Ailun H.
Yelp
Overall, 3.5/5 but will round it up to a 4/5 because the pricing is decent and that initial spoonful of noodles and hot broth really hit the spot.
This is a convenient location for dinner if you're about to go to an event at the Fillmore. Fortunately, it wasn't too packed when my friend and I arrived for dinner today around 5:15 PM. It seemed like pho was the most popular entree, so we knew we had to try it here! One thing we noticed when the plate of beansprouts (+ other garnishes) came out was that they give you lemons instead of limes, hm.
PHO TAI, NAM, GAN, SAC (LG.) - 12.95
If you're hungry, definitely get the large size. I felt like it's worth the $1 upgrade for a bit more noodles/soup. The pho came out piping hot which was perfect. The broth was steamy which cooked the medium rare eye round beef cut. After dumping a bunch of beansprouts in my bowl, I was ready to feast. The first sip of broth along with some noodles was amazing. It really hit the spot since the temperature was right and the broth was flavorful. The cut of meats were a bit thick, but whatever - the quality was good. However, as I continued to eat, I could feel my mouth drying up (which is how I measure the amount of MSG or salt in my food). The broth does have good beef flavor, but I also think there's more MSG than I'd prefer. The noodles were perfect in terms of texture. It's not soggy or overly starchy, a bit al dente with a slight chew, which is my preference. I also think there wasn't a lot of meat - maybe 4-5 pieces total of eye round and brisket, 1 piece of tripe, and 2-3 small chunks of tendon. Most of my bites were just noodles and broth since I had to portion out the meat for every fourth or fifth bite or something.
Since I live pretty far from Silver Spring and don't see myself coming back very often, I'd probably try other restaurants in the area next time. If I did live close by, I could see myself coming back here and there for a nice hot bowl of pho (it really, really hit the spot in the beginning) and try their summer rolls (Goi Cuon) which seem to be really popular here!