Jo J.
Yelp
Beef Pho:
The food here was definitely NOT authentic Vietnamese food. The beef pho was very bland, did not have the right pho taste (such as star anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, coriander seeds) and it was too sweet. Beef pho should have a beefy taste from the beef bones. This one did not. They probably used chicken bones and very little beef bones or no beef bones at all. That's why the broth has a light color instead of a dark beefy color. I know because I cook beef pho at home all the time, also my Mom was a Chef. My husband had the lo mien, which was better.
Rude Encounter (and some advice):
If the waiter/waitress asks if you want water then just say "yes" even if you don't want to drink their free tap water. I always carry my water bottle with me every time I leave the house so I usually refuse tap water at the restaurants, because many times it's unfiltered or taste really nasty. Any way, so I had my half-drank water bottle with me and said "no" when they asked my husband and I if we wanted water. I was trying to do them a favor, so they don't have to wash two extra glasses since I wasn't going to drink it any way. But after the meal, the owner came over and rudely told me in Vietnamese "next time don't bring any drink" to her restaurant.
This is the first time in my entire life that I've ever been scold for having my own bottled water in a restaurant. We've travelled and dined in many restaurants around the world including Europe, Bora Bora, Fiji, Australia, Asia, Tanzania, and have never been scolded for bringing our own water! We always carry a bottle of water when we're on vacation.