My previous review was for Pho Thanh Lich. With the change in management, I'm changing my review to three stars. The food and service are just not the same. Went here for dinner on Saturday night and the waiter we had seemed very stressed out and short when taking our order. There was, however, a younger girl who was very nice and on point to make sure our water was always filled. Still, the food we had was okay. It no longer has that authentic taste I raved about in my previous review. I then went back yesterday just for the summer rolls (take out), the pork in the roll was discolored and the peanut sauce had a abnormal sour taste (comparing this to having had it on Saturday when it tasted fine). Now have mixed feelings about coming back. read more

My boyfriend and I love going to Planet Pho for dinner! We first started coming here when it was known as Pho Thanh Lich. Everything on the menu that we've tried has been tasty! I especially enjoy their summer rolls and pho, and my boyfriend loves eating the cold vermicelli with spicy lemongrass chicken. Since the change in name and ownership, the menu has grown to include more dishes, such as salads, sandwiches, curry and beef stew, soups (wonton, noodles), rice plates, and other house specialties. The service is always attentive and friendly, even during busy hours. Go to Planet Pho for delicious food and great service! read more

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Food poisoning from my Pho last night! Though the broth, noodles tasted good and huge portions. Up all night throwing up. Not sure if it was the condiments (chili garlic, etc) or the bean sprouts. My fiancé ate my leftover when I got home and 5 minutes after eating it, he got sick, too. read more

Planet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Was craving Pho today, new to Kailua wasn't sure where to go. We are thrilled that we tried Planet Pho! Phoned the order in, picked up within 10 mins, the customer service was great! We order 2 Pho Ga, 1 Pho Tai and an order of Summer rolls, all were delicious! We will definitely be back. read more

OMG. I literally just came from eating at Planet Pho and talk about a TERRIBLE experience. I went a little on the early lunch side, around 10:30ish, so I was the only customer there. I ordered rare steak pho and crispy spring rolls. The pho came out quickly, with its usual accompaniment of bean sprouts and herbs, along with a lemon wedge and one jalapeno slice. I thought that was weird - normally it comes with lime and a few slices of jalapeno. Anyway, whatever. No big deal, I just asked for more jalapenos and it was okay - definitely not amazing pho - but fine. It's what happened next. Voices began escalating in the kitchen to full-blown yelling. My waitress was crying, going back and forth between the kitchen and dining room. Then she hid behind the counter, crying and making calls to someone on her cell phone. The chef or owner or whomever came out of the kitchen and started yelling at her in the dining area - this happened a few times. I was still the only person dining in the restaurant and in the corner booth. It was so uncomfortable and neither stopped arguing. I hadn't received my spring rolls and was out of water. My waitress never came to check on me, too busy arguing and crying, so I eventually went up to the counter with my glass and held it out. She was still on her cell phone and filled it from the pitcher. I felt bad for her, as well as uncomfortable and upset. My entire pho eating was filled with yelling and crying and discomfort. I thought several times about leaving, but I hurriedly shoveled the pho in my mouth to get the heck out of there. My waitress never said anything to me about the spring rolls, which didn't matter because I didn't want them anymore, either. I just wanted to leave. I don't know if they ran out of spring rolls or ingredients and that's what triggered the argument? Or something entirely different... no idea and I don't care. Regardless, it was completely unprofessional and could've been handled entirely differently. Really bummed, because I thought this place could be my go-to pho joint, but not after that; in fact, I won't be back. read more

Good pho and I really liked the huge variety of items on the menu. You can get curries and other Thai food here too. I had the Bun Bo Hue which is a tomato crab soup with egg noddles. It was very good and I liked the spongey crab cakes and other seafood inside. My husband thought the pho was good. Very friendly service. read more

We ordered take out from here last night since our go-to Lemongrass is closed on Mondays. I had the Pho with seafood and hubby got the spicy lemongrass chicken with rice noodles and we shared an order of the shrimp rolls. The shrimp rolls are what other places call summer rolls: cold, crisp, and packed with cucumber, rice noodles, lettuce, mint, carrots, green onions, and shrimp. I always order these if they are on the menu and the shrimp rolls were nice here. My pho was nice, and the takeout portion was huge! The broth came separate and one container contained the noodles, seafood and all of the traditional accompaniments. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and still have leftovers. The hubby liked his too and the portion on his was huge as well-- for him to have leftovers is rare and there was almost half the meal left. I look forward to being a repeat customer here, especially on a cool Kailua night. read more

Best veggie pho I've had on the island! There's tons of different veggies (mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, and my favorite... Broccoli!) The noodles have a nice consistency, no too chewy and not too soft. The iced coffee with condensed milk is also super yummy! It's a little on the sweet side but it makes a good dessert after a huge bowl of pho. :9 Another plus is that the place is really clean and bright. The staff is really friendly and nice. The server was super accommodating and made a lot of suggestions. *** I didn't see the hours on yelp so... Closed on Wednesday and open from 10am-9:30pm on all the other days read more

I personally feel like this is one of the best places to grab some pho. I go to many different places and try out the broth before adding anything to it. Im not a professional and I honestly have no idea what authentic vietnamese pho tastes like (although I read online they don't put sirracha and plum sauce in it back in Vietnam), but based on what I personally like, I say this place is pretty delicious. Its one of the nicer vietnamese establishments as well, in my opinion. Its small, but still a bit fancy. It certainly feels a thousand times cleaner than other places I've tried out. If you're not a fan of pho, I can literally recommend ANY of their rice dishes. It's pretty well made if you ask me! The only problem I've ever had with this place is the wait times for non-pho dishes. That makes me freak out for two reasons: one, did you forget my order? and two, how long did it take to freshly cook the rice dish vs. how long has there been ready made pho sitting around ready to be ordered? As for service, its alright. I don't expect much anyways. I go to places to eat, not to make friends with everyone I come across. That being said, I've never had any problems with staff, but I also never interact with them much outside of ordering, paying and saying my 'thank you's." read more

Went to grab some pho on a rainy day yesterday and was highly disappointed. There was only one person working up front so i can understand the slow service but the food itself is not as good as it once was. We ordered the combination pho, seafood pho and the korean bbq plate. The bbq plate was pretty good but both the pho lacked flavor and meat. No longer my go to pho spot. This was not the first time the flavor went down a few notches. I just didnt want to give up having a place to go near home but i guess i may have to drive a bit further for my pho fix. read more

Very friendly service; willing to adjust dishes for special diets; sparkling clean! The cold drinks all have sugar, but they will make unsweetened iced jasmine tea if you ask. read more

The restaurant was very clean, which is rare for places like this. This pleasantly surprised us. The food was OK, the service was great. It is located right next to Yogurt Mama FroYo store, which was very convenient for the desert for our kids. I will be back here. read more

Planet Pho - Very clean and inviting place! - Vietnamese Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Biggest pho bowls I've seen! Yummy and flavorful! And I never knew you could really perfect a boba milk tea blended. There's is suppppper smooth and really flavorful. I ordered the Taro milk tea and the rare steak, flank, and meatball pho. And to top it off I left my wallet there. And they stayed after closing to wait for me to pick it up! Been here twice and they're amazing! read more

I was headed to Kailua when it hit me. I was hungry. The only thing on my mind was a Vietnamese sandwich. Ok, and maybe some fresh shrimp spring rolls and a Thai iced tea... I saw that Pho Thanh Lich had good reviews and was close, so we drove there. It looks like a mom and pop shop operation, with one cook behind the scenes and one person manning the tables, register, and phone. It wasn't a problem, since we came right after the normal world's lunch hour, and we had the place to ourselves. I got the lemongrass tofu sandwich, with of course, the spring rolls and Thai iced tea. Everything was great, and not too filling, so I took half my meal and headed to the beach without my belly looking like I had a spare tire on it. read more

Nice casual atmosphere. Server (owner) was very nice. The food was good and the prices are very reasonable. I had a Pho Tai and Steak Plate. Good flavor and fresh vegetables. They also gave me a complementary chai tea with my meal. read more

Planet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Remember the prices of your food items when you order because they will charge you more for each item when you go and pay. Worker or owner there wrote out the prices of each item at the register when I was ready to pay and I saw that she added about $1.50 more per item than what was originally shown on their menu. When asked about the prices she tried to tell me that despite what we saw on the menu, they can change the prices at any time. So just be aware that you may pay more than you thought you would. Other than that, their food is actually really good. Their pho is EVERYTHING! read more

Love this place, get a large bowl with rare steak and brisket and make sure to be brave with the chili oil, it's the best!

Dont waste your time or money here. I got the bbq pork and spring rolls with cold vermicelli and husband got the chicken curry. Both bowls looked good, but sadly did not taste good. Mine was flavorless, missing the fresh mint that usually comes with the dish. I added the sauce, but it was also flavorless. Bit hard into a piece or pork bone, too. My husband said he was really hungry, but didn't even finish his curry, which never happens. Waited 19 minutes for the check. He had to walk back to work because the server never came back to check on us or give us a check, and spent 20 minutes behind the kitchen door. I eventually went up to the counter when she sat down to start reading the newspaper. Overall, poor service and even worse food. read more

Flavorless food. Over cooked proteins. Don't waste your time or money. Most likely you could make better Thai food at home

Best pho in Kailua to me! I always get takeout and everything is neatly separated and ready to go! Broth is perfect and stays hot, big portions of noodles, veggies and a decent price. My go to place for pho in Kailua! The beef pho is a good choice if your just trying it out! read more

Excellent customer service, generous portions, nice atmosphere and very clean. Owner is very very nice and hard working!! Food is good, the pho and broth is pretty good as well. I do love their house sauce which I always add to my pho! Also extra plus --- BYOB, no corkage fee!! read more

Best tasting Pho on the windward side. The parking is very limited but there are always cars leaving so you wont need to wait long. I love how the Pho is always piping hot and stays hot until the last bite. The broth is very flavorful and nicely garnished. I love the thinly sliced onions on the top. The food comes out so fast that by the time you eat one spring roll the rest of your meal is served lol. I always eat the spring rolls and #27 Pho with beef brisket and beef balls read more

Planet Pho - Pho with beef brisket and beef balls - Vietnamese Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I don't want to write this review but I have to. It was yelp where I found Planet Pho originally. This was one of my favorite Thai/Vietnamese spots on this planet. Every time I would come to Kailua to visit family I would make sure to stop by a number of times. I returned just this week to find the food and dining experience entirely different. The food was completely lacking of the delicious flavors, care and loving preparation that defined it before. The ginger chicken and eggplant curry with tofu were nearly inedible, overly salted with so much minced garlic I felt ill afterwards. I'm so sad that this gem is no longer. It seems that it is under new management and there are different cooks in the kitchen. I wish I knew where the old owners/chefs have gone because I would follow them to wherever they are. read more

The good here is just OK. But if you live in Kailua it's convenient to stop in for a bowl of OK Pho. I have been here several times and each time the staff of RUDE, RUDE, RUUUDDEEE. It is as though you choosing to dine at their establishment is a bother and they'd rather NOT... The gentleman at the front (he's always there when I go) made my child cry on 2 separate occasions. The second time was the last straw. It's convenient but not worth the wait time and the lack of service. I'll drive to Kaneohe for great pho and outstanding service from now on. read more

I got a veggie pho and summer rolls to go, and they gave me cold jasmine tea while I was waiting! Nice! The pho was huge with tons of veggies, and the summer rolls were crisp and yummy. read more

Planet Pho - Dining room- not sure elegant is the word, but cute? - Vietnamese Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

This place is outstanding. The service is very friendly and eager to please. The meal portions are VERY generous for such an affordable price. This place is a wonderful, hole-in-the wall Vietnamese restaurant and they have an extensive menu with different varieties of entrees, phos, curries, vermicelli dishes and desserts. My husband and I go here at least 3 times a month, because we love how healthy they prepare their dishes. We especially love their Spring Rolls, which we were given more than expected, in comparison to other places. ^_^ It is not everyday you find a healthy restaurant. I highly recommend trying this place and making it your go-to Pho restaurant. We definitely did :) Mind you, this is not a chain restaurant, but a nice family-owned place so go easy on them. Because it does get busy, since they are a small place. But very much worth going to. And yes they do military discount too! read more

Super tasty food. Flavors are a little different than the normal Vietnamese food around. Lots of options. Everything was great. Service was quick and friendly. This was our second time here with the new owners and it was better than the first time. Pho was really good. A lot of healthy options. Definitely coming back. read more

Planet Pho - Super tasty #57 - Vietnamese Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

This place has new ownership and its just not the same. The pho wasnt flavorful at all, the broth was just watery. The korean ribs were greasy and flavorless and chewy. The pad thai was ok. For a $40 meal for 3 people this place just is sub par. Theres better food found at whole foods. Sad, because it was great before. read more

Can you say bun bo hue 3 times fast??? I love pho but sometimes a girls gotta mix things up. Ya feel me? In the mood for a spicy alternative to pho? Bun bo hue at Planet Pho is just what you need in your life. Chewy rice noodles, beef, lemon grass in a fermented shrimp paste topped with green leafy veggies and onions. Writing this is making my mouth water. Complements well with their crispy spring rolls that I love to wrap in lettuce and then dip in the fish sauce that I have mixed with siracha. Pure comfort food gold! And this is coming from being a regular of the OC Vietnamese soup circuit in SoCal. No more home sickness after finding this gem in Kailua. Family run business in a friendly atmosphere. Food comes out quick even when they are busy. Wish they were open until later at night but alas most things in Kailua shut down after 9pm. They have a parking lot out front but is pretty busy. May be able to find street parking nearby. read more

I came to dine in a few weeks ago with my girlfriend. The place closes at 8:30 and we arrived at 8pm but were told we were only allowed to take food to go even though they were open tables and people currently dining in. It would be one thing if it's 5 minutes before but we would have had plenty of time to eat. We went next door to Rai Rai Ramen and they were happy to have our business. read more

If you want authentic Vietnamese food, Pho Thanh Lich is the place for you. The BEST in Kailua! I love this restaurant! I am Vietnamese. It's hard to find a good Vietnamese restaurant that cooks authentic Vietnamese food. I have to tell you...the food is excellent! The service is great! I eat at this restaurant every day. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who wants to try "authentic" Vietnamese food. Please ignore all the negative comments made by other people on this site. They don't know what they are talking about and probably never eaten "real" Vietnamese food. Jodie P. Kailua, HI read more

This is my go to Pho spot. There is never a wait when I go in, the service is always speedy, the food is to my liking and I have zero complaints about this particular restaurant. I have tried to pho ga on numerous occasions and it's always super tasty. I also like the ca ra ga, which is this delicious curry chicken dish that I also love. This place isn't fancy, but it gets the job done. The only downside is the parking lot, but it's not that big of deal. read more

This place is in a strip mall. I have to give them kudos for trying hard to make their interior attractive. The place is clean and the lighting quite nice. As for the food... We are vegetarians and is quite difficult to find a place that offer other than the usual veggie burgers. The vegetarian menu offers a variety of good choices. We got the papaya salad. And not like in Thai cuisine, this salad does not have fish sauce. It was light and excellently refreshing. We got veggie spring rolls. Very good stuff. The twist was in the seasoned tofu. Another dish that is just light and has crisp veggie flavors. Then we had the vegetarian crispy/fried noodles. This is the best one we had. The sauce is excellent. The veggies were very crispy and not over cooked. Next time we are back, I will seek out this place again. read more

If you are health conscious this place might not be for you! I think this place uses too much msg. I had a really bad headache for hours after dining here (I never get headaches). I only tried their pho and so I idk about their other dishes. The staff here isn't very friendly either. read more

This is a deal for the money! Lot's of food for the price. Very fresh, tasty & spicy. It's enough to split it in two for a second serving. I love pho and this is the best place for the amount of food you get! read more

Always decent food nothing really to special about the place. Parking is a hassle. I'd recommend trying this place.

It was ok. Food was good. Service was terrible, forgot our tea. There was no music playing or atmosphere set. They were turning off lights in the restaurant at 7:20 when we were still eating. Don't have a desire to go back. read more

This review is for the new Planet Pho. I guess they just changed the name of the previous restaurant, Pho Thanh Lich. My husband and I always go to Pho Thanh Lich on Sundays for dinner. We haven't been able to go for a few months, so when we drove up and saw the "Planet Pho" sign, we got nervous. We found out that our beloved Pho Thanh Lich was gone and a new Vietnamese restaurant was in it's place. However, it had a similar feeling: the husband heading the front of house with excellent customer service with a local twist, and his wife taking care of the kitchen. I have to say, I loved what we got! I don't know if the previous owner is in any way involved with the new place, but the ingredients were just as fresh and delicious as before. The only thing that I think would improve upon the new place is that we came in at 8:30, thinking it was PTL (who closed at 9:30). We ended up feeling bad that we came in right when they were closing up. The owner and his daughter were very accommodating, though and were happy to serve us. Over all, we will be coming again and wish we could have told the previous owner goodbye and thank him for his great food as well! Here is my previous review for Pho Thanh Lich: Fiance & I decided to check this place out on a whim one day, which happened to be during their first week of business, and we are so glad we did! There was a banner on the fence which advertised FREE SOFT DRINK for their grand opening, that, to me, is good old fashioned business and I commend that! Since then, we have been there at least 5 more times and have never been disappointed. The atmosphere is nice, very clean and cozy. Not over the top, but you'll find that for what the place lacks in interior decor, they more than make up for in food quality and most of all, GENUINE customer service. The owner works in the front of house. Every time we have been there, we've seen him. He is one of the few people I have met in this world who I truly believe loves his job & his customers. This is evident in the warm smiles, amazingly fresh & delicious food & reasonable prices. I can't say I feel this way when I walk into other restaurants, and that's why my fiance and I will keep coming back to this place. We hope they stick around for a long time! :) read more

Good HOT phó! I'm surprised how warm my broth was even towards the end of my meal. Great flavor! Not too watery or salty. Meats were tender and just the right amount of noodles. Great service and food came out in a timely manner! Parking is slim but cars are constantly coming and going. read more

Fan - pho - tastic! Husband and I were vacationing and go lost, and found this place tucked into a non-descript strip mall in Kailua. Best pho I've ever eaten, complex flavors in the broth, generous fresh herbs and bean sprouts - simply a home run! Hubs had a huge plate of pad thai and loved it. Don't be put off by the modest surroundings - very efficient service and truly great value for the money, we had enough leftovers for another meal. Yum!!!! read more