Phở Hoa Hồi Vàng — Restaurant in Melbourne

Not the best pho in Springvale, and my experience was tainted by poor service from one particular worker who was rude to anyone who didn’t speak Vietnamese.

Starting with the food, the menu options are great. This is one of very few places that offer a pick-and-mix style of ordering for pho bowls, with a good price tag attached. It’s only $16 for a bowl of pho (one-size) where you can pick 3 toppings, meaning I could select my favourites: brisket, beef ball, and tendon. Not many places around here will offer this particular combination, so I was really happy that I was able to choose.

Portion sizes are fine for me, and I thought I was left unsatisfied by the end - but as with most soups - you need to let it settle for a while and I felt quite full!

Flavour-wise, the broth could use some work in terms of depth and complexity. Mine required more acidity and umami (possibly just my taste), but they have a range of condiments which I enjoyed. They have pickled onions as a complimentary condiment, which is again something you don’t see at many pho restaurants (sometimes it even costs extra!). I would’ve loved if my tendons were cooked in the pho stock or something a bit tastier as you could tell it was only cooked in water and thus unable to soak up a rich flavour that makes tendon so wonderful.

As for the service, the man who appears to be the manager is great. He’s bilingual and happy to cater to both Vietnamese and English-speaking customers. One of his female staff, on the other hand, is extraordinarily rude to anyone who doesn’t speak Vietnamese - pic attached.

I called her over to ask for cutlery, to which she literally rolled her eyes and pointed to the wooden caddy where there was an unmarked drawer. She was incredibly rude and treating me as if I was stupid, even though it was my first time there, and the drawer doesn’t contain any label or sign that the cutlery is hidden inside it. I’m writing this feedback so that this business sees it, and makes changes to their system. Please put labels on the caddy drawer that says “cutlery in here” or something like that, considering your unfriendly staff don’t want to help customers find it anyway!

The young girl proceeded to knock into the legs of my chair twice with a high chair she was moving for a family she was significantly nicer too because their native tongue was Vietnamese. Knocking my chair once can be considered an accident, but twice is no less than a deliberate move to spite me.

She went around smiling to literally every other customer but me, which made me feel like I wasn’t welcome to eat there anymore as someone who didn’t speak Vietnamese or understand how their system worked.

Went to pay and she remained blunt and inhospitable, which is rich for someone who works in the hospitality industry because it’s in the name.

Food is ok but won’t be coming back. I don’t want to spend money on places just to get knocked around by a rude waitress who wants to ruin my experience because I couldn’t find a spoon!

The manager is a good guy, and I hope he finds better staff so that more people can visit this relatively new joint and not leave feeling as if they’ve done something wrong according to his inexperienced and...

Update 25 Dec 2024 My son came to visit and wanted to go here. We took some baddy mates along and they were so amazed at the taste of the broth - slurped up the soup and dug into the marrow bones. Yumm yumm yumm!!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 As it was their first time at Pho HHV, I recommanded they try the Ta Pin luu which is combination of Beef & chicken - They absolutely loved it!

Oh, I forgot to mention the restaurant makes their own chilli paste, which is so delicious and not over spicy; goes well with the broth. Also, their own pickled onions - beautiful combo and incredible addition to the flavours already tantalising the taste buds. 😘😘😘

**I have been remiss in my reviews here as I have not mentioned the lovely team of people who work in the restaurant daily and ensure broth and food tastes remain consistently delicious through the variety of flavours; tables are cleared and cleaned for waiting customers. I am always greeted with a big smile. 😊 the cook smiles and waves at me from behind the glass screen where she continuously chops up the chicken and slices the meats. The guys are wonderful and efficient in their service. Always meeting us at the door and seating us with a little banter. Language is no barrier when big friendly smiles greet you at the doorstep. 😁

28Nov2024 Still my favourite pho place to go to. Broth is absolutely yummy and meats are so well boiled and prepared. Yummy! If you go after 12pm - you can ask for their bone marrow- so good!!! Hear the cholesterol sing through your veins 😘😊

Update 8May2023: Yummy pho ga dac biet. Still #1 restaurant on my list.

Update Jan2023:

Returned for another bowl- so far, this is still the best pho broth I have tasted in Melbourne 😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️🤤🤤🤤

Wow!!! Absolutely yummy pho broth. I went for the Ta Pin Lu and couldn’t stop licking the soup off the spoon. Delicious broth, Bo, ga and everything else...

read some great reviews with delicious bones would serve along with the meals so me and my fam were willing to queue outside the restaurant last sat (20/9) but ended up heard a big argument between the chef and a middle-aged woman with blonde hair (someone said she is the owner, I’m not sure). anyways, I barely understand Vietnamese but I can tell that the woman was not give her chef even a little respect, then the chef stormed out the store even it was peak hours. As she gone, me and my family lost our excitement to try this great Pho, so we walked away as well, even a staff tried to call us back. So at that point I can already rate this place service is trash.

And just right yesterday, me with some of my mates pop-by Springvale so we went having lunch here again. This time I didn’t see that chef anymore but a young man in kitchen. With the reviews that I mentioned before, I expected the Pho here would amazing. But the truth hit me first by the amount of meat is uneven in our bowls, even we all ordered Special Beefs. The soup was fine, but kinda too fatty. Also, we asked that we willing to pay for the bones serve but staffs didn’t want to give us. However, I saw lot of other table got it, and those were free for them, so… where is the point if they always advertised that those special beef bones are their signature while customers cannot even try it?

Really disappointed from an overrated restaurant, Springvale and other neighbourhood suburbs have plenty of great Pho restaurants, so definitely I won’t come back at this place anymore! So give my mates on here a quick review of it truly face for you guys before make a decision of eating here or even drive a long way just to experience in a bad environment, despite the price here is one of most expensive Pho store I’ve ever...