Pho Soho — Restaurant in London

I visited Pho on a Friday night so I fully expected the place to be crowded. Me and my friend was told to wait 15 mins for our table. I have no problem with waiting, although it was slightly unpleasant having to stand next to the bin.

The food was subpar. We ordered a wok fried pho with chicken, a spicy beef bun Hue, and a seafood spring roll. Except for the spring roll, everything else was completely TASTELESS. I’m convinced the kitchen forgot to spice the dishes before they came out because there is just no way the food is suppose to so bland. As for the BUN bo Hue, they used the noodle for PHO instead. Call me pedantic but this is the equivalence of using penne for a recipe that says gnocchi in its name. To top it all off, the noodle was also staling.

As a Vietnamese myself I simply cannot approve of the quality of food here.

Then again, I do want to give this place the benefit of the doubt. Maybe rather than being a problem with the food, it’s a problem of management. It was clear that the restaurant was understaffed and the ones working there were very much overworked . Perhaps Pho should consider taking on more people during peak business hours, or simply instruct staff not to take in more customers when it’s already full. In any case, I think the restaurant should really prioritise staff wellbeing and quality of service over quantity.

And as a side note, the restaurant space was not very well-lit. Questionable aesthetic choice cause I had to use a flashlight to...

I had dinner here with a friend and though the meal was good, the service was so aggressive and bad that it completely ruined the night. Considering this is in SoHo, where there are so many great restaurants — including other pho options — I suggest going elsewhere.

For context, when we arrived we asked if they were still seating. They said “Yes, but you have to order quickly.” So we did! We ordered immediately. They could have easily said “Sorry, we’re not taking more orders tonight.” About 30 mins in we are close to finishing our meal and a staff member abruptly interrupts us with “Do I take this or want a container?” I totally understand they want us to go. I feel like I would have responded differently to “I’m sorry but we’re closing. Here is your bill. May I bring you containers for your leftovers?” Being kind wasn’t a concern for them. I replied “We’ll take containers.” As I’m grabbing my credit card to ask for the bill (despite the rush, we had to ask for the bill), another staff member grabs plates and napkins from our table and puts them in my unfinished bowl of noodles which I wanted to take home. I looked at her and said “I was going to take that.” She replied “Oh,” shrugged, and walked away. At multiple points in the night, a simple shift in their interactions could have made this a very different and completely reasonable...

Update 2024: fantastic! it’s been many years since my first visit and I had an equally pleasant visit. Super happy with the food & waiting staff.

June 2019 friendly staff, quickly served and tasteful food.

I've come in on a Tuesday evening and the place was very busy, however as I was just by myself, I was lucky enough to be seated right away. Staff was very patient as it took me longer than expected to make a choice, the waitress who advised me made a perfect job. Also, she was very informed about food intolerances and allergies. The dish was served very quickly, and it was absolutely delicious, rich flavour of ingredients and broth, the chicken was well done and tender. The spicy broth is, compared to the others, a bit hotter yet not excessive, so also someone who does not eat hot on a regular basis could give it a try. I rate 4/5 as it was a bit stuffy that day. The place was packed, and the room layout is quite winding so opening the windows more often or installing some kind of ventilation/air conditioning system would make it a bit more bearable. However, I generally like the winding floor plan and atmosphere in this place as it gives a feeling of a small street food place in the middle of a Vietnamese city. Compliments to service and kitchen staff, especially Zoe, I've had, as always when I come to any Pho branch, a...