It was our first visit. With 65 reviews, 4.8 Yelp stars , and a mere 4 months since their opening,…read moremy burning question was, could Pho Brother steer me away from other popular Pho establishments in our town?
The honest answer lay in ordering the most likely choices we get:
#6 beef belly pho
#44 vermicelli with grilled pork, shrimp, eggroll
The pho arrived almost instantaneously. A giant bowl, and apparently the only size they offer for #6. Mindblowing. It came loaded with a cluster of thinly cut, well marbled slices of beef that still showed some signs of pinkness, one of the keys to this beautiful dish. The broth, richly flavored, was a winner. The traditional condiments, delivered separately on a small plate: fresh basil leaves, bean sprouts, slices of jalapeño pepper slices. One taste and I was hooked. And it wasn't even my order, so I had to back off. Sitting on the table, bottles of soy sauce, siracha (the good kind), and hoisin to enhance an already perfectly wonderful soup broth. One of the better ones I've had.
My (usually my favorite) dish, #44, was the rice vermicelli noodle salad, with bbq pork, shrimp, and 1 eggroll. The dish includes a nice portion bbq pork, chopped romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, fresh basil, pickled carrot and radish, and chopped peanuts. I also made a special request for mint leaves, which were promptly delivered. And finally, the sweet, citrusy fish sauce dip, Nước Mắm/Chấm. Visually, it looked beautiful. Unfortunately, it failed me. The bbq pork in this entree did not meet my expectations. Too thinly sliced, lean, and overcooked, the meat was missing the taste of the fire-grilled, caramelized glaze I adore. The 3 shrimp were smallish and close to being overcooked. Nor did the eggroll impress. It was heavy of wrapper, very little filling, tough. I would not return for any of these items. The dipping sauce was also too sweet, so I had to tone it down with more fish sauce and lime juice.
I was fascinated at the number of customers they had, especially of Vietnamese decent. A good sign. I spied at the table next to ours, two young men who did some special amendments to their basic pho order. First, they made themselves a dip, half siracha, half hoisin in a small cup. That, they explained, was to dip the meat in. Secondly, they each had two side dishes, a small plate of pickled white onions to which they added siracha. Imagine, sweet, tangy, spicy, and pungent in one bite. And a small condiment cup of clear, melted, yellow beef tallow (the product coming from the beef bones having been boiled for the broth) served with 2" long, white tips of green onions. These they ate with their soup as condiments. New to me, I find myself eager to experience these additions.
To their credit, the restaurant is tastefully decorated, the ambiance mellow with gentle jazz playing in the background, steller service, and the prices very reasonable. Very pleasant.
Bottom line, I would return for the pho and great dining experience.