Extremely flavorful chicken pho noodle soup, I can see why! They have outdoor seating and I am so…read moreglad I sat outside. It was extremely busy inside. I will be back with my family! I ate my fresh shrimp spring rolls so fast, it was so good but I was also really hungry lol I had to order the mini shrimp pancakes because it looked like it's a "must" order... The waitresses were super friendly and quick with taking my order! To the owner(s): Please do not change your ingredients in your food menu! Thank you for offering delicious pho!

This was our first time here. We started off with a simple cup of Napa cabbage soup just to see…read morewhat it was since it was only $5 and there were no pics. It was tasty. Pretty underwhelming but, it had a nice seafood forward broth and it was very hot with tiny pieces of shrimp and lots of cabbage. I'd get it again. Then we got the chicken salad. Delicious. Shrimp chips were fun and the dressing had a great balance of sweet, and vinegary flavor with lots of chicken and fresh veg. Pork bahn mi was just okay. I've definitely had better. Bread was good. Meat was pretty sparse and the pickled veg could have had more flavor. Probably would order the pho next time. Everyone seemed to have that on their tables. And the sizzling beef looked great. Service was quick and courteous. I'll be back to try more

Likely the best Vietnamese restaurant in this area…read more Broth is very well flavored and carries every dish. Given the seal of approval by my Viet parents. Pho comes out quickly, and different dishes have different cuts of meat (I chose 12 with the brisket and round steak). You also get vegetables with your order (bean sprout, basil (eating it definitely changes the flavor of the food), and jalapeño). Would recommend the pho here. Servers were nice and took our orders quickly as well, and interior of restaurant is clean and decorated with plants. There's even a little goldfish pond.

Went here based on Google reviews since I was in the area and craving Vietnamese food. I believe…read morethe owners may be Vietnamese-Chinese, as the menu includes both languages. The pho was a bit off in terms of the broth-to-noodle ratio. I usually like to taste the broth first before getting a bite of everything, but as soon as I dipped my spoon in, I could already tell how many noodles were packed into the bowl. Once the noodles loosened up, there wasn't much soup left. The broth itself was darker, but not in the rich, deeply flavorful way. It tasted more like it had been seasoned heavily at the end with too much bouillon, fish sauce, or something similar, making it too salty without much aroma. The brisket was good, and I did enjoy the traditional toppings like tripe and tendon, but I probably wouldn't come back for the pho. The rice plate with lemongrass pork and shrimp was decent. I just wish there had been more scallion oil, and the salad didn't add much to the plate. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots would have gone a long way.

the pho itself is pretty good (i usually get the brisket original pho). it's not the most mind…read moreblowing but pretty decent for the price point. it's quite empty when i go, so it's nice to have some quick service!

I was craving pho, so I ordered takeout from DoorDash. It came with a bowl of beef broth, sliced…read moreonions, rice noodles, sliced steaks, beef brisket, beef tendon, and meatballs. It was served with a side of basil, cilantro, lime, and bean sprouts. Everything tasted really great. The broth was really fragrant, and all the food was packed really well!

Love, love, love their food! The Hulk smoothie is also amazing. Mint Leaf is my comfort meal place;…read moreI mostly come when I'm sad or had a bad day. The servers/cashiers are always super friendly and accommodating. I dine in and place to go orders. There is a parking lot located behind the restaurant and street parking available.

My wife had a craving for the crab soup that she normally hours. It has been a day since our last…read morevisit. I stopped I. And ordered the soup to go. Staff is very nice and timed my take-out order so I could swing by Berkeley Bowl so I could take care of my grocery shopping. They do a nice job disassembling the soup for take-out so it is easy to put it together to eat. I tasted the soup, the ingredients are fresh and ample crab meat. We will be back. Still as good as we remember.

A huge shout-out to Tigon for going the extra mile to provide vegan catering for the funeral…read morereception of my father. I had initially tried to cater from a vegan establishment. However, due to scheduling and resources, I approached Tigon, the nearest vegan friendly restaurant to Sunset Mortuary, to select a fully vegan menu. The food was delivered on time and packaged well. Everything was fresh, smelled and tasted delicious. As usual, the guests only realized there were no animal products because the host is vegan. Thank you Tigon for being extra accommodating and making the lunch service effortless for our family.

Background: Parents were born in Vietnam. Wife is Vietnamese and I've been to Vietnam more than…read morehalf a dozen times. I eat Viet food almost every day. Highlights: The viet coffee was strong, thick, sweet, and creamy, with what could be chicory flavor. Not always in traditional ca phe sua da but it was good and worthy of getting again. You'll get a good amount of caffeine with this. The atmosphere is pretty nice. Aesthetics is on the nicer side compared to even most modern Vietnamese restaurants. Letdowns: The bun bo hue lacked flavor. It tasted watered down and over-salted to compensate. It lacked much of the complexity a traditional bun bo hue has with the herb and spices. I'm used to a more brown like broth. This was a much more orange type of broth. My mother in law agrees that the flavor just ain't there. The special vermicelli that includes chicken, beef, shrimp and egg rolls was also a miss. The chicken was ok. Imagine a Panda Express teriyaki chicken but a bit drier and without a strong teriyaki taste. The beef was soft and not chewy which is a good thing, but the flavor was lacking. Needs more herbs. I would've particularly liked some lemongrass flavor with it. The egg rolls are smaller and has pork which is what you would expect but you didn't really taste the meat. It wasn't as crispy, either. I prefer a deeper crunch but that is a matter of preference. Some might dig the more delicate crispiness, but those at the table agree the flavor was lacking. The sauce was decent. Not overly sweet, some vinegar for balance, it was alright. The fried chicken with house sauce is fish sauce based, which I'm a fan of fish sauce flavor in general. But when it came out, the pungent smell was apparent and overwhelming. Not the one to prejudge before taking a bite, I gave it a bite and it was super dry. Like it's been sitting in the oven staying warm too long waiting for the sauce to be put on it dry. I've had chicken wings from the buffet that was better than this. And I hate buffets. Too dry, too salty, couldn't finish it. Normally, when food comes out too strong, we can pack it home and fix it, but this wasn't worth packing. You can fix flavor but you can't fix the dryness. There may be many reasons why the food didn't turn out well, but for all the misses and the few hits, I would not give it another chance.

Came here to eat pho but left having eaten some of the best Chinese food in a long timeread more

We stopped by for dinner and ordered the Dry-fried beef ho fun, teochew noodles, and dry pot spicy…read morebeef! Everything tasted really decent, the portions were nice, and the owner was really friendly. It was our first time trying dry pot spicy beef, and we enjoyed it. It had a nice kick of spice without being too overwhelming. I personally would have preferred it to be even spicier, which would have made it perfect!

Came in on a weekday after 2pm and there were a couple of tables of customers…read more I got the pho dac biet large which the staff who helped me told me large vs small has more of everything, which at any other place generally large just means more noodles. Needless to say, I got the large. This was a great bowl of pho. Clean tasting broth. The meat was great. Only thing was the noodles were clumpy, as if it was cooked in advance already and put aside then reintroduced back into the broth, like how it would be when I get take out pho. Otherwise I liked the noodles, it was thin and smooth and not powdery.

I decided to try the bun bo hue and the pork belly clay pot via delivery based on a couple of…read morefriends' reviews. The bun bo hue was full of meat and the noodles portion was light, which is good if you're trying to cut down on carbs. The broth flavor was good, I tasted more of chili and herbs than umami or sour, but overall quite deep. I got a side of the chicken pho broth and that was so full of umami and savory flavors. The pork belly was perfect, melt in your mouth and slightly sweet but not too much so. The iced Vietnamese coffee was a nice blend too, not too sweet. Overall I liked everything and look forward to trying more!

I loveee Kim's. It's my go to everytime I'm back home from school! Their lemongrass chicken…read moresandwich is me and my family's fav and their vermicelli bowl is always packed to the brim! I can eat it for 2 meals! Always a good place to go to grab some sandwiches and have a little picnic!

I used to love this place but today I got a lemongrass chicken banh mi and there was so little…read morechicken on it. Just little slivers on each sandwich. I was with a friend so didn't go to complain. But wow, what a rip off! The turmeric soup was tasty but I specifically asked if the tofu was fried or not, and the cashier said, not fried. Then what I received was fried tofu. I should have taken it back. Sorry, but I'm so disappointed that I'll probably from now on go to the other restaurant on San Pablo. They really messed up!!!

I initially came to Monster Pho because I saw an advertisement that they were offering kids a free…read morebowl of pho during the food stamp stoppage. I thought that was such a meaningful way for a local business to step up and take care of the community, especially the kids who are often the most vulnerable when families are struggling. Of course, good intentions got me through the door, but the pho is what keeps bringing me back. I ordered my usual pho with tendon and brisket, and the broth was incredible -- deep, aromatic, and full of flavor without being overly heavy. The noodles were also perfectly cooked. They had a great chew and bite to them instead of becoming soft and mushy like they can at some pho restaurants. What started as a visit to support a business doing something good has now turned into a spot I visit about once a week or so. Great food and an even greater heart. Thank you, Monster Pho, for looking out for your community and especially for the kids and families who needed a little extra support. Businesses that show up for their neighbors deserve to have their neighbors show up for them, too.

The service was very nice. The guy sneezed in his arm and did not wash his hands though…read more I got the monster vermicelli and the shrimp tasted so bad. Probably old. I spit it out. The pho was oily. Very high fat content. Not a fan. The decor is nice. There are a lot of random things going on. Food was not great and expensive for what it is. I will not be returning.

* Tasty and reliable service for all the classic vietnamese dishes…read more** I've grown dependent on their Banh Mi sandwiches and I don't regret it *** The spot smells and feels like a familiar bustling environment **** I'm biased with the location, but I was blessed to be so close to this spot

I haven't been back in over a decade and it's even better than I remember!…read more Value for sure: - one size for pho $22 for the beef combo, generous portions - definitely like a large, XL - turmeric fish bun - don't see this often and it was fresh! Loved the peanuts on the side so I can control how much I want in my dish - fried squid, great starter, piping hot and not over cooked, still very tender and gf! Great service - checked in with us appropriately. I see why it was filled with patrons before noon on a Saturday! Sat at the communal tables in the middle and quite comfortable! They have alfresco seating in the front and the interior of the restaurant seems to have AC - a must in the warmer months. Glad to see them continuing to thrive!!! On my shortlist for sure.