Pho Thin Ubud — Restaurant in Bali

Unacceptable Service and Disregard for Customers

I had an extremely disappointing experience with this restaurant, and I want to share what happened.

Yesterday, I asked them via WhatsApp if they still had Pho soup available. They told me it was sold out. Later, I checked on Gojek and saw it was still available—but at a higher price. I thought, “Maybe they just want to make more money,” and decided to order it anyway.

When I placed the order, I specifically wrote in the notes: no plastic. Despite this, when the food arrived at 10 PM, the broth—still hot—was packed in a plastic bag. This is completely unacceptable. It’s unhealthy to put hot liquids in plastic, and it also goes against my clear request to avoid plastic.

I contacted the restaurant right away, and the experience went downhill from there. I had to call and text multiple times, and they kept me waiting without offering a real solution. When they finally responded, they claimed they needed to use plastic to prevent the broth from spilling. I even suggested better alternatives, like securely taping a bowl, but they ignored my suggestion entirely.

I explained that I was hungry and tired and needed something to eat, but they refused to refund me or send a replacement. In the end, they completely stopped responding to my messages, showing zero care or responsibility.

I will never order from this place again, and I hope this review is helpful to anyone...

According to some loud American at the front when we arrived this was meant to be the greatest food ever and better than eating in Vietnam. This almost put me off trying here immediately as when people say that it's better than what people make in the original country, it's likely to be westernised and dumbed down considerably.

My partner was not overly impressed with it, but I thought that it was tasty once the flavour was tweaked to suit the palate. The bread sticks are an add on and are quite tasty, they come in a serving of four pieces, three were great but the fourth piece was a bit chewy like the dough had not been set correctly.

The other downside was that the ordered drink was treated as an afterthought and arrived well after finishing the meal....we were about to get up and pay when the water arrived. Hopefully this is just a start up issue for the "soft opening" period and will improve. It also wasn't great being able to watch staff eating at the back of the counter. If you are going to have an open kitchen, this can be detrimental, I don't really need to watch staff eating.

Will I eat here again? Maybe, maybe not....it didn't really match what the American was...

le restaurant Pho Thin est une adresse incontournable pour les amateurs de cuisine vietnamienne authentique. Ce petit établissement, à l’ambiance moderne et accueillante, se distingue par sa spécialisation dans le pho, préparé selon une recette secrète héritée de son fondateur, Mr. Thin. Dès l’entrée, l’odeur envoûtante du bouillon riche et parfumé promet une expérience culinaire mémorable. Le pho bo, plat signature, est une véritable œuvre d’art. Le bouillon, mijoté pendant des heures, offre un équilibre parfait entre la douceur des os de bœuf, les notes épicées du gingembre et la fraîcheur des herbes. Les tranches de bœuf, tendres et finement coupées, fondent en bouche, tandis que les nouilles de riz, cuites al dente, absorbent parfaitement les saveurs. Accompagné de condiments comme le citron vert, la sauce piquante et les germes de soja, chaque bol peut être personnalisé à souhait. Le banh mi, autre option du menu restreint, est tout aussi remarquable, avec son pain croustillant et sa garniture savoureuse. L’ambiance du Pho Thin est chaleureuse, bien que l’espace soit modeste. Les tables partagées et la décoration épurée rappellent les gargotes de Hanoi, ajoutant une touche d’authenticité. Le service est rapide et souriant, même si le personnel, parfois débordé, peut manquer d’explications pour les novices de la cuisine vietnamienne. Les prix, légèrement élevés pour Bali (environ 75 000 IDR pour un pho), restent justifiés par la qualité des ingrédients et la générosité des portions. Quelques bémols toutefois : les portions, bien que savoureuses, ne sont pas très copieuses, ce qui peut décevoir les gros appétits. De plus, le restaurant n’accepte pas les réservations via des plateformes comme Chope, ce qui peut compliquer l’accès lors des heures de pointe. Enfin, l’absence de climatisation peut rendre l’expérience moins agréable par forte chaleur. En somme, Pho Thin Ubud est une pépite pour ceux qui recherchent un pho authentique dans un cadre convivial. Que vous soyez un habitué de la cuisine vietnamienne ou un curieux en quête de nouvelles saveurs, ce restaurant saura vous transporter au Vietnam le temps d’un repas. Une adresse à découvrir absolument lors de votre...