Pho Anh Vu Vancouver — Restaurant in Richmond

There seems to be a bunch of positive friends and family reviews posted (kind of obvious which ones they are), which I understand, especially for a new restaurant.

Here is our experience: The two stars are for the food. Being vietnamese myself, I appreciate that the dishes we ordered (Pho and Bun Bo Hue) were alright (not great, but good). For this, I might go back in the future to try other dishes.

We learned that this particular restaurant is actually Korean owned, and it's not their first rodeo with running a Vietnamese restaurant. If they already have experience running a restaurant business, it made me wonder why in the world was it such a mess on opening day?!

They have a fairly large waiting area closed off from the dining area, and we didn't get why so many people were waiting in the dining area. We found out much later when another customer actually sought us out to inform us that we should wait with the crowd inside the dining area because they are not seating people by the numbers given to us on a post-it note, but instead, totally at random. Apparently, AT LEAST 3 groups we know of were seated before us even though they arrived after us. When we expressed our frustration with a waitress, she got us a table within a minute. There was no process at all, and the number they gave us was pointless.

I'd like to point out that the lady in the pink ao dai with her loud commanding voice, while typical of a lot of vietnamese women I know (I suppose the Korean owners needed to include that to emphasize the "authenticity" of the vietnamese restaurant? Who knows) was the person running around giving numbers on the post-it notes to give the illusion that there was some seating organization. The same woman was also right at our table as we were just barely a second of standing up and putting on our jackets, she was right next to my husband yelling at the staff to hurry and clean our table. Ok there.

I'm always looking for new vietnamese restaurants to try in Richmond and Vancouver, as I feel a need to champion. However, this is the first Vietnamese restaurant that has left such a sour experience. We've been to grand openings before, and while I understand there are always some things to work out, this just felt like a complete mess and lack of forethought...strange, considering the owners are not new to the business.

Cash...

Visited Toronto’s popular Vietnamese restaurant opening its first location in BC, and the experience was positive, though there were a few bumps along the way. As soon as the restaurant opened, there was already a long line (at 11AM on Sunday morning)—a good sign of its reputation and quality, but be prepared to wait, especially if you go during peak hours.

The server was incredibly helpful in arranging the table for our group of six. The service started off on a high note, and we were excited to dive into the food.

One of the first things that stood out was the Chả Giò (Vietnamese spring rolls), which were crispy and not at all greasy. Each bite was bursting with flavor and packed with meat. Definitely recommend dipping these in fish sauce, the slightly salty and umami-rich sauce perfectly complements the crispiness and savory filling of the rolls, elevating the entire dish.

For my main dish, I ordered the 59 Bún Chả Cá Hải Phòng which is a traditional Vietnamese dish featuring vermicelli noodles with fish cake. It looked exactly like the picture on the menu, which is always a pleasant surprise. The broth had a subtle sourness that complemented the fish and noodles beautifully.

However, not everything was perfect. The taro stems (Indian taro/ Dọc Mùng) in my dish weren’t prepared properly. After a few bites, I noticed that my hands and throat started to itch and this can happen if the taro isn’t cooked or treated the right way. I brought it up to the server, and they handled the situation professionally. The server was not only polite but also immediately offered to replace the dish with something else, which I appreciated. I chose the 21 Phở Bò Bắp Hoa as the replacement . The broth was incredibly rich and flavourful for me it is an authentically Vietnamese and very comforting dish on the raining day.

Despite the minor setback with the taro stems, the overall experience was a positive one. The service was friendly and attentive, and the food, with a few exceptions, was delicious. I’d certainly consider returning to give them another chance, especially since Pho was so good! The long line-ups and the beautiful decor make it a place that’s definitely worth checking out if you're in the area, but make sure to go early or be prepared for a wait.

FYI: Currently accepting debit and cash only, no split bills on...

🌟 Environment: Perhaps because it's newly opened, a lot of people are eager to try it, with a crowd of people lining up from outside all the way into the store, giving it a feeling of walking into a busy noisy market. The waiting area seems poorly ventilated, with a heavy steam beef soup aroma lingering in the air. After writing down our names, we waited for about 40 minutes to be seated. The interior decoration has an outdated home decor vibe(not a big fan personally). Restaurant is spacious, seating is relatively comfortable, but the floor is really dirty and messy—greasy and slippery, with some paper crumbs scattered around. Even the servers had to be cautious, walking in small, careful steps while carrying food. 🌟 Food: We ordered the most basic beef noodle soup. $17.95. We picked a small size. The beef was fairly tender, and the other ingredients were basic. Unfortunately, the beef broth, which should have been the soul of the dish, was very disappointing—a strong powdery taste soup and too salty, making us very thirsty afterward. Next is the overly salty chicken wings, $15.95. The wings were small, the meat was dry, flavor was overly salty. While there was a hint of fish sauce and garlic, the wings were just too dry and salty for our taste. The best part of the dish was a small piece of slightly crispy sticky rice (though perhaps it was just because the other dishes were so salty that I ended up liking the rice the most). Then Vietnamese fried spring rolls, $16.95. Another disappointing dish that has perhaps too much msg added. The filling looked fairly abundant, but it tasted like it had a big pile of instant noodle seasoning powder wrapped in. 🌟 Summary: After the meal, we were incredibly thirsty. Before tax and tip, the total came to over $50, which, as prices are fairly standard these days, this was a bit more expensive than other pho places. However, the main issue was the taste—it felt more like food court quality. We have small appetite, so for two people, the cost was about $25-30 per person. Given the dining experience and value for money, it wasn’t worth the money, so we probably won’t...