Pho Hanoi — Restaurant in Rotterdam

First of all, I really wanted to love the food here. The reviews lured me in and, of course, the shabby looking restaurant. In Asia the more outdated the place looks, the more care and energy they put into their food.

The lady was very enthusiastic and was pretty quick on getting our orders. I won't comment on service or atmosphere here on out. They were both decent and I knew going in here that I was just coming for the food.

I had the Pho Dac Biet and my partner had the lemongrass chicken with yellow rice.

The Pho Dac Biet was really a disappointment. I am big on soups and noodles. And I love pho and ramen so much, because it's such a nostalgic meal to me. The pho lacked so much depth and flavor. That it felt like they only added water to the ingredients and warmed it up. The vegetables were fresh, but in general the pho didn't satisfy that craving I had.

Lemongrass chicken with yellow rice was a bit better, but also lacked flavor. The chicken lacked seasoning and the lemongrass was barely noticeable, despite usually being a very strong herb! The chicken was also "wet" and not moist. It tasted like the oil it was fried in hadn't reached the cooking point yet and boiled the chicken instead. The vegetables paired with it were half done. They were still too fibrous and pretty inedible.

Price wise they are still affordable compared to their competitors. So I truly hope they will continue to improve their cooking, because I honestly want them to do well and thrive. But as it stands now they won't be able to build a loyal customer base with the quality they are...

Not sure what happened to the cook. Food was vey bad this time. But that is not the worst. I understand that the restaurant is a dog friendly but dogs should not be allowed to piss next to other people eating. Waitress striking and feeding the dog and then carrying plates with food is below any hygenic standard. When the food arrived fried noodles we got had nothing to do with the the fried noodles. Overcooked pasta with pieces of bolied meet and some veggies with absolutely no taste. I am sorry that I did not take the photos of the food as they would say more then words can describe. I had eaten this dish before and was nothing like this. Waitress noticed I did not eat so I politely told her the reasons. I told her food was not good and the dog pissing table next to ours killed my appetite. She said she was sorry and that she will clean the mess the dog had made. My friends did not like the food either and share my opinion on the quality , as I said we had eaten here before. Gladly they did not see the dog in action or knew about it untill I complained to the waitress ( I did not want to spoil their lunch or make them sick while eating) Despite the complaint we were charged...

In 2016-2018, my boyfriend and I were regular patrons at Pho Hanoi when the restaurant was solely managed by the dedicated lady owner, along with a few familiar staff members. We always delighted in their delicious Pho Dac Biet, spring rolls, and Vietnamese drip coffee. Regrettably, with the onset of COVID and their expansion to a second location, the restaurant experienced a noticeable decline in terms of food quality, ambiance, and overall value.

During the interim, they conducted a renovation that modernized the restaurant's atmosphere. However, my recent visit was marred by a considerable messiness. The place was cluttered, and there was furniture strewn all around. The service, while adequate, was tainted by a colleague's loud and unsettling exchanges. The disheartening part was that my usual order failed to meet expectations; the Pho lacked its characteristic flavor, the meat was overcooked, and it seemed hastily assembled.

The attempt to scale up this small family-owned establishment appears to have been its undoing. I sincerely hope that they return to their roots, prioritizing quality over quantity, as they used to be my preferred Vietnamese restaurant...