The first three reviews that popped up were 5-3-1 star. Wow. We had an event at the Fahey/ Klein…read moregallery across the street and did not know the place and the variety of reviews. We loved the food, the kind service and found the ambiance totally OK but nothing to get excited about. We sat on the little patio to the street and had a good time. We would always recommend/ go again/ and yes, mandatory for my five-star-rating: make a 30+ min detour to dine here and satisfy our Vietnamese cravings :-)

My bestie and I are on a hunt for good pho in LA, and this was our first stop as she says the bun…read morerieu is on par with her dad's. Though right on La Brea, there was plenty of street metered spots right out front when we came by on a Sunday afternoon. The crispy egg rolls were delicious, and both of our soups were pretty good. The bon rieu was definitely better than the dac biet, which was a bit boring and nothing to write home about. I would come back for the bon rieu, but as we are on the hunt for a good pho spot, may need to keep looking. They have both indoor and outdoor seating which is cute, however the service dining in left something to be desired.

Finally found the pho spot that never fails!! I love getting the Wagyu Beef Toro Pho! The beef…read morebelly just melts in your mouth. Also got the vegetable fried rice and it pairs so well! I love that there's a toppings bar that you can just get unlimited toppings. Tried the onion with hoisin and siracha combo, so refreshing. Servers definitely check in on you from time to time! My only thing is that I think they use the same towels often so sometimes it smells a little mildew-y in there. Other than that, I'll always be back!

This place is the s--t It's a real hit…read more Pho broth is legit Got the gyu pho It's the best ya know Toppings bar is good Real deal in the neighborhood

Literally the best Pho I've ever had. The staff was kind enough to offer me water while I waited…read morefor my to go order! Totally worth the price! The broth is so rich and coats your mouth wonderfully! The spring rolls were perfect! I mixed the chili oil with the peanut sauce and it was the best I've had! Highly recommend! The chopsticks they give you are also so nice!

I had high expectations since this place is raved with positive reviews hehe…read more Came here on a weekday to try out their pho. I ordered the combo pho. It wasn't horrible but also wasn't good lol sorrrrry.... Def lack flavor and tasted water down. Would I come back? If this was the only near pho joint, it gets the craving done but def better pho out in Ktown.

Twelve years ago, I fell in love with Au Lac and wrote a glowing review. Living on LA's Westside, I…read morerarely make it to Downtown, so today was my first visit back since then. I can't believe it's been 12 years--and I'm so happy to say it was every bit as incredible as I remembered. My friend and I came for lunch. I ordered the vegetable pho, and she had the curry rice. Both dishes were absolutely delicious--fresh, flavorful, comforting, and beautifully prepared. Honestly, I wish we had more time because we had another appointment downtown. I would have loved to try more dishes and definitely dessert! Our server was wonderful--friendly, attentive, and incredibly professional. He checked on us at just the right moments without ever feeling intrusive. The service was as impressive as the food. The restaurant has such a warm, relaxing atmosphere. I especially loved the beautiful ceramic water cups with bird designs--they were so unique and charming. Even the water tasted wonderful! I'm thrilled that Au Lac is still thriving after all these years. If anything, the food tasted even better than I remembered. I certainly won't wait another 12 years before coming back. In fact, I was so impressed that I convinced my husband to come with me next Saturday for dinner! I've tried many vegan restaurants over the years, and Au Lac remains my absolute favorite. My favorite on the Westside is Variable Café, but if you're willing to drive a little farther, Au Lac is on another level. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. Whether you're vegan or not, this place is truly outstanding. Five stars without hesitation!

I came to Au Lac again to celebrate my bday with a friend before a show at the Music Center. Au Lac…read moredoesn't take reservations. My friend had the tofu, house salad. She said the house salad was better the last time she came bc the lettuce was different. She recalled it was Romaine lettuce last time. This time it was a green salad. I had the lemongrass fish which was made of soybean. It was a little too dry and rubbery for me. I kept putting it in my soup with rice to make it taste better, but ran out of soup. I won't be ordering this dish again. I took half home, cut up the soybean fish and added it to a stew. I didn't mention to my server that it was my bday, but was disappointed that he didn't even offer like regular servers do, "Would you like to see the dessert menu?" I didn't tell him it was my bday nor did I ask for the dessert menu bc I wasn't the one paying the bill. Not that I needed dessert, but it would've been nice to have been asked. When I mentioned this to another server who came by to clear our table that our server didn't even ask if we wanted dessert and that the restaurant doesn't seem to want to push its desserts, he quickly brought us a dessert menu, but my friend was already paying our bill - too late! It would've been nice to be asked earlier. I even had candles in my bag just in case we got dessert. Anyway, this server said he'll tell our server about not offering dessert. The next day I came back with another friend after a Music Center event. My server from the day before recognized me. This time he asked us at the start before we ordered or after we had just ordered whether we'd like to see the dessert menu. Huh? Ask at the END not start of a meal! Instead of embarrassing him, I told him, "No, thanks. My bday was yesterday." On this second day, my friend and I shared a Chinoise salad (delicious and refreshing!) and paella (not like a paella, a little too wet and granular for our taste, but healthy - a living food dish). We had mint and lemon water for both meals. $12 parking in the adjacent structure. Free parking passes at the Music Center if you're a season ticket holder or good luck with finding street parking. I'd still continue to occasionally patronize this restaurant when I have Music Center events bc I want to support veganism, the restaurant; however, I was disappointed with some of the food and waitstaff this weekend. I'd suggest that the waitstaff go thru customer training on when/what/how to talk to customers. Incentive from the website: join the rewards plan - 300 points for 30% off the bill and 100 points for a free dessert! I'm aiming for the free dessert!!

2026 update review: Pho Saigon Pearl has weekday lunch…read morespecial that is $20 which is the right price for me to leave the office and have lunch here. It is also the PERFECT size for me. You get to choose three items- a smaller portioned solid dish, a smaller serving of pho and a drink. I forgot to take a pic of the menu but today I ordered half of a portion of grilled pork bahn mi, brisket pho and Vietnamese iced coffee and it was just perfect! All the greatest hits, no leftovers, at a great price. There are plenty of room for lunch so you won't be waiting too long. You should be able to be in and out in an hour. Servers are friendly as always and if i am not mistaken, they installed a large TV monitor (or maybe i never noticed it until now LOL.)

Garlic noodles were really good. The noodles had a great…read morebite, and the seasoning was well balanced. It's my favorite here. Fried rice was also decent and felt like a proper Vietnamese style. Pho was too salty and tasted different from usual. I asked them to remake it, but it was still too salty. It felt like something went wrong in the kitchen. The service was good, and the other food was solid, so it wasn't a bad experience.

Tucked away in the Lil Tokyo mall on the 2nd floor above the chaos of the plaza. The restaurant…read morecertainly had warm, and inviting ambiance with a relaxing feel, and some contemporary music. The spot was mostly empty when my girlfriend and I arrived for dinner around 5:30pm on a Saturday. We ordered with the host and picked out a table by the window to people watch while we waited for our food. We waited only maybe 10 minutes before the pho, vermicelli, and spring roles were served. Each dish was colorful, had great presentation, and nice portions for the price. The pho we ordered was spicy level hot and did have well done broth and a good amount of sliced steak. The protein was tender, and the veggie toppings added great elements of minty crunch and herbal delight. I enjoyed my combination noodles. The bowl had a good mix of vegetables and a few types of protein ( chicken, pork, fried egg roll, and shrimp ) it was awesome! The spring rolls were terrific as well. The peanut sauce had some nut crumbles for texture which had subtle crunch with every spring role bite. The food was good, staff was great, and I'd consider coming back if ever in the area again with a Vietnam craving.

Food: Spring rolls and pho was pretty good. 7/10…read more Service: Waitress was helpful and gave clear directions what to do. Very attentive and respectful. 10/10 Ambiance: It was HOT. Staff said they were instructed to leave the door open, which caused the air conditioner to not work properly.

I love coming here for the mom & pop vibes. An older lady and man run the shop. It really feels…read morelike I'm eating someone's grandma and grandpa's home cooked meals. I've tried a lot of food here, but the items I keep coming back for are their grilled pork (nem nuong) spring rolls and bun bo hue. I think their spring rolls are just as good as the more popular places in the SGV and the famous ones from OC. Their bun bo hue always hits the spot when I'm craving it without having to drive further out.

CASH ONLY! Definitely a mom and pop spot, they have tables to dine in but it's one of those spots…read moreI'd prefer to take to-go and enjoy in the comfort of my own home. Com Tam is decent, rice texture is on point. Pork chop is marinated well but not enough lemongrass flavor, tender and not dry at all. Baked egg was good but not amazing, seemed like it missing shredded wood ear mushroom. Che Ba Mau by far hands down the worst I've had. Red bean wasn't soft, outer shell/skin was still pretty tough. Not much mung bean either after stirring it literally for about 4 seconds the mung bean basically disintegrated into the liquid. The liquid.. watered down skim milk, not a trace of coconut flavor anywhere. I didn't know you can mess up Che Ba Mau until I had it from here.

We got Be U catering for an event. Very good food for a…read moresolid price. They brought everything on time and it was easy. They salad was actually a lot better than I expected. They also label their foods veggi, vegan, and gluten so that's super helpful. Overall a great place, I'll have to go there in person soon!

I recently ordered the caramelized pork from Be U, hoping to indulge in some comforting Vietnamese…read moreflavors. Unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. For around $18, the meal came with two eggs and what I can only describe as rubbery pork. While the eggs were decent, the meat was a huge letdown. It had an off-putting texture that made me question whether it was an older or inferior cut. The taste was overwhelmingly salty--more like salted pork than the sweet, rich flavor I was expecting from caramelized pork. To top it off, I spent over $40 something dollars for my meal and for Postmates delivery to the South Bay, which makes this disappointment even harder to swallow. I'm not sure I'd order from Be U again unless someone else is footing the bill. I really wanted to enjoy this meal, but sadly, it fell short of my expectations. If you're craving Vietnamese food, you might want to explore other options.