Sen Pho & Cafe (Kerrisdale) — Restaurant in Vancouver

Was excited to try new place in the neighbourhood. But the entire experience was truly disappointing. Ordered take-out right at opening (11am) because we're in a tight schedule today. They told me 25 min because the kitchen just opened. Um... okay?? I told them I was a bit pressed for time. They said they would tell the kitchen. When I leave the house 15 min after I ordered I get a call saying there's something wrong with my order. No wait, never mind, it's fine. They call back a few minutes later just as I'm approaching the restaurant, 20min post order. They can't make the bahn mi I ordered because they are out of pickles. They are just telling me NOW? Do I want anything else, they ask. The only thing my kid asked me to get was a bahn mi and that's what they can't give me. I'm too annoyed and pressed for time by this point so I ask for a spring roll. I enter the restaurant. They haven't started the spring roll but the soup and salad roll are ready. But not packed up for me. More waiting. Finally I cancel the spring roll because it will take too long. More waiting. I now pay. But I can see now that they have got my soup order wrong. On their website P8 is beef ball soup --- the only soup my daughter wanted) but in their system is it comes up as their expensive "beef rib" option -- P3 on their online menu. The man in restaurant casually blames ME for telling him P8 and doesn't admit fault. Having never ordered from here before, I don't know what's what on the menu, so I just pay and leave. I get home and the portion is SOOOOO small for $18. AND guess what? I was right, P8 on the online menu is the beef ball soup. So my son doesn't get the thing he wants, and my daughter also doesn't get the dish she wants. What a waste of $30. I usually try to support small family run shops. But this one? Too frustrating at every turn. SLOW and good, is fine. But they were slow, they couldn't deliver on their menu and they didn't get my order...

It's a small family-run restaurant tucked in at the corner of East Boulevard and West 47th Ave. It replaced the Malatang Hot Pot restaurant. About 20 seats total inside.

They pride themselves on authentic vietnamese cuisine, primarily the style from Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon. Some of the dishes I have never tasted it quite like what they have. Most vietnamese places in Vancouver follow the Northern Vietnamese style. The satay pho was almost like a light blend of tantanmen and laksa. I've never had quite that taste and texture before. The bun bo hue was fragrant, floral, and delicate in its taste, which was remarkable because at most other restaurants, bun bo hue is known for a big punchy, overwhelming impact on the taste buds.

They make their own chili and condiments in house. They also prepare separate broths for pho and bun bo hue, rather than use a single universal broth. I appreciate the effort.

I enjoyed the experience and their take on vietnamese food. It's a strong addition to the vietnamese restaurant scene in the area. We came in the late afternoon, and it was completely empty. The server spent a lot of time conversing with us about food and other vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver. However, as we were leaving, patrons were starting to come in for the dinner rush.

Nice decor. Street parking. Takeout is available. Reasonable prices.

Wishing them much success and prosperity in...

Food: I had to wait a bit for the food to arrive, but it was definitely worth a while. I tried the Lemongrass Chicken with rice, the chicken was tender and it goes well with the sauce. The rice had (coconut milk I assume, the chef doesn’t tell anyone, it’s a secret!) inside which really enhances the flavor of the rice.

Drink: I had the matcha latte, it was not too bad, but they did not add syrup to it, however they do have options to add syrup, just tell the waitress about it. The latte was also made from oat milk.

Price: If you are concerned about the price, I would say it’s typical Vancouver price, but I would say the drink is a bit more expensive than chained coffee shops. (Please don’t expect it to be really cheap, it’s a family business.)

Service: God they had perfect service I would say. The waitress was really nice and they kept apologizing because I had to wait. They also came to check on me a few times. They also had mint in their water, which was pretty nice.

Would definitely come back again. (Also sorry for the really bad picture, I forgot to take one before I started eating, just remember there were two pieces of chicken. I ate one before I took...