Daisy V.
Yelp
This place is one of a handful in Midtown that's survived COVID so far. Three years in, it remains a competent pho spot with decent service and charm. However, the food is not as impressive as I'd first thought when we moved here; for example, on a recent visit, I was excited to learn of and order garlic noodles which I've tried at San Fran and LA Viet seafood eateries. But they were blah, coming back not al dente and a bit overcooked. $8 had felt a decent price for that side dish; however, I think for what I'd gotten, I would try $5 or 6?
The imperial roles were fried well, but nothing special. Ingredients feel a little thin and insubstantial (back home, we get our imp roles with a bunch of interesting root veggies in them, such as taro, that together lend them heft). Banh mis are similarly nothing to write home about; rather than robust, they feel minimal. The pho was not memorable though honestly, it's been hard to find great broth for that classic street food in Midtown. My spouse likes the one at Dua on Crescent and 12th a little better. We've yet to find a decent banh mi place though the hubs likes Viet Bistro's (which at least has those Saigon sandwiches with pate, ham, and pork -- difficult to find in this part of ATL).
Still, I like the range of offerings which is probably the broadest of all the Viet restaurants in this neighborhood. They've been leaning towards seafood recently--shellfish like shrimp and crawfish and crab and lobster, and that's not done by Pho King, Viet Bistro (formerly Vietvana), Dua, etc. We appreciate the experimentation though the execution is either just okay or a little off.
And we do like the kind and engaged mom-n-pop attitude of the management, which is why it's probably been around past the virus's peak. We'll probably continue to go every half year or so to see if it's improved, while we keep searching for better Southeast Asian places to eat at intown.