Phở Pasteur Restaurant — Restaurant in Arlington

I visited Pho Pasteur and unfortunately had a very unpleasant experience that I feel needs to be shared.

I ordered the BK-2 bowl, Tapedo shrimp, egg rolls, and chicken from the appetizer menu. When the chicken was brought out, I noticed it was red inside and didn’t appear fully cooked. I politely asked to speak with the manager and explained my concern. Instead of showing concern or offering to correct the issue, he immediately dismissed me, saying “It’s cooked,” without much explanation. I held the plate up to show him the meat and to my shock, he snatched the plate out of my hand in a very rude and unprofessional manner.

At that point, I strongly considered getting up and walking out, leaving all the food on the table because yes, there was plenty of food left. And frankly, they would have lost much more by treating a paying customer with such disrespect. I decided to stay seated just so my daughter and I could try to finish our meal in peace, but it was a very uncomfortable and disappointing experience.

I’ve been to this location a few times before and never had any issues. This was my first time ordering the chicken appetizer, and I was shocked by how poorly it was handled. If a customer brings up a concern especially regarding undercooked food the professional thing to do is to offer a solution, not escalate the situation. A simple “Can we cook it more?” or “Is there something else you’d prefer?” would’ve gone a long way.

Instead, the manager’s reaction showed a clear lack of respect for the customer. It made me feel as if they value food output and profit over customer experience and food safety.

I don’t plan to return any time soon, and I hope no one else has to experience this kind of treatment. If this ever happens to you walk out. Leave the food on the table. Because clearly, this establishment doesn’t prioritize professionalism or...

Don’t Muddy Your Soup

Typical Vietnamese pho restaurant decor—nothing fancy, but it works.

I ordered a small pho with rare steak, flank steak, fatty brisket, and added meatballs. I judge pho by the broth first, then noodles, then toppings.

Broth: Temperature was spot on—hot but not scorching. Way better than some ramen spots where it’s barely warm. The broth was a little cloudy and brown, not crystal clear. If you know, you know—look it up. Pro tip: if you're using sriracha and hoisin, don’t dump it in your bowl. Get a small dish, dip your meat, and keep the broth clean. Trust me. Rating: 3 stars

Noodles: No complaints here. They weren’t clumpy, held up in the soup, and had that smooth, slippery texture. Rating: 4 stars

Toppings: Fatty brisket was tender and chewy. Flank steak was a bit too firm and dry. Rare steak came fully cooked, which was a letdown—it should be raw on top so it cooks gently in the broth. Rating: 3 stars

Greens: Fresh and on point. Not hard to get right, but still appreciated.

On the side, I ordered the Vietnamese egg rolls—zesty, flavorful, and served hot with lettuce and shredded carrots. These were easily the star of the meal. Wrap them in lettuce, toss in the carrots, and eat it like a taco. 5 stars. I’d come back just for these.

Also tried the Heavenly dessert—a bit watery, but they didn’t skimp on the jackfruit and logan. Almost gave it a 3, but I’ll call it a solid 4 stars.

Service was straight to the point—some might say blunt, but I didn’t mind. Ambience was chill but a little dark, and again, decor was standard Vietnamese restaurant vibes.

Total bill was around $34 with tip.

Overall, it did the job. I’d recommend it—and definitely don’t skip...

Oh man, let me tell you about my escapade at Pho Pasteur! So, picture this: it's a Tuesday, I'm strolling in for some lunch action. I look at the menu, and my inner food connoisseur was like, "Hey, why not go for the house special fried rice?" And lemme tell ya, that was a genius move.

This fried rice, folks, I kid you not, had big ol' shrimp that were so crunchy and tasty, I almost proposed to 'em. Best fried rice in town? You bet your sweet taste buds it was! Then, I figured, let's double down on deliciousness. I throw in a rice plate with grilled chicken and egg rolls, because why settle for just one tasty adventure?

Now, Pho Pasteur is known as the Pho haven, right? But me, I'm like, "Hold my chopsticks, let's test these flavor magicians with something different." So I bypassed the legendary Pho Noodle soup and went for my rice plate gamble. And guess what, people? Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

The rice plate was singing my taste buds a sweet symphony. The grilled chicken was all juicy and tender, and those egg rolls? Crispy, like they had a PhD in crunchology. I mean, I'm here to tell ya, I had a fling with that rice plate that made my taste buds do the cha-cha.

So, moral of the story: Pho Pasteur knows how to knock it out of the culinary park, whether it's their legendary Pho or their rice plate game. You know it's legit when you're not just satisfied, you're seductively charmed by each bite. Go in on a Tuesday for lunch, take a culinary joyride, and let your taste buds thank me later. And hey, if you end up proposing to the shrimp, I...