This hidden spot is in a little strip mall in the middle of mixed commercial and residential neighborhood. It has a small parking lot right out front in sort of a sketchy neighborhood, which El Monte is known to be. But I like hole-in-the-wall places that serve good food and at reasonable prices. The restaurant is small and looks very much like a mom & pop shop. Nothing fancy. The young waitress was very nice and the pho I got was tasty and the broth unctuous, served with basil, bean sprouts, jalapeños and lime, everything for an solid pho noodle soup! The spring rolls were also delicious. All in all, I would come back again, if in the area, usually when I drop off my car at Longo. read more

Authentic vibe. Got the pho dac biet and egg rolls. 4.5/5: Pho broth is on the lighter side, but it still packs the right flavors. Still very authentic, they give you culantro so you know they know what it is. 5/5: delicious. Spot on flavoring, auntie or mom def made this recipe. On the pricey side but once you eat it you forget about the price. Overall, happy I drove from Pasadena to eat here. They def deserve the business. Only constructive feedback, noodles need to cooked a few seconds longer. Very Al dente to the point it didn't cook much more in the hot broth even after a few min. Might just be a personal preference, but worth taking into consideration for future customers. Thank you! Our Baby loved it all! read more

Pho Yen - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

Stopped by Pho Yen on a random Tuesday for lunch. It's definitely a hole-in-the-wall type of spot, but honestly a hidden gem. Ordered the pho dac biet and it was legit. The rice noodles were cooked perfectly -- still had a nice bite to them instead of turning mushy like a lot of places do if you don't eat fast enough. The broth was noticeably lighter than most pho spots around here, which actually made it feel more authentic and closer to what you'd get in Vietnam. Meat portions were generous and the herbs were fresh, which always makes a difference. It seems like business is a little slow, probably because not many people know about it yet, but this is definitely a spot worth checking out if you're looking for authentic pho. I'll be recommending it to a few of my Vietnamese friends too. read more

Pho Yen - Empty bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

The food was simply not good. The noodles were soggy yet stiff, had zero chew, and broke into pieces the moment I picked them up with chopsticks. The broth was completely mediocre. When I let the staff know, the waitress told me the chef already knew the noodles weren't good quality today but served them anyway because "they had no choice." She then mentioned I should have asked for fresh noodles--something never offered or explained on the menu. If a kitchen knows an ingredient fails their own standards, they shouldn't be serving it to paying customers. Overall, a very frustrating experience. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Hidden gem in the heart of El Monte. Located in a residential area next to Tyler Market. Came here for the pho, left here with a new found love for fermented fish noodle soup. FF1 reminds me of Bun Bo Hue but the fish version. Under $17 and you get all the veggies with it. Easily my new favorite dish. I tried to subsitute the vermicelli for the pho noodle and the server did not let me do it as hard as I tried to, so I gave in, but he was not wrong lol. It's a must try if you can handle the fishiness haha. 10/10 for sure. read more

Pho Yen - FF1 Fermented Fish Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

I've been to this location many times, but this was my first visit since they changed the name. It was pretty empty for a Friday night, and overall I'd say it's an average pho spot. Service was fast and the restaurant looks mostly the same as before, but the food itself was just alright. Here's what I tried: Pho Chin Bo Vien - Portion size was generous and very filling. The broth tasted okay but nothing memorable, and the noodles had a slight bite to them. Solid, but not standout. (3.5/5) Com Suon, Cha Trung - This dish was also just okay. The rice was mushy, likely from too much water. The pork was a bit fatty but decently seasoned. The egg portion was very small, though it did taste good. Overall, nothing special. (3.5/5) Would I come back? Honestly, probably not. With so many great pho spots nearby, this visit didn't stick with me the way it used to. I used to frequent this place, but this time it fell a bit flat. read more

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The pho tai was so yummy and authentic. The staff was very attentive and made sure to get my family's order correct with the meat on the side. We were seated immediately on a Friday late afternoon and the food came out on time. The parking lot was small but I had no trouble getting a space. This place is a hole in the wall and a pleasant experience overall! read more

Pho Yen - Pho tai - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

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I had high hopes for this place but as avid pho lover, this place had left a ton to be desired. I got the chicken pho. Granted it came piping hot, the chicken was cut up into little giblet sized pieces. And there wasn't really that much chicken. The vegetables with it was a piece of lettuce. No mint or basil like normal pho places. The place was also pretty hot inside and the server guy didnt even ask if we were comfortable or offer to turn on the fan. We were the only people in the place at 10am too. Then after paying, the server just stood over me as I was contemplating how much to tip on the receipt. I asked him to give me some space and he only took 1 step back. Overall, such a forgettable experience and I will not return. Hopefully, they read this and get better. read more

Went for the bun mam and seriously the best bun mam ive had! Will def go back to try more dishes! read more

Pho Yen - Bun mam - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

Mom wanted to eat and I had a lot of things to do at home so needed to go somewhere close. Found this nice Vietnamese restaurant in the middle of nowhere but don't miss it because it's pretty good. I'm pretty sure this place opened ed up not too long ago. Number of staff is really small but very friendly. It was also pretty cool they had football on. and it was not loud at all so I could listen to the game. Was pretty busy at home so was awesome I could eat and watch some football on this downtime. I got 3 dishes and all 3 were delicious and fresh. Check out photos to see what we got! Bonus: promotion till November 27th 10%off Black Friday (11/29) and Cyber Monday (12/02)- 20%off read more

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This is a little hole in the wall in El Monte that we decided to try since it's close to us and had other good reviews. I think we found a new go to little gem! It was delicious and the gentleman that helped us was also very nice. We will definitely be returning. read more

We ordered the Shaken Beef with Red Rice and House Special Pho. Overall the food was delicious. The meat was tender and the rice was tasty. The server was friendly and attentive. Place was also clean and tidy. Will come back again to try other dishes. read more

Authentic Vietnamese food, friendly staffs, Vietnamese chef and staffs. If you live in El Monte or nearby, have breakfast, lunch and or dinner here. No need to go far. No waiting for tables, always available. Support small businesses. Accept credit card. read more

service was amazing. our waiter was friendly, accommodation, and helpful. he spoke cantonese, vietnamese and english so communciation eas easy. both my parents enjoyed their bun mam and bun bo hue. I got the pho and the meat were tender and plentiful. i would come back! restaurant has a restroom and parking lot in front. read more

Pho Yen - seating and table (interior) - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

We ordered Fried Tofu, Pho Tai, Pho Chin, and Pho Ga. We had very good service. Our server was low-key and friendly. When we got there we were the only customers. The tables, utensils and condiments were very presentable. Our food came quickly and hot, well prepared and very delicious read more

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The food was amazing. The beef rolls were a favorite in the group I was in. The server was very attentive and funny. The pho itself was amazing and came out very hot. The veggies on the side were fresh and the portions were huge. Will definitely be going back! read more

Under new ownership and even better! Great service and even better quality food. My mom was new to this restaurant and she loved it and said she was going to come back with my dad. We ordered the grilled shrimp spring rolls, a beef noodle soup and the chicken chow fun noodles. Everything was great. Don't let the location fool you. read more

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The pho was great. Soup was perfect and the portion size was huge. I will definitely be coming back again. read more

Pho Yen - Pho Dac Biet and Pho Ap Chao - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

When going into the restaurant, the ambiance was quite quiet, would love some music or tv playing so it doesn't feel awkward sitting next to people and hearing them munch on their food silently. *that's just me tho Got sat and got my orders taken in a few mins. Food came out after 10 mins. The food wasn't hot when it came to the table so that was "woop woop" But the flavor of the dishes was good. The Hu Tieu Xao had flavor The Pho flavor was Mid tho Would come and try it again, never hurts to give a place another go! read more

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I came to Pho Yen on a Saturday while their Grand Opening 20% off promotion was still happening. The waiter gave us paper to-go menus, I thought it was odd that they didn't give us more formal physical menus. Things already started to go south when the waiter brought out the plate of pho garnishes. The veggies and herbs were old, wrinkly, and dirty. I was extremely disappointed that they didn't give a lot of Thai basil and what was there was all wrinkly. There was more culantro but they were old and brown. Bean sprouts didn't look fresh too. For a pho restaurant, having clean, fresh veggies and herbs is a must for me. I ordered the House Special Pho Dac Biet. I was immediately disturbed by how dirty the side of my bowl was. It was covered in highly visible stains, as if the dishwasher failed to clean the outside of the bowl. This hurt my appetite. I decided to overlook it but it made me not want to touch my bowl. I thought the House Special would come in a larger bowl like other pho places, but all the pho dishes come in the same size bowl and you have to pay extra for more ingredients. The broth lacked flavor, it was one of the blandest pho I have ever had from a restaurant. I thought about adding a little more fish sauce to my bowl, but it wasn't pouring out of the bottle for some reason. The bowl also lacked meats and the meat quality was not high. I know that they were just in their grand opening stage but the restaurant definitely needs to be spruced up, improve their sanitation practices, and put more love into the food. The service at the restaurant is fine, but for a Saturday evening, my table was the only one dining in the restaurant and it felt dead and just filled with the loud Vietnamese music in the background. read more

Probably my new neighborhood spot for Vietnamese food. Friendly, courteous, and attentive service. Had the fish sauce wings, pho dac biet, and bun mam. Wings are battered and fried so that they're crispy and juicy and the fish sauce glaze slaps. Salty, savory, garlicky, sour, sweet deliciousness. Pho was classic southern style, very clean. Love that they give culantro. Would like the rare steak a little more rare and the noodles cooked a little less to maintain chew but was good as-is. Bun mam was a punch of flavor. They must have used a ton of fish bones in that stock to get that kind of base and the spices they use go very well with all the seafood and noodles. Prices were reasonable even without the grand opening special, and were very good with them. Will definitely be back. Keep it up! read more

delicious food .. I order pho and is so satisfying thank you to the server jenny she is so sweet to us read more

Went here today because I was craving Bun Mam which not many places have. It's very true to vietnam, super flavorful and authenticate. Service was amazing. My wife got the pho and it was also very good. Beef was very tender and they do not cheap out on the portions. Service is really good. I highly recommend. Definitely will come back. read more

My first time here. I like to try beef soup and I like d is tasty and favor. The service is. I will coming back to try different food.

Under new management we order chicken pho and pho đặc biệt , beef ball pho, ice black coffee , ice milk coffee and crunchy tofu. Chicken pho the broth is not hot enough , all white meat, taste ok 3.5 Pho đặc biệt broth not bad except not hot at all just warm 3.5 Fry tofu come out exactly 8 piece for $8 but in the menu picture got like at least 16 pieces so fault advertisement 2.5 Coffee both too sweet not enough coffee read more

Pho Yen - Fry tofu - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

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This is my first time to this restaurant. This place had the best Pho in town. The soup is tasty and fresh. The service is great. I will be back again and try more food. read more

The food is so good! The stuff is super friendly, and it's a nice space overall. Lots of food for the price and it's definitely worth it read more

Pho Yen - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

Best Pho in Town. Tasty broth, good portion, and friendly service. A true hidden gem.

Such a hidden gem! I don't review often at all but the food and service were so good that I feel compelled to say something about it. Everything was delicious but the rare beef pho was a standout! Best I've had in the area. read more

Very friendly and good service. The food is very tasty. Must come to try. I order 3 orders of sizzling shaken 2 order of fried chicken wings with fish sauce. We ate it all. It's very yummy and tasty. Must try! Will be back! read more

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Great pho! Broth was so flavorful highly recommended this place I'll be coming back! Customer service was excellent

The food is very tasty and delicious, the service is great, definitely worth the price. Recommend to try. read more

Pho Yen - Pho Dac Biet - Vietnamese Near Me - El Monte, California

The food was very good and authentic, cheap as well and the staff was friendly and helpful 5/5 would come back again

Great little neighborhood vietnamese restaurant! The food is tasty and the prices are reasonable. Happy to support a family-owned business :) read more

Really great Vietnamese food!! It tastes very fresh and homemade. They have a very special dish called bun mam which is fermented fish noodle soup, which isn't sold in many Vietnamese restaurants. That's my favorite dish! The pho here is also very good. I'll definitely be coming back for the Bun Mam. The new owners are really nice and inviting. Im excited to support my small local businesses!! read more

We were surprised... no more Saigon Restaurant... but now... Pho Yên... but the foods so delicious... the service great... we gonna come back soon ... read more

Delicious bun mam!!! Soooo good to eat with the background entertainment of Paris by Night. The service was quick and the restaurant was very clean -- the tables were a nice size especially if you're eating family style. Overall would love to come back and totally recommend this place to any others in the area who want to eat at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant and soak in the vibes!! read more

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The food was amazing! I ordered the còm chiên gã roti and it was so good! Food arrived super fast and the ambiance was very cozy. The waiters were nice and service was top tier. 10/10 Would recommend! read more

definitely had to try this place out when i saw "under new management" when i passed by. i ordered five house specials to go. every thing was packed meticulously - the hots/colds/soups were all separated and lidded tightly. they also added plenty of veggie toppings, hoisin sauce & sriracha. staff were friendly and asked if i needed extra utensils & napkins. ample parking is another plus so i will definitely come back for other dishes! read more