Into the light F.
Yelp
$21 for Hot Buttdoosie Water in a Bowl? Pho-get About It.
I dined in at Pho 79 and ordered the Pho Tái, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách--aka, round steak, flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe. What I received was a bowl of disappointment dressed as tradition. The rice noodles were overcooked, mushy, and falling apart like they'd had a long week. I've worked in restaurants--I know pre-bagged pasta when I taste it. It was painfully obvious they blanch the noodles ahead of time, toss them in the fridge, and then just reheat them with broth that looked and tasted like dirty dishwater.
Speaking of broth: it had a grayish tint, was completely devoid of real flavor, and was heavily spiced with clove, almost like they were trying to hide the fact that it was old. Authentic pho broth should be rich, fragrant, and soulful. This was not that. This was broth that made me question my life choices.
Let's talk condiments. The amount of sriracha, hoisin, and chili paste they offer is laughably stingy--like I needed to fill out a W-2 to get more than a drip. The meat portions were sad, hidden under a mountain of noodles that clearly tried to bulk up the meal and mask how little care went into it. The bean sprouts were slimy and brown, clearly rinsed to look fresh, and the "lime" was a pathetic micro-slice that barely qualified as citrus.
Pho used to be a sacred bowl of affordable healing--$5.95 at most. Now they're charging $21.25 for hot buttdoosie water and a bowl of shame. I swear, their ancestors probably want to come back and slap the pho out of them for dishonoring the roots and soul of this dish.
As for the Gỏi Cuốn ($8.45)--I ordered them without shrimp, and they still charged full price. What I got were hard, dry spring rolls clearly pulled from a cold fridge, with pork so dry it was practically jerky. The peanut sauce tried to do CPR on the dish, but the rice paper wrap was DOA. If you're removing protein, lower the price. Anything else is a scam.
If you're going to charge fine-dining prices, put fine-dining effort behind the food. Pho 79 is all markup and no soul.