Being Viet and coming from America, we were skeptical that we would find a decent Vietnamese restaurant in London. However, we found this gem of a place in the SoHo area. All the flavors were there, the pho was decent and all the Appetizers were good; the Cha Gio and Viet calamari were well made. The Gio Cuon was freshly made but my one complaint was that the Gio Cuon came with fish sauce not peanut hoisin sauce. Small dining area but service was great and fast. Family owned so was happy to support a local Viet Family. read more

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We really wanted to try Pho in London while on our visit from the US, and after one of the shows we watched this was a perfect opportunity. As soon as we walked in to this place, we could feel that we were not welcome. The woman was very rude, almost annoyed, that my wife and three daughters (15, 13, and 8), had entered their stupid little restaurant. We are an American family of Indian descent, born and raised in the Bay Area of California, so we have had our fair share of Pho. We knew what we wanted. However, it took this woman 10 minutes to give us the menus. During that time 2 other couples entered the restaurant and this woman quickly sat them down and took their orders. We were clearly profiled and ignored. I tried to signal someone working there with eye contact and a wave to get them to come and take our orders, but we were ignored. After 15 minutes of waiting and no service, we just got up and left this useless Pho place. It wasn't worth it. There are plenty of options in Covent Garden. We just walked down the street and found a nice place to eat where the service was far better. If you are a tourist visiting this area, avoid this place. Save your time and your money. Don't give these idiots your business. read more

I find my fellow State side reviews are so funny and unjust when it comes to authentic Vietnamese food. When someone complains there's no oyster sauce or sriracha, I automatically know they've never actually been to Vietnam because there is no such thing as oyster sauce in traditional pho and that's more of a Southern Vietnam-American style pho! Enough about the rambling! Onto the food! Came here for Pho but saw Bun Bo Hue on the menu and I had to try it. First slurp sense me to Vietnamese Bliss! Actual Central style Bun Bo Hue like in Vietnam!! Thank god for this meal and anyone else coming here, try their Bun Bo Hue! Clearly this is their hidden special dish at this restaurant. Thank me next time your here and eating it! read more

Viet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

This place is a family owned business and the food was phenomenal! The spring rolls were traditionally made and the taste was so good! I also had 12 and 15. 15 was supposed to be spicy but it was actually more like a mild. I like how there were bits of spicy taste in it rather than straight up spicy. Overall both broths were excellent! read more

Viet Pho - 1. Spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

Being from Southern California from the U.S. I'm use getting great pho at reasonable prices. We stumbled upon this place in the west end theatre area by accident while en route to the London Eye. The mints and sprouts were small in portion an the Pho was small compared to what I'm use to back home. The prices were definitely much higher but then again I expected that being - London. Expect to pay around $12.00 for a regular bowl of pho or meat ball pho soup. Service was decent at lunch and they were busy. It did fix our Pho soup craving and it hit the spot since it was a chilly day. read more

Viet Pho - Mints, peppers & sprouts - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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I was starting to give up on my quest for finding an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in London, but then I found Viet Pho! Unlike many of the trendy pho restaurants in London, the pho is packed with flavor and the noodles are perfectly cooked. I highly recommend the fried spring rolls as a starter! It is a compact and family run restaurant which is exactly what I was looking for in the middle of bustling London. I am so happy I found this place, and the prices are very reasonable! read more

This place has a nice warm meal for London standards! However the food was very mediocre! The soup was very watery and their famous curry chicken was literally not fresh.... but for a first meal after a jet lagged flight... not that bad of a deal read more

Viet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

We didn't expect much because of other reviews. Just needed some quick meal between plays. But the food was quite impressive actually. We had pho and bun thit nuong. read more

Viet Pho - Beef Pho and Bun Thit Nuong - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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I'm still looking for my go to pho place in London. Perhaps, it's a forlorn hope after the great pho I've had in the USA but hope springs eternal. The name Viet Pho promised much and I liked the more local neighbourhood feel to the place despite its proximity to the tourist heartland of Shaftesbury Avenue and Chinatown. However, my heart did drop slightly when I heard Chinese being spoken in the open kitchen. The restaurant was quite trendy with funky giant lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. The menu was largely Vietnamese based with some Thai interlopers. I started with summer rolls, which arrived immediately. Obviously pre-rolled, they were fresh tasting as I arrived just after the restaurant opened. These were great, with the fresh vegetables and prawn wrapped in rice paper tasting super fresh on the palate. Dipping them into the dipping sauce added a nice sour piquant kick. I followed this with special pho, which meant that I got all the accompaniments - meatballs, beef, prawn. It was good without being outstanding. The broth could have done with more depth. This was served authentically with a plate of beansprouts, Thai basil (also know as holy basil) and chilli to pop into with some sriracha This is a good spot for some off the tourist trail good filling grub read more

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We'd met there at six pm for dinner. The place, only 8 tables to begin with, was mostly full. The patrons were a mix of Asian and non-Asian. This was a promising sign. My friends and I were seated at the back by the kitchen which gave us good access to the staff. However, that did not mean that we were successful in getting anyone's attention for some time. Glad to be chatting with folk, I was mostly okay with that. My hungriest compatriot, and the person who had suggested this place, was not really okay with that, so she spent a good chunk of time trying to flag down a waiter. The Super Hungry One ordered for us, a nice touch, but I wished that she'd done so in Vietnamese and not English as that may have prevented the tiny bits of miscommunication that made a hot coffee come out iced, a water for three, water for one, and the bahn seo needing to be re-ordered later on during the meal -not a huge deal, really. High lights: *the pho broth was divinely spiced and came with flat, rice noodles. Flat noodles=easier to manipulate with chop sticks. :) *the bahn seo had a tasty hint of coconut to it. Low lights: *browning lettuce on bahn seo dish *too few basil leaves and chilis for pho *very little bo in the pho Full disclosure: I'm a spoiled brat when it comes to having a decent amount of really good, well-priced Pho restaurants back home. The most I've paid for pho was $7.25 and that was in NYC, Land of High Prices. So, at seven pounds, I don't know if I'd have the pho again at Viet Noodle House. Unless, of course, it were chock full o' flank, tendon and tripe, then I'd be on board! And, I'd suck down browning lettuce for another crack at the bahn seo. -so good. read more

I was quite regular here, working in the nearby Soho Sq Even before the actual refurbished place, food and atmosphere were both great. I was there yesterday after a long shot and had bun with grilled pork, one of my favourite dishes along with pho and udon. Same good stuff as usual, price increased just for £1 and a more welcoming service. Love this place. read more

Viet Pho - Bun with grilled pork - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

My first time getting a bowl of Pho in Europe. Going in with expectations lower from what I'm used to at home in the States, it was actually better than I thought. I ordered the special bowl of pho that had all meats: beef, shrimp, pork, and chicken. I enjoyed the quality of all the meats and noticed the quality of the beef was really good. I didn't like that they put dark meat chicken in the soup because traditionally it should be white breast meat from the chicken. I enjoyed my bowl, it was a good portion for one person, and I finished the entire thing. A bit pricey, £7 for a bowl which converts to $11. In the States, a bowl of Pho is supposed to be very affordable, about $5.50. Not bad, but not the best. I would go back on a cold, rainy day if I was in the Soho area but not go out of my way to get a bowl. read more

Viet Pho - photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/ - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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I would give it 3.5 stars but am rounding up. I went for a quick pho fix for a late lunch, and it got the job done. Their style of pho was pretty standard, with the only aberration being that the broth wasn't as flavourful as some of the better ones I've had. Service was generally solid. The server was very polite throughout. I quite liked the cosy ambience. Almost a bit like hole-in-the-wall and perfect for a small gathering or a quick meal on your own. read more

I liked the food at Viet, but the service was pretty rude. Being an Asian person from New York, I'm used to curt/rude service at crowded Asian restaurants, but our waitress was worse than most. She was really snippy when we ordered. Then, when the guy next to us asked if he and his friend could move to another table further away from the door because it was cold, she flatly denied him. She told him she couldn't put two people at a four-person table, even there were two such tables available and things were winding down for the night. He meekly accepted the rejection, but I guess he had little choice - that's one of those situations where you could probably get your way if you insisted strongly enough, but only if you were willing to have boogers in all your food and beverages for the rest of the night. Anyway, like I said, the food was actually not bad, but not so good that it'd be hard to find another Vietnamese place with comparable food and less cranky service. read more

Given that my parents grew up in Vietnam, I would say I've got a good indication of how Vietnamese food should taste and at Viet, it's good. I order the seafood pho, which tastes fresh considering the seafood is probably frozen. The only thing that annoys me about this place is having to loiter in the tiny entrance whilst the staff ignore you as there are no tables. It is literally like pot luck, you can either walk in and be lucky enough that a table frees up within five minutes or just hang around with no indication that you are going to get a table, let alone be acknowledged. Once seated, they're fast and efficient and they're not short of business. Once a table is free, people just always appear at the right time to take it. Some of the dishes can be quite greasy, but on the whole, the food is good and the atmosphere quite busy and bustling.It's not the prettiest place but it ticks all the right boxes where needed. read more

Came here for a goodbye dinner for a work colleague. It seemed pretty popular as there was a line outside. The wait was pretty short. When we were seated, it was a little cramped - there was also a small issue with people walking in through the restaurant to the back counter to pickup their take-out. It was a younger, Soho-ish crowd in the dining room. I had a rice dish and some spring rolls and I'd say that the good is above average. The reason that this is rated well is the value for money. My whole meal cost about 10 quid. The only other note I have is that it doesn't have a liquor license so you have to bring your own booze. read more

PHO PHO PHO I have a friend who has actually started a facebook Pho Appreciation society, pretty much based entirely around this restaurant. The "special pho" is indeed quite special, and my favorite thing on the menu. The summer and spring rolls are also both quite excellent. I also sampled the black pepper beef udon (also very good) and the seafood tom yum, which was just ok, in comparison. This place really feels like a hole-in-the-wall spot, which is welcome in such a touristy, overpriced neighborhood. The meals are among the cheapest I've seen around, too - 6 quid for a massive bowl of pho - can't go wrong! And it tastes like the food is of a relatively high quality, especially for the price. The service is fast and impersonal. I guess they're trying to get people in and out quickly, as it's a tiny space and fills up fast. If you would like ice in your tap water, be very clear about it. Mishaps are known to occur. Oh, and also, it's byo liquor, so if you would like wine, you have to remember to bring it yourself. I never have and have never noticed anyone else doing it either. I think everyone's mostly more interested in noodle-y goodness. An awesome little gem in the center of town - who knew? read more

I used to regularly drop in here when working on a show at the Palace Theatre. Straight out of stage door and over the road. You could see the cast, leave at the half (the 30 minute window of 'me' time imposed to make sure your actors are in place for beginner's call), neck a bowl of steaming noodle soup and be in your seat for curtain. They've had a spruce up over the intervening years, but not much has changed. It's still a functional, clean little space with close set tables and an open kitchen at the back, rammed with families, friends and the occasional tourist (you are in sight of Shaftesbury Avenue after all). Pretty good fried bits and bobs I recalled correctly, and they sell the full range of Pad Thai's and hot and cold noodle dishes. On a recent visit we wrapped piping hot, blistered and teeth-sticky Vietnamese spring rolls in lettuce leaves and slathered them in Sriracha sauce, cooling our palates with freshly made summer rolls of cooling prawn and mint. As a nod to my past memories, I went for a large bowl of chicken Tom Yam soup, a heady blend of ginger, tamarind and chilli that took a sledgehammer to my nascent cold. Cheap, comforting and very, very well done. read more

Great place, very tasty food. Proven by the crowds there :) Quite cheap, great value! I've been there alone, I was seated by two other guests on 4 person table, after a while my order was taken and after another I got my tasty, spicy Pho soup. I had some difficulties eating the noodles with sticks, but I did it somehow ;) Upon leaving the queue waiting to get seated was long, obviously I'm not the only one impressed by this place! read more

Cheap and cheerful Vietnamese diner. Good customer services but nothing too special as it's a very small restaurant but very busy. It hasn't got any fancy decor but it's still welcoming. My dinner only costs £8 including drinks & tips. I like the idea of bring your own alcohol. And I have seen people doing that but since I don't really drink, I settled with the usual Jasmine tea. I ordered the the vermicelli noodles with beef & salad and it was good. Great size portion too. I only had Vietnamese food in Pho so I can't really compare too much. I think this place value for money if you want something cheap and not too fussy. I'm happy that they take card too but too bad it has to be a min of £10. Think I'm going to try their Thai dishes next time as my friend also recommends their Pad Thai. read more

Vietnamese joint in Soho, pretty casual dining. Small restaurant with good service. It's not as tasty as the Vietnamese places on Kingsland roas but it's a handy alternative in central. read more

Viet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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I really like this place, it's small inside but whenever I have been they all ways seem to fit us in. Even though the tables are close together you don't feel crammed in or lose privacy because there is so much going on. If your really lucky you may even see some lovely looking dancers from Priscilla Queen of the Desert having a break at the stage door of the Palace Theatre. What is really great about this place is the food is quick, simple and tastes great but what's even better than that is you can take your own wine with a small corkage charge of about £2. I would recommend having the Thai Green Curry. read more

A decent Vietnamese but could be more refined. I am always very though on Vietnamese resraurant as my mum is such a great cook plus I am also used to a certain way of cooking some of those dishes. My friend had a set of goi coung and grilled pork vermicelli. They nice and simple and the grilled pork was tasty. I had bo la lot and a banh xeo. The bo la lot was good but i prefered when they are a little bit grilled or oven baked so there is less oil on it. The banh xeo was crispy and I like that they use chunks of porc instead of mince pork as some cheapy places do. So overall ok but not an HQ for Vietnames food read more

so i had to grab a quick bite before a gig at heaven. it was a rainy tuesday and pho is hits the spot the dreariest of days. i yelped and found viet pho got a decent review and lauded as true pho. ummm, not so much though i must say the broth is delicious. it ain't cheap by american standards. also you can't request the raw beef on the side so you can cook to your desired rawness. the broth ain't piping hot so i can see why. the service is terse and probably due to the limited seating and quick turnover of diners. still on my hunt for good pho in london. i heard hackney's where it's at. bring it on! read more

Viet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

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I seem to find myself in the most unassuming spots in London. Friends and I were going to get together before a night of mad partying in Soho... This place was suggested, I was thinking for noodles, I would have gone across the street to Young Cheung (but only because I like Chinese noodles), but Pho worked just fine with me... anyway, this place is like finding a small gem tucked away in a mess of crazy on Old Compton Street. Anyway, we step in and it's a smell of awesome vietnamese goodness that flows through the restaurant. Like others have mentioned, this place is really small on the inside and has maybe all of 10-15 tables. So, it might get crowded. Anyway, food was quick to come out and I really liked the level of spice of my pho (and added the chillies that came with the side dish of basil, bean sprouts and lime). We also had the summer rolls as well. And being a fan of summer rolls, I was slightly disappointed because they really weren't all that great. Usually summer rolls have an amazing taste of freshness... these were just meh. Fresh yes, but not bursting from the inside - I wanna shout it out loud - type of freshness. So minus points on that one. The main reason why I give it a 3 vs any other place that I rate (see other reviews) is because it's uber pan asian. We're not talking just South East Asian - but East Asian as well... I'm never a fan of a place that tries to do too much - and it proved it as well, friends had other dishes that didn't look great, and their green thai curry was definitely disappointing. Nevertheless, first Pho place in London I think, so I'm actually thinking there's probably better to come. Will I come back? MAYBE. only if I was looking for a bowl of pho in Soho with no other options that I know of. read more

I actually really liked this place but the portion sizes are a bit uneven. By that I mean, you get a heck of alot of noodles for bun dishes but the pho didn't really have alot of noodles in it, just ALOT of broth. That said, the broth was pretty rich and good. My friend had ordered that and he was very unimpressed with the portion size and also the false advertisement that said it was rare beef. The cow is WELL DONE. (Ibelieve he went home to eat a second dinner. What a fatty. LOL Joke) I, on the other hand, ordered a bun dish which was cold noodles with a hot topping, i ordered a pork topping. I figured, it's pretty good for a summer's day where it was not too cool and not too warm. The Bun dish was very nice, and the portion was massive in comparison to pho. But I did have to add alot of sriracha so maybe it's not as flavoursome as it should be. I've had better vietnamese food for sure and I told my friend we'd definitely be heading down to Deptford to get some of the real shit. read more

Love this place. First time stopped pre theatre for bun cha, one of my favourite dishes. Despite being crowded, we were seated right away and food came quickly. Bun cha was perfect. Second time stopped for pho. Special pho with chicken, Vietnamese sausage, beef and prawns. Great fragrant multi dimension flavour soup stock with beansprouts, thai basil, lime and chili slices to add. A great find in Soho, quick, efficient, reasonable value and very good. read more

I love this place. It's the closest I've found to the Vietnamese stand-by I left behind in Philly. Let's break it down. Food? Very tasty. Limited menu, but consistently good. Could do with bigger portions of herbs. Value? Excellent, especially for this part of town and for a big, tasty bowl of food for about a tenner. Get the bún (not a bun) with grilled pork. Share a side of raw (rare, really, though I wish it was raw) beef salad and the excruciatingly piping hot ch giò (you will burn yourself with the first mouthful, inevitably; just wash it down with some coconut drink). Enjoy the laid-back ambiance and, if you're lucky, get told how to season your food just right. Best for lunch, just try to avoid the full-on lunch hour rush by popping in a little early or late. read more

We got the pho craving while in UK, and this place was only a few blocks from where we were staying. I was surprised to learn that the noodles were different from what we had in the states. Even the broth tasted sweeter. I guess it was very different from what I am used to, so it didn't satisfied my cravings. But that's just my opinion, the food was not bad, just not what I am used to. read more

Viet Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

With hot food (and cold noodles!) prepared fast and fresh, Pho is a wonderful place to catch a quick lunch or a more relaxed dinner. Busy and yet fast, this resteraunt does lovely noodle dishes but be warned - it is only noodle dishes. There are hot and cold spring rolls but for us low-carbers, there's just rice noodles. One thing I loved is that it is all rice noodles - no wheat in sight which is a lovely change. I highly recommend this place for either lunch or dinner - YUM! read more

would highly recommend Viet. Although it is small (so if you are on your own, you may well have a random at your table), and you may feel slightly rushed being there, the food is fast and always piping hot. The dishes are cheap enough to have a side and main dish (and possibly a drink that isn't tap water, which they are always fine with) for under a tenner. The dishes are also great to share with friends. I recommend any of the dishes in soup or the pad thai varieties if you are new to vietnamese food. There is something really here for everyone here, whether you are a veggie or love any type of seafood. This review is also on Trusted Places. read more

A very good Vietnamese restaurant near Leicester Square. It could remain unseen for everybody goes to Chinatown to have dinner. Yet its reputation is now solid. The foot is great here, and prices have not raised since 5 years! The average price for a dish is around £6. The boss has changed but the cook remains. The set is quite basic: a few wooden tables, and noisy clients. But have a look on your dish. Banh xeo (golden pancake with pork and shrimps) very generous, bun thit nuong (rice vermicelli with grilled pork): tasty! You must take into account that Pho soup is their specialty. Thai dishes are not bad though: the chicken pad thai was nice also. read more

I am picky about my Vietnamese food. I expect a lot since I have traveled there many times. This place is a small local place and is wonderful. Being a tourist here, I usually try a different place each meal, but I came back here and was not dissapointed. Friendly people and great food....you cannot go wrong. read more

I was so looking forward to some good pho considering the winter weather and the reviews on yelp. Disappointed doesn't begin to describe my experience. When I walked in the restaurant was pretty empty--this was probably a sign since it was past noon. The pho was so terrible for so many reasons. First, the soup base was awful. It was salty and had no depth. Second, the noodles were atrocious. The average length of my noodle was about 3 cm. I feel like they probably just gave me the scraps left at the bottom of the noodle package. Gee, thanks. Third, the sides looked old: bean sprouts were not fresh and the cilantro was withering. Maybe some of the other dishes are decent but I definitely won't be back to try. The best thing about a place with crappy food is that you'll always get a seat so come here if you need to rest your legs and you don't mind eating bad food. read more

I visited Viet Pho during December 2014. I tried grilled pork meat with noodle, and it was great. The meat was soft and tender that I came back for the second time :D read more

Viet Pho - Grilled pork meat with noodle - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

Wonderful little place, although you may have to wait 10 min or so for a table Fri and Sat evening. Can seat about 30 ish people and is done on first come first served basis. Starters are about £2-4 and mains £4 - £6, not a fan of deserts so cant really comment. Food is fresh, tasty and is perfect for a tasty meal before night in town. Its BYO (bring your own), not sure if they charge for this. Well worth a visit next time your thinking what a poor selection of restaurants there are in China town (ok ok theres about 3 that are worth a look but the rest are best left to the tourists!) Enjoy! read more

For photo see Greedy Diva @ http://greedydiva.blogspot.com/2010/09/viet-soho.html Amid the chaotic clatter and chatter, waiters bump into tables and diners feast elbow to elbow on big bowls of steaming beef pho, fragrant noodles and colourful prawn salads. Best of all, it's BYO (including beer). Viet is not somewhere to go for a quiet meal. It's been our favourite local Vietnamese for years. Admittedly, there's not much competition in Soho - or indeed, many places outside of East London. The small Pho chain has recently opened an outlet on Wardour St. But Viet is no polished operation. It's quick and dirty, cheap and cheerful, and feels like a little pocket of Kingsland Rd in Soho. Soft summer rolls (goi cuon) come with prawns, herbs and salad almost bursting through the thin, translucent rice paper wrapping. Fried spring rolls are crisp, fresh and meaty. But best of all are the thin little parcels of juicy beef wrapped in betel leaf - a taste sensation. Bun sa, cold vermicelli noodles with chicken cooked in lemongrass, with crispy lettuce, pickled vegetables, cucumber and mint were, on our last visit, somewhat lacking in flavour, and a little stingier on the chicken than usual. I have my suspicions that portion sizes are being sacrificed a little here to keep the costs so low. The noodles come with a side bowl of nuoc cham (fish sauce, zingy lime juice, garlic, chilli, sugar), essential for pouring over the mix. Most people come for the pho, the comforting, spicy, noodley broth, which is slurped up hungrily, even as plates of starters and drinks arrive at their tables, apparently out of sinc. No one seems to mind. Extra fresh chilli and other bits are provided on request. A personal favourite is the beef salad - slithers of beef with chilli, onion, lime, Vietnamese basil and smashed nuts. It's full of flavour, although the portion on my visit last week is (again) smaller than I remembered it. Corkage is apparently charged on wine (about £3) but the bottle opener for our beers was unceremoniously plonked on our table last week and we drank without charge. This is one cheap night out. Starters are often around £2-4, and the average price for larger dishes is around £6-8. Service is sometimes erratic, but never bad on my visits (I'm not expecting Michelin star service here), and the young guy who coordinates it all is smiling and helpful. He doesn't miss much when it comes to pointing out who needs what and when. Viet's popularity means there are often queues on Friday and Saturday nights (some resort to cracking open their beers in the line), and you can't reserve ahead. So get there early, and tuck in. read more

Decent. So far it seems like a Northern Vietnamese restaurant. Service was quick and food were made relatively simple. Pho was very simplistic, classic Northern style. If you want more complexity, that would be Southern, and there are good places out there. read more

Viet Pho - Northern Pho. One cut of beef. Simple broth. - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

I will visit Viet Pho every time I am in London. Like their lemongrass pork on rice, flavourful with lemongrass, tender and juicy read more

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Just moved to a new office in SOHO, and this is the first lunch that wasn't in sandwich form. Had the Chicken Pho and some veggie dumplings. The Pho was awesome, the best I've ever had although I havent had that many. They actually do it very well for take away as they separate the noodles, fresh basil, bean sprouts and peppers from broth & chicken - so its still fresh when you get back to the office. Only complaint was that the dumplings seemed overpriced compared to the Pho, which was HUGE. They were tasty, but next time I'll skip them. read more