I wasn't feeling hungry but really thirsty plus I was very tired from the strong allergens today. I tried their Phonomenal ice coffee that will take care of my thirst and help keep me awake while I met up with a friend. The Phonomenal coffee was tasty and it helped me stay awake. I can't say it's the best since I haven't really compared it to other Vietnamese ice coffee. If you are around San Pedro Square and you need a caffeine boost, their ice coffee will hit the spot. The next time I'm there, I will have to try their food. read more

Used to be pretty good. Now the portion sizes are tiny, and the quality has gone down significantly. Beef pho is my go to here, but recently they have reduced the overall portion sizes and meat portions, and downgraded the rice noodles to rice noodles made with wheat. I'm gluten sensitive, and to my surprise I was met with a gnarly wheat induced head and stomach ache after my pho tonight. Not cool. read more

Highly enjoyed every item I got. Everything came out fresh and delicious; especially the seafood pho. Super friendly customer service. Looking forward to go back and trying other items on the menu. read more

This noodle house kicks ass! Best Wonton Soup I've had in ages. I felt so nourished after eating it. The sweet lady who took my order said they make everything like homemade- & it tasted like that too. Everything was ready pretty fast too, so I was a happy camper! I will be back. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Wonton Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Simple, flavorful, and reasonable are three words I would use to describe this noodle house. Located in San Pedro Market Square, it is one of the many different ethnic restaurants to try in the Square. The pho bowl is definitely my recommendation, especially with the eye round steak. It comes with noodles, bean sprouts, jalapenos, cilantro, and broth. The high temperature of the broth cooks the steak, so it is ready to eat by the time it is served to you. If you are not a pho fan, they have plenty of other options to try. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

I have legit no reasons to give them a low score on Yelp review. This place is my girlfriend and I's goto place at San Pedro Square. We don't even order the Pho. We get the 01 Spam Masubi plate to share. Its pretty good, and we can easily eat 3 plates. It's also reasonable too at $9 per plate with 3 Spam Masubis. Not the cheapest, but still a good value for San Pedro. I guess my only gripe I've had is the inconsistent size of the Spams. I ordered a plate about two weeks ago, and they were huge. I had difficulty finishing them. Then I ordered a plate yesterday, and the size's felt like HALF of what it is usually. Still my first if not 2nd favorite place to eat at San Pedro. read more

I had the Pad Thai, the shrimp in it was terrible. They tasted frozen and old. Without the shrimp it would have been better, but you can't ask for modifications to the plate. Used to go there for lunch since it's so close to work. I won't be returning read more

Tried for the first time. Nothing special. I consider it to be sufficient and edible but I don't see myself returning. I feel like it's typical mall food. Had mix plate and shrimp was grilled with shell on that was hard to remove and not very meaty. Beef was over sauced like it was to hide poorer quality food. Chicken was fine. Egg rolls were not worth it. I would pass for sure. They may want to cut back on items and focus on quality over quantity. read more

Very confused with my experience. I ordered the beef pho. The cashier understood pad thai. The mistake was realized when i asked for my buzzer since he didnt give me one, or a receipt. When my food came 15 minutes later(my fam was already done eating at this point) i got my good. It was not pho and i tried to tell the cashier its not what i ordered and he told me i was wrong. I didnt get the normal noodles they put in pho. There was wontons and shrimp in it as well?? The broth wasnt pho broth. No clue what they ended up giving me because it was not the simple beef pho i wanted. The cashier just told me i was wrong and made me take it. It didnt taste good and wasnt what i wanted. Will never come back.. read more

Born in Vietnamese and growing up there until the age of 18, I have been addicted to this place! Even though they're famous for their Pho, I don't think it's authentic Vietnamese food. But their fried rice is delicious and reminds me of a restaurant in my hometown. I paid $11 for combination fried rice. The box was pretty heavy and it turned out to be 4 of my meals. The portion was great!!!! There were lots of shrimp and meat. And they were so generous with the peas and carrots portion, which is my favorite. So $11 for 4 meals, not bad! Today I tried their Seafood Noodles Soup, and it was delicious! I preferred egg noodles so I have to pay $1.50 extra (which is pretty lame) but thanks God the food turned out to be great! The egg noodle was chewy and the broth was bold. I saw in other comment complaining about the portion, but it didn't apply to me. My bowl of soup contained: 4 big pieces of fish fillet, 2 whole mussels, 2 medium sized shrimp, 2 small pieces of squid and a lot of onion and fried onion. I couldn't finish my order and so it became my lunch and dinner. Two visits only and both were great! I will come back for their beef stew. I wanna try their boba milktea too but I don't see any review about it. read more

IMO best chicken Pho ever. They never fail my expectations and service is usually very fast.

This place is located in San Pedro Square Market inside where blush bar is located. The food was good, and good portion. Fish sauce was a little fishy and not to my liking. Food arrived quickly. Slightly overpriced for pho restaurant food but it is located in DTSJ. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

I absolutely love this place and adore the family that owns it! They are the sweetest and the food is so authentic. There aren't many places that offer Vietnamese food on this side of downtown and this one doesn't fail to impress! I definitely recommend the vermicelli! But do also try the combo plate and spring rolls which are also very good. I honestly don't know why there were so many bad reviews but I hope everyone else decides to give this place a try! I did despite the negative stars people gave and I always come back! read more

Made me sick. And they put mayonnaise in their banh mi. Also the chicken was pink. Bad meal. read more

Phonomenal is in the san Pedro Square Marketplace. There are 2 buildings to this complex, and they are in the other building, where there isn;t as much foot traffic. It is a small establishment in a eclectic food court set-up. The owners are friendly and nice. The Pho is pretty decent, but a little more in price than your normal Pho dive in Little Saigon in San Jose. I ordered the #1 Pho Tai Bo Vien (rare beef slices, and beef balls) and it was $7.95. It came in one of those Dansk-like Euro white deep bowls, not the 99 Ranch plastic red or blue bowls. BUt that isn't important to me, after all, this is a food court, not a stand alone restaurant with fancy decor. So perhaps the high rent of San Pedro Marketplace and the fancy white bowl makes the Pho a dollar or two more than on Story, Tully or McGlaughlin. The Pho had good flavor in the broth, was fairly clear and not overly muddy with quick beef flavorings, but the condiments were doled out in a small disposable plastic plate, not the larger tray of fresh mint, sprouts, chilis that you get in some other places. I wish them the best. It is in a convenient location for DTSJ workers. But If I am driving around in my car looking for Pho, I have a few other places in San Jose that I prefer more. I think this is Pho review number 104? I lost track after I ate Pho in my 100th different establishment. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Phone tail book Vienna, #1, $7.95 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Their chopsticks suck, 10 bucks for a bowl of pho..yeah not my cup of tea. Customer service is alright and of course parking is horrible. Plenty of space to sit but not intimate whatsoever. Enough said...... read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Waiting for the food - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Whenever I am in San Pedro my eyes get really large with wondering what to eat. There are so many options!! This place always fulfills my pearl tea/thai ice craving that springs up.. WHAT.... I can have pizza or a pork belly sandwich with boba?? SOLD. It isn't too sweet and the pearls are always perfect. The eats aren't half bad either!! The garlic noodles were satisfying and the popcorn chicken was just the right amount of spice. I have also gotten the vermicelli noodle bowls and I have no complaints The wait time isn't horrendous (max 10 minutes) read more

Phonomenal is one of my favorite places to eat for lunch. It's part of the San Pedro Square Market complex. There is always plenty of seating and they offer all of the favorites - spring rolls, rice plates, pho, banh mi, and vietnamese coffee. I've tried their beef pho, chicken pho, and veggie pho (mixed veggies and either silken or fried tofu, topped with fried shallots). All are priced around $7-8. I enjoyed them all. Before eating at Phonomenal, I had never had veggie pho before, but I thought it was an excellent non-meat alternative. Who knew veggie broth could be so tasty? The chicken pho is still my favorite, though! The chicken is tender and they give mixed white and dark meat. Their broth is really tasty and the portions are generous! I'm so lucky to work near this yummy establishment :). read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Yummy! I love their pho ga ($7.75)! :) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Underrated Asian cuisine. Excellent service, tasteful food, and validates parking. Highly recommend! read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

The lady working there was super friendly and courteous! It was about 10 minutes or so until we got our order. It was very good fried rice. My daughter ate it up and she is super picky. read more

So this may get some of my credit as a Yelper taken away from me BUT I indeed forgot to take a pic of the visit :-(..BoooooOooooOooooooOooo! To my defense my mom surprised me at work one day and said "I'm taking you to lunch" and in all the excitement that my mommy surprised me, I actually forgot my phone at the office. Hey, at least it meant I was giving my mother my undivided attention...as a good daughter should!...lol...have I earned my credits back yet?...ha! Ok on to the food critique.....dun..dun..duuuUuuuuuun... So my mother and I could not decide on what we wanted. I walked her through the entrance of San Pedro so she could decide..I really didn't have a preference. Working across the street means I am spoiled and can dine here whenever my heart desires. She hot stepped it passed On a Roll, Loteria (despite my quick review) and Robee's Falafel. So then I kindly suggested there was more on the other side. We walked passed the burger place and something caught her eye at Phonomenal..it was the #23....the grilled shrimp, pork, egg roll on a bed of vermicelli. Then she was distracted by the photo of the walnut prawns...we stood there...debating for 10 minutes...I allowed for people to go ahead of us because my mother could.not.decide. So then I made the executive decision and ordered them both and told her we will just split them both so she could have the best of both worlds. The service was short, sweet and pleasant. Food was ready in about 10 minutes and everything was delicious. My mom did think that the #23 was pho but it isn't, still didn't disappoint though. We didn't even end up finishing either dish because they were so filling. The pork was juicy..shrimp fresh and tasty..the vegetables fresh and vibrantly colored..noodles the perfect noodle consistency and the walnut prawns were just as they should be... huge with the perfect ratio of sauce to shrimp and made for 2 very happy campers. read more

Fusion. Definitely fusion food. They have a pretty wide selection of Vietnamese food, but some ingredients have been altered. I ordered the spring rolls with pork and shrimp and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of food I got for what paid, but this is in comparison to restaurants that typically charge $6 for TWO spring rolls as appetizers. I paid $7 for 4 fresh spring rolls. Like I said, some of the more traditional ingredients were swapped out and replaced with carrots and iceberg lettuce. A bit odd, but still good. I like that this place is located in the San Pedro Market in a food court style setup so you could try a bunch if food. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - A1 order. Spring rolls with shrimp and pork. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

So disappointed. This is my 3rd or 4th time buying spring rolls but tonight they gave me old and disgusting spring roll. Not fresh they just re fried it. read more

I was pretty slammed by the time I got to Phonomenal, haha. It was one of those girls night out and it's really been a long week. I mean, I was craving pho for days but apparently, in Downtown SJ where I live, I honestly hadn't been able to find a decent pho place to be my go to. I wouldn't called Phonomenal my go to, but definitely when I need to provide my body with pre hang over food and sober up enough to walk home, haha. The ladies were super sweet! I got there about 5 minutes till 10pm and they were ready to bounce! I strolled over and asked if they were opened, secretly hoping it was yes. TO MY HAPPINESS, she said only for the soups and I was like, OMG there is a god because that's all I wanted. A quick skim over the menu and there wasn't much to choose from. I really wanted something with beef and tripe but I don't think tripe was on the menu so I had a regular pho with the rare beef (7.95) The combination of hunger and consumption of alcohol an my craving, it was absolutely delicious though I only had a combined of about three bites and huge servings of the broth. It was all there! The flavors were really rich and blended in with the cilantro and onions and beef and bean sprouts. The noodles were chewy and not to mushy, I was really happy and actually expected a lot less since it was inside San Pedro Square and catered to more of an melting pot sort of clientel- unlike the hole in the wall Vietnamese place with the authentic. I didn't expect it to be so close to authentic. They also took credit card, which was a super plus for me. I ended up taking it home, AND DAMNNNNNNNN, the next morning after I woke up. I heated up the soup and the noodles and BAM, to the head it was like drinking a bloody mary without the bloody mary, warmed my body and healed my hangover and like a champ, I was ready for work. I recommend the place for anybody looking for a bite, but the options are pretty limited if your'e looking for your standard pho. It's more of a express pho place, but definitely got my moneys worth! read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Pretty damn good. I think this was number 7 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Have they changed owners or chef? The pho its totally different now. It actually tastes good now. First time I came in my pho broth tasted watered down and my noodles were stuck in a clump. What the change was, it was a great one. Thing this may be my NEW local pho location now. I came in on a Tuesday last week and there was only 3 smaller groups including myself and the staff seems very nice and attentive to our needs. We order spring rolls as appetizer, it came out with only 4 sad little rolls (2 rolls cut in half). The rolls only had shrimp in them with a bunch of vegetables and vermicelli noodles. Luckily their peanut sauce was good. My combination pho came out a short time later and after a little adjusting it was the pretty darn good. Hearty broth and the portion was good for Pinole. The only complaints I do have is: (1) their regular size bowl is tiny. Doesn't give one much room to add vegetables and mix. I kept spilling what little broth I had because thr bowl was too small. (2) there is still a lot of oil floating on top of the broth which just made it an oily mess while eating. (3) the freshness of their vegetable condiments. I found a couple yellow dead cilantro pieces. Not appealing to the eye and guests probably wouldn't want to eat that. (4) the sad spring rolls. For the price they charge, those sad spring rolls need to be amped up better. Add meat? Thicker spring rolls? Something or lower the price. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - See all that oil on top - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

As SJ MADE Holiday Edition came to a close, I was getting hungry again and craving pho. What the Pho? Phonomenal was there to the rescue in the San Pedro Market. The owners here were very attentive and helpful. I went with the number 2: beef flank and beef balls. Large was the only size they had. SCORE! After I made my purchase, I waited for my order. Instead of waiting for my order, the owner insisted that my order will be brought to me. The seating here was kinda limited since vendors were breaking down there booths. Once I found a place to sit, a couple of minutes later my order is brought out to me. The pho was piping hot. The flank was nice and tender. The beef balls were soft and chewy. PAUSE! The rice noodles were soft and broke apart very easily. for $7.25, this meal was affordable and filling. My pho craving was put at ease. Thanks Phonomenal read more

This is the my go-to place for the days I work in the office. The food is delicious , well packed, and I love the smile on the cashing lady.

The food is always great. It can take a little while to get the food, but it's always fresh and delicious. Excellent Mongolian beef, cream cheese wontons, popcorn chicken, chicken teriyaki skewers. Highly recommend. read more

Go to spot at San Pedro Square! Gotta get the chicken wings!! The owner is so sweet, support local businesses! Also, the vermicelli bowl is super yummy but also tons of food! read more

Glad there is a pho place within walking distance from my work! Been here twice, had the chicken pho both times, tasted the beef pho. Today was here with Sabrina C. (yay!) who seemed to enjoy it as well. It's good quality pho, generous enough portions and reasonably authentic. There was no MSG hangover (which is a super duper plus for me) nor an insatiable desire to throw myself into a vat of water to rehydrate from being over-salted. The waitstaff are nice and you get table service as well despite the atmosphere being more cafeteria style. I'll definitely be coming back here again during lunch, though I would not seek it out if I were not already really close by. I admit when they first opened I was suspicious of its catchy name, modern dishware and location, but am happily and pleasantly surprised that the quality of the soup stands on its own. It is pricier than what you typically get (maybe even 5 or 5 blocks away), but it's clean, new, and very convenient. read more

Not bad at all. Being Vietnamese I have high standards when to when it comes to Vietnamese food but this place did a pretty good job. Ordered the ox tail noodle soup, popcorn chicken and shaken beef. The ox tail soup was probably the best I've had outside of my mom's kitchen. The ox tail was tender and a bit chewy. The broth had the right about of beefy sweetness. Popcorn chicken was great, all I needed was boba to balance the salty chicken but this place does it right. The shaken beef was cooked just like how mothers do it. A bit too much green stuff on my plate but still good. The only knock would be of course the price and portion. It's San Jose so you can find similar stuff at a more reasonable price and get a shitload. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Shaken beef, popcorn chicken and ox tail noodle soup. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Terribly bland chicken fried rice. The pieces of chicken were very small and I came across quite a few chewy bits. The veggies tasted like they were from a frozen mix. The rice was dry, as if the dish was premade and just sitting under a heat lamp. Ate maybe 1/4 of it and threw the rest away. Yuck. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Bland, dried out Fried Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Great food options, always hard to choose. My absolute favorite is the Won Ton Noodle soup! Love the service, they are a great team!

The food is great! Love their wonton soup. The 4 star is because they are rather slow. After it was finally ready they said they had to remake it because they made it for here, but they didn't ask if I was to go/ for here. I will definitely still go here because it's great quality, but just can't really be in a hurry. read more

I lived in downtown San Jose for a couple years and I am always learning new things about the area. The BF and I were hungry so before our night class, we went to grab a quick bite at San Pedro Square, which is one of my FAVORITE places to go in downtown. After yelping for Pho restaurants, I've seen the name Phonomenal pop up several times but I never knew where it was. Little did I know that it was hidden in my favorite little hotspot, so of course I gave it a try. I got #23-grilled pork and shrimp with egg rolls over vermicelli. The flavors were fresh and colorful, and very well proportioned. What I liked about this place was that it feels much "cleaner" than your typical pho restaurant. I also enjoyed the egg rolls which were crispy, and not greasy at all. Plus, the servers are really nice, they bring your order to your table which isn't really necessary (since its food court style) but they do it anyway. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

I came on a great day during sf beer week! The lively drums and sax contributed to a sweet atmosphere. I only wanted a quick bite to eat so I ordered the BBQ meat with shrimp fresh rolls..that were indeed rolled to perfection, phonomenally! (I always loved the ingenuity of pho restaurants!--though this place had more to offer than the usual) The service was quick and met with smiles. They had many choices to offer. Overall, It was pretty g, but a tad bit expensive compared to other Vietnamese fare establishments. But it is relatively similar to all business in the market place. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - $7 dollah with peanut saws - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Amazing! High quality cooked-to-order food, caring personalized service, and low prices? From a food court vendor? Phonomenal is a huge asset to the growing San Pedro Market. The owners are the sweetest folks and really care that you get food you like. They will customize, so go ahead and ask if you have food preferences. We've had the pho, fried rice, fried veggie rolls, summer rolls, fried rice, and shaken beef. All has been good to excellent. The fried veggie rolls were expertly fried -- crisp but not overloaded with oil. Summer rolls are made to order, so they can alter ingredients if you like. These come in a huge order for $5.25 to $6. Shaken beef was tender. Been 3 times already and expect that this will become a regular meal spot. How can you go wrong? Sweet service, great food, low prices, and excellent coffee to complement your meal from B2 in the adjacent building. read more

See all

Pretty good for the price and generous portion, I can only eat half for lunch and save the other half for dinner read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - Chicken sandwich - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Pretty decent pho but I think the meatballs need more tendon in it so that it's crisper & maybe is made with a bit too much flour. Pho noodles were good and chewy. The broth was good but on the light side with not too much msg. read more

Phonomenal - Vietnamese Cuisine - #1 steak & meatball - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

For a nice little food stand tucked inside the San Pedro Square Market, I can't complain. The food was good, and the prices were decent. The staff were exceptionally friendly, and more welcoming then the normal people who would work at a full-sized pho restaurant. Granted the food might not be as great as some other favorite pho spots I've been too.. and without a doubt it barely reaches the level that my mother could make... but shoot, it sure as hell fights to be up there. As such, the broth (how a pho place should be rated upon and what defines if it is great or not) was wonderfully made and tasted fresh, clean, and without any greasiness (which some might argue fat is a good thing... which in some cases I might agree too). The broth.. and omg.. the broth.. yes.. It is what gives this place my high regards. I cannot deny the broth here is "phonomenal"... lol. Great job. Other menu items like the bbq beef and french fries also come out amazingly delicious. Had an order of their bbq short ribs.. and they just melted in my mouth.. the seasoning, the sauce.. well marinated sweetness that takes a place like L&L Hawaiian BBQ.. and gives it shame. Truly a great treat. read more