more

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It's hard to find a clean pho restaurant and clean tasting pho in Oakland. Pretty spacious place with service that is about average. It's definitely different here, they serve pho in metal bowls. The broth is definitely not oiley and clean tasting. Pretty good portion. The egg rolls and chicken wings were dood too. Extra half star for having a parking lot and accepting credit cards. read more

Pho Ao Sen - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Okay I admit, we were hungry and cold, lured by the mere idea of pho. But wow, these dishes really hit the spot! They were the perfect portion to feel satisfactorily full, but not bloated. There were lots of spots at 6pm on a Saturday, and service was the most prompt I've ever experienced - we were in and out in 30 minutes. It must have been funny to watch us devour our soups and pat our bellies. We both ordered pho (beef noodle soup): my friend got 16. Pho tai (sliced round eye steak) while I got 3. Pho tai nam, gau, gan, sach (sliced round eye steak, well-done flank, marbled brisket, soft tendon, tripe). Each huge bowl was less than $10. We also got hot tea which was a little watered down, but still had flavor. The broths were delicious - rich meat flavor, fairly salty, yet light and not too oily. There was also a leek simmering inside. They gave a large selection of greens, and the meat paired with hoisin sauce and sriracha was tasty as always. Rice noodles were the perfect texture and the amount of meat was good (though I would never object to a bit more). I cannot find anything to complain about, and am still glowing with happiness remembering this standout meal! read more

I will not come back here again. This place sells expensive food, and even the takeaway box costs 50 cents. When you pay, they charge 10% for tax. Even if you pay in cash, you still pay the normal fee. read more

Pho Ao Sen - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I was visiting my family and came here for lunch with my sister and her husband. They had been here before, and I believe I tried their Nem Nuong in the past, so I was excited to try them again. I wasn't too hungry, so I opted just for an order of the Nem Nuong and their House Special Sauce Wings. Nem Nuong: You get 2 rolls along with the signature sauce that is paired with the rolls. Comparing it to Brodard's in LA/OC, the meat is more-so steamed rather than grilled. My personal preference, I enjoy the grilled meat better. Still everything was very flavorful and delicious. House Special Sauce Wings: These were AMAZING!!! Just the right amount of kick and spice, along with the salty flavors from what I believe was fish sauce mixed in, these wings were so delicious!! Super well cooked as well, with the skin being crispy on the outside but still juicy on the inside. My boyfriend got their Bun Bo Hue, and it was pretty darn good as well. I think I enjoy broths at other locations, but this was still yummy. Really big portion too. read more

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My family's favorite pho place! Flavorful soup and perfect texture on the noodles. The spring rolls and dipping sauce are top notch! My kids love that they have short ribs as an option as well. Service is fast and friendly. Beautifully decorated dining area and restrooms. A little pricier than other pho restaurants and worth the price. My only wish is that they would open till 7pm, but I suppose you can't have it all! read more

Came here to eat since it's my moms favorite pho spot. They have their own parking on the side so was happy with that. They even have a camellia so you don't have to worry too much. They also provide high chairs. I wish they would social distance the tables, I felt they were too close. Everything we ate was amazing. The chicken wings, spring roll, beef stew, and pho were all up to par! I would definitely come back and eat again. Single bathroom available not gender neutral. Clean inside which is important. read more

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Would give zero stars if i could. Use to be a regular here, but Monday the 2nd of Jan changed that. Around 2pm was eating in with friends and while inside had my car broken into, and in broad daylight had over 4K of damage/stuff stolen. Although my car was parked in their parking lot and in clear view of cameras, the thieves were brazen enough to smash my rear windshield and grab as much shit as they could. When I came outside I instantly returned inside for the footage. The management wasn't the least but helpful, barely a whisper of sorry behind the lame explanation they're cameras aren't recording. If you don't care about your stuff try coming here, i won't be returning. read more

I don't know why I haven't visited this place for awhile ever since I moved back to Oakland, but I finally did, and OMG they have all of the good stuff. Tried their pho first last week, I think they added some nuoc beo to my bowl everytime that I had pho there, cause their is always so extra fatty, beefy and good. It's basically the beef fat from making the pho broth at the very top layer, with a good amount of green onion bulb, pretty much any vietnamese that want some extra flavor in their pho always asked for it, but here, they just added it automatically for you. If I had known that their pho broth was this good, I wouldn't even bother with any of the other pho places near by. The broth was so good, just the right amount of seasoning that you don't need the hoisin at all, just some siracha, lime juice, and some of their home made sate chili, which is also bomb. Had their grill pork with broken rice when I actually wanted to order a pork chop over rice, the one with a nice piece of T bone on it. It's still good, good seasoned grilled pork served with a good amount of green onion sauce and fried pork fat, omg it was such a good breakfast. It also came with a really good bi heo or shredded pork with it's skin mix with roast rice powder, and a tasty side of pork broth as well. The whole pork trinity. (I lost my phone a few days after I had these 2 dishes so no pictures for the pho and the broken rice T.T.) I had their bun bo hue (large-$15) today. I had it with the pho noodle instead of the bun noodle with is a bit hard to pick up with chopsticks in my experience, and wow it was really good, pretty tasty, but also was very spicy. I was hella sweating while I was eating it. Their pork was fresh, sweet, and tasty, but I like the thicker and juicier cut from bun an nam in San Jose much better. Their broth was flavorful and really good, it was not behind bbh an nam broth at all, just more spicier. The beef was good, but again, an nam thicker cut with more tendon was better. The blood cube was really fresh though, I could really taste it, it was good. Well after eating here, I seem to had stop frequencing the other vietnamese places near by. Wished I had tried it much sooner. This seem to be my go to place for pho now. read more

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So far so good, I gladly walk-in and was promptly seated, it Carry a wealthy and chill ambience maybe because of it being Monday doubt it. Lol. I order #34 on the menu the Korean style short ribs. With a egg and rice. This is my first time eating here and the food look delicious. And full of flavor. I enjoy my experience read more

Pho Ao Sen - #34 Korean style short ribs - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious & authentic such a hidden gem will continue coming here I bring all my friends and every single one loves it. Only complaint is I wish they stayed open later! read more

My favorite place in the Bay for pork spring rolls! It's so hard to find cuon nem nuong in NorCal that's close to Brodards and Ao Sen is pretty dang close when I'm craving some the service was speedy and our food came out fast. Very unassuming on the outside but the inside is incredibly nice. Super odd takeaway but I was obsessed with how the nice bathroom was LOL. Definitely recommend! read more

Pho Ao Sen - Pork Spring Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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