Pho Trung Ikebukuro Vietnamese Dining — Restaurant in Tokyo

The lunch set was hands down authentic Vietnamese food. But I had mixed feelings about the dining experience.

The good thing about this restaurant was it made me feel like I wasn’t in Tokyo. It transported me to the vibrant and lively pho place I visited in Ho Chi Minh City several years ago.

The male staff was also conscious about giving customers a comfortable stay, and I appreciated that a lot. It was, however, the opposite for the female server. She took away the tray of condiments beside me without asking me first if I would need it and gave it to a group of Vietnamese customers. I usually put some chili sauce in my pho. She deprived me of that option.

Speaking of sequencing, I placed my order 5mins ahead of the two customers who came in later than me but they got their orders first. Mine came 5mins after theirs. It made me wonder if it was faster and easier to prepare two lunch sets instead of one.

On another note, the place felt too cramped. The hallway to the elevator, for example, was already narrow but the refrigerator and stacked chairs and stools made it more difficult to go through it. The owner might want to consider changing the layout or, better if possible, move to a bigger space.

It seems they have a loyal customer base that gives them a flourishing business, which may be a factor that makes them complacent about keeping the store tidy and clean.

Despite these inconveniences, my taste buds enjoyed what came with my lunch set. The salad and harumaki sampler, and the coconut-based mini-dessert were a good way to start and end the meal, respectively. The pho tasted good, too, although the soup had turned lukewarm by the time it was served to me.

Is the good food enough reason for coming back here? I’d rather try other Vietnamese restaurants first and see if there are better...

The atmosphere won no point because the resraurant is located in the basement floor and the decor is nothing special. The food was good enough to make me wanna come back though. Ordered the lunch set and a side dish, the taste is authentic and very close to the original one back home. The staffs are friendly, came during lunch time on Sunday so its a bit crowded but the order did not take long. If you only go for the food then this...

The most authentic and delicious Vietnamese food I’ve eaten since being Vietnam some 3 years ago!

The Bahn Xeo (Vietnamese pancake) was crispy and flavourful, served with fresh vegetables and herbs. Crispy tofu was delicious, and rice paper rolls had some of the freshest vegetables I’ve seen in japan!

Reccomending this place to all my friends. Not...