Pho 37 — Restaurant in Richmond

On Friday's after work (I get off at 2:30pm) I head down to Richmond to explore and also do my weekly Costco run.

I remember my friend suggested Macu Tea so I originally went there to grab a drink. I had no idea that Pho 37 was in that area; another friend had suggested it. Please be aware that there are actually 2 locations for Pho 37. The first time I went to the cozier location on the left. It's basically a rounded corner of a building. The following week I went to the more upscale side. The side with a huge wall screen when you walk in and 2 yellow couches.

I came here for dinner. Got Lemongrass Chicken with Spring roll and minced shrimp on sugarcane, as well as the chicken wings.

I can see why people rave about the chicken wings. They were piping hot when I got it delivered to my table. I love the flavours, a bit sweet and salty. There was no dipping sauce like other restaurants, but honestly it didn't need one. It was nice and juicy and stayed crispy throughout the meal. Definitely a must get. The only downside is you get 1kg, which works out to be about 8 wings; no drums only flats. The wings on the plus side are larger then the typical wings you get at a wings restaurant.

The lemongrass chicken was juicy. It had a nice sweetness to it and complimented the peanuts on top of it nicely. The grilled flavour came out as well. Very nicely done. The salad was a typical salad you'd get on a rice plate at a Vietnamese restaurant (cucumber, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cabbage), I spruced it up with some pickled garlic and fish sauce that you get at the side of your table; it made it so much better. I like that it's a bit spicy and vinegary. The spring rolls are the crispy ones you get at a typical Vietnamese restaurant, filled with vermicelli, and wood ear mushroom. I enjoyed the minced shrimp on sugarcane too, it was nice and meaty; you could taste the way that it was cooked.

Overall, a very enjoyable meal. Albeit a bit more pricy then the typical Vietnamese restaurant, but definitely a must visit if you're in the area. If you're looking for flavour, this place definitely has it. Even the soup that you get for the rice/vermicelli dish was very flavorful; had a nice oniony taste to it.

Service here is very attentive. I kept having people pass by me every couple of minutes. It felt intimidating after a little while as I came here around 6:30pm on a Friday and the only other people here was a table of 4 older people. There were a few more that came in near the end of my meal, but other then that it was pretty empty. It's good to know that, I wouldn't have to wait long for service.

Edit: Came here the following week. This time I went to the bigger "restaurant" side to the right of the strip mall.

Much more upscale then the corner building I went to last week. There's a massive screen and 2 yellow couches to your left when you come in and the bathroom area is just wow 😳

At first, I was confused having been to the cozier/calmer location the previous week. I honestly had no idea they we're the same restaurant; but I walked by the left side this week and sure enough they say their the same restaurant. They must be rolling in the dough, if they can afford 2 locations at the same strip mall. This also explains the staff they have. While I was eating around 4pm, there were at least 6-10 staff members sitting by the booths; all eating. At the same time, there was 5 staff on the floor watching and waiting to give you service. I've honestly never seen so much front of house staff at a Vietnamese restaurant before. They all seemed like they were waiting for something to do; which explains the attentiveness. It can be a little intimidating honestly, the feeling of so many people watching over you; but at least service is super quick.

I ordered the Bun Bo Hue. You can taste the lemongrass. There was pork and beef slices, beef balls, blood and a couple slices of pork hock. The flavour was good. You can either choose thin or flat noodles.

Again, the chicken wings delivered; even with it sitting in sauce it...

Breakdown Food: (3/5) I picked the "31. Lemongrass -Chicken- w/ Spring Roll and Shrimp Salad Roll– $22". While the value is pretty great with the addition of two different types of appetizer rolls, I felt that there was a slightly excessive amount of salad paired with rice, tipping the balance a bit of what I seek in a lemongrass chicken & rice dish, which is more rice, and more chicken. The main dish was about the size of my palm which is about half of what I expect from this sort of dish. From looking at other reviews on here I could see that portion can be a little inconsistent as I noticed some had about 1/3rd more chicken and rice. Again however, the included sides make up for the portion of the main somewhat and I was satiated at the end, but the solution I would suggest is maybe 1/2 of the salad roll/spring roll portion to bring out more of the main dish— My partner on the other hand decided on the Pho Tuan and was satisfied a bit more than I was with their dish, and I could observe that for the price it was a little bit larger than what i've seen for a Large-size at any other Vietnamese restaurant. There is no option for a small. Now as my partner and I shared our dishes with each other, our opinions are that the taste was nothing to complain about but not to brag about either. My girlfriend expressed the old location before the move was exceptional in comparison, but that is kind of to be expected in situations like this and we assume the new location will adjust and improve as time and experience builds on.

Service: (5/5) The place was bustling with staff. Remarkable service. Easy to catch the attention of staff who were all friendly, and food from kitchen to table was quite quick which is easily expected at a Vietnamese restaurant which tend to be very fast paced.

Atmosphere: (5/5) The new location we dined at was pretty! From the high ceilings, to the piano/jazz ambience, and the aesthetic seating, we were both impressed! Noted, whimsical european landscape clips were being shown on the colossal TV screen, my partner and I had suggestions that showing gorgeous Vietnamese landscape clips would be more on theme and just as captivating. The place was quite busy for coming around the last business hour, though not full. If you happen to come when it's a full-house there's mention on a sign at the entrance that the old location is close by across the street.

Because personally I weigh food heavier to impact a review as it is the main attraction at a restaurant vs service or atmosphere, I give the place an...

Why 1 star overall? I have to say food is descent, service is descent. I give 3 stars for service because the servers tend to gather at a couple corners, and so if the diners happen to be near those corners, then the servers are a bit too close, making the customers lack some privacy.

Now the 1 Star for "Atmosphere" and thus overall: It's about the nationalism/political stance the boss or servers wish to display through the Vietnam map on the back of the uniforms. There are 3 kinds of uniforms: (1) plain black no logo no map (2) black with Vietnam map on the back but just showing the Vietnam mainland (3) black with Vietnam map with two circles of dots, presumably showing the Vietnam views about Paracels and Spratly islands in the South China Sea (I know I know, the Vietnamese call it their East Sea).

Being in Richmond BC, I think more than half of its clienteles are ethnic Chinese, and certainly most Chinese are ignorant about the political issues that Vietnam have with China.

Vietnam like to claim as much territory as possible in the South China Sea, and thus making it in geopolitical conflicts with China.

I would think most businesses like restaurants would leave the politics/nationalism outside the doors. But not Pho 37.

The owner must feel that it's a correct display of bravado to show Vietnamese nationalistic interests in the affected territories.

The Vietnamese owner may very well be correct that most ethnic Chinese know or care nothing about such territorial conflicts, and thus show the uniform type (3) to broadcast the Vietnam brand of nationalism.

There are a few ethnic Chinese like myself though, who happen to know a lot about Vietnamese psychology, and thus feel quite dismayed by such display of bravado.

How would Vietnamese feel if Chinese wear T-shirts with the 9-dash lines? Leave nationalism and politics out of a business premises. It's never healthy to harbor such strong psychological conflicts with another ethnic, namely the Chinese in this case, that likely accounts for a big part of...