Pho Oxford — Restaurant in Oxford

I would like to make 2 suggestions to your menu and customer service SOP please: Bang Xeo needs to be served with plenty of herbs (or at minimum, mint, Thai basil, and coriander) and LOADS of lettuce leaves - romaine is fine if butter leaves are too costly.. iceberg is not OK because it is too watery Customer service - A customer is always right in matter of taste - especially when the customer is clearly an oriental (¼ viet to be exact but ofc you don’t know that) and has indicated that she’s dined in for the exact dish too many times before) - maybe arguing is not the best solution? (Also the same server ignored myself and the couple next to me when we attempted to pay - he was having a great time chatting with his colleagues though!) So the story goes like this…. I have been visiting this location for years and always for mainly bahn xeo since it is my fav viet cuisine. The food has always been good, although quality varied but acceptable (ie I’ve never came out thinking I am never returning) and service always very good. I went in again this evening for a usual Bahn Xeo fix and made the exactly same order maybe a little over 2 weeks ago: chicken and shrimp bahn xeo, with extra lettuce on the side. The order arrived quickly but I was surprised that my lettuce didn’t arrive with the dish. I thought maybe the server forgot because it was quite busy so I waved down the server who took my order and informed him. The tall thin server with sandy blond hair styled into a short man bun apologised and reemerged with a plate of herbs and bean sprouts which are meant for pho. I was quite confused so I said I’m sorry I meant the lettuce that usually comes with the bahn xeo dish? (Keep in mind i kept my composure and I was extremely apologetic because they seemed busy tonight) He then returned with a plate of shredded lettuce and I was even more confused so I said I’m sorry maybe I wasn’t clear but I was referring to the lettuce to wrap this? I guess he got quite annoyed at this point (I don’t blame him, it’s only a £9.95 dish…) so he said: you use the rice paper to wrap this - we don’t serve lettuce as wrapping for this dish - I got told off when I served lettuce with this last time. Next time you need to tell us you want lettuce for wrapping.

So, DEAR MANAGEMENT- - I sincerely hope you standardise your training SOP or your food preparation and service SOP because I’m honestly very confused about this discrepancy between my years of having this dish at your Oxford location and the food that was served to me today. I tried to argue my case by telling him that I have always had it like this at this particular location but my server still tried to argue that I was wrong and that it shouldn’t be served this way… I almost laughed because I’m a quarter Vietnamese so it honestly felt like an insult - like mansplaining + racism… 😅😅😅 I’ve had so many bahn xeo and never have I heard it isn’t served with lettuce (or green/salad leaves) for wrapping. Also if I have to nit pick, the type of rice paper is completely wrong as it disintegrates as soon as it touches some type of liquid so it gets extremely messy if you don’t provide another layer (eg lettuce) to support the integrity of the wrap (see photos below) Also you might want to consider more training to the staff since the herb served on the bahn xeo plate is shiso leaves (aka perilla leaves or Tia To in viet), NOT Thai basil as the same server has said to me; and what he called “mint” was actually Thai basil … (sorry these actually annoyed me the most - and I’m guessing you might feel the same if an oriental person wrongfully called parsley “coriander” or pesto “mint sauce” 😂) This experience was honestly a tad traumatising as I was sitting on a tiny table sandwiched by 2 couples on either side.I understand change of management might result in this but please construct a better SOP to ensure standardisation of your meal and services so your long term customers won’t have to experience this…! (Or just… better inform you customers on...

We visited Pho with our young family (two adults, a toddler, and a baby), and while there were some positives to the experience, we left feeling disappointed and disheartened by how the situation was handled.

Firstly, we want to say thank you for checking in on our food and being so responsive to our allergy concerns. That care was genuinely appreciated and gave us confidence in what we were eating.

However, the experience fell short in how our family was treated—particularly as parents of a neurodiverse toddler. Understandably, our little one was tired and hungry when we arrived. While waiting for food, he became overstimulated and struggled to stay calm, eventually settling with a game that helped him regulate—though it did cause him to vocalize loudly in excitement. We were actively trying to manage this, including removing the crayons and activities when they became unhelpful.

A supervisor then approached us and said other guests were complaining, asking whether we could “keep him quiet or go outside.” While we understand the need to be mindful of other diners, the way this was said felt more like an ultimatum than a compassionate check-in. In that moment, we needed support, not pressure.

What made it worse was overhearing a staff member say to a couple who had just been seated near us, “Let us know if you want to move at any point.” This clearly implied our child was a problem. To their credit, the couple themselves questioned why they’d need to move—highlighting that the issue wasn’t as disruptive as it was made out to be. Still, overhearing this exchange without any attempt by staff to reassure or support us left us feeling judged and unwelcome.

We truly understand the challenge of balancing a calm environment for all diners, but families—especially those with neurodiverse children—need more understanding, not subtle exclusion. These situations require empathy and discretion, not public discomfort.

Again, thank you for your excellent attention to food allergies. That part of the service was handled with care and professionalism. We hope this feedback encourages greater awareness and inclusive training for staff so that families can feel just as welcomed as...

Visited this evening on my own whilst away for the night for work. Would love to have been able to say it was fantastic because I absolutely love the menu and all the veggie options, however my main dish had a long hair in it that was quite clearly not mine. I raised this with my server who looked at me like I’d caused her the biggest inconvenience ever when I said I didn’t want a replacement because it had really put me off (I’d had about 4 mouthfuls.) She brought me the bill which I was happy to settle for the starter and drink I’d had, however found it slightly insulting when she announced she’d taken the service charge off like she’d done me a favour by not charging me for something that’s optional in the first place. No apology at all either, at any point. Yes it’s Christmas, yes you’re busy, but that doesn’t allow for poor service (and manners in general.) Overall, a really disappointing experience.

EDITED AFTER BUSINESS RESPONSE

Firstly, do not accuse me of leaving an inaccurate review. I can categorically tell you that the server did not apologise once to me. Secondly, at no point in my review did I state that I was ever charged for the main dish - the bill arrived for the starter and the drink which I was obviously happy to settle. You added the 15% student discount after I’d already told you that I had a student card, this was not done as a favour! At the end of the day, there is no dispute there was hair in my food and your customer service...