New Noodle City — Restaurant in Alhambra

I went to a high school near this and every Friday when i got out of school early, my dad and I would come here to eat Pho. That was when there was no "new" in its name. My dad, who knows all of the gossip of the 626, told me that the owners had a fight and split up. The owner of this got to keep the restaurant but had to change it to "new noodle city." While, the other owner set up shop elsewhere in MPK and kept the original name of "noodle city." The noodles never tasted the same :(

However, this shop still kept most of the staff. I still recognize the cashier and the busboy since I last came a month ago.. and high school was 4 years ago!

My dad and I always come here now when we don't know where else to eat. We both order the Soda Chanh (lemon + soda water + sugar) and Che Ba Mau (3 bean dessert) and just share. Very refreshing when paired with our pho!

The pho comes piping hot. How is the staff able to carry it to my table?! I commend them. The noodles are always just right. The soup, VERY flavorful. The mints, bean sprouts, lemon platter always plentiful. But the soup hasn't really tasted the same. I remember in high school I would take the soup to go just to drink it at home. It was THAT good.

Tip: Ask for the beef on the side so that you can cook it in your piping hot soup to however you like it. Usually if you don't ask for it, the beef cooks to a tough well-done if you don't eat it ASAP.

I think this place's piping hot Pho soup is the reason why I'm able to handle hot drinks really well as I was very impatient and hungry after school and wanted to eat my Pho ASAP.. even if it meant burning my tongue in the process haha.

And everyone has their own style of eating pho. Some squirt a ton sirarcha (sp?) into their bowl. Some leave it plain. However, this is the type of pho soup to leave plain. Try it before adding the sirarcha and hoisin. It doesn't need additional flavoring :)

But I do have a hoisin + lemon juice + pepper concoction on the side which I dip my...

This is my preferred pho restaurant for more than 18 years. Like many businesses, menu prices have increased due to labor costs, covid, and inflation. I did notice the meat portion is a little less than before but still plenty compared to other pho restaurants. Condiments such as basil, bean sprouts, and sliced onions are complimentary upon request. I like to dip the meat in my self-made sauce...a mixture of hoisin, siracha and lime juice. Try it and you will never eat pho/meat without it again. I have introduced this sauce to family and friends and they all agreed...simply delicious!🤩 Hope you will give it a try in your next visit. You can thank me later. I would not recommend the chicken pho at this restaurant or any pho restaurants. For chicken pho, I would go to a chicken pho specialty restaurant where they served fresh cooked chicken. Huge different in taste between fresh chicken and refrigerated chicken. By the way, most pho restaurants offer two kinds beef both....fatty and non-fatty. I prefer the non-fatty both. Be sure to ask for it. Happy...

Not a bad place if you're in the area and craving some pho. Service is more or less great. However, it took a bit longer than expected to bring out a regular bowl of pho xe lua (combination pho). The broth is slightly sweet but has a strong star anise flavor. The meat quality isn't the greatest; the tendon is super chewy and tough even after letting it soak in the hot broth forever, and the rest of the beef slices aren't the best tasting. However, they are good on the portion sizes, especially for a large bowl. The main negative I have with this place is that they've taped over the prices on all of their menus. It seems like they've kept their menu prices hidden for years now and are increasing them every so often. So you have no idea how much your bill is until the moment you pay. Also, the tables and floors are extra sticky. The bathrooms are also sticky and funny smelling. But it is what it is. I don't think I've ever been in a pho restaurant where the entire...