Pho Noodle — Restaurant in Arlington

Hubby and I went to try out this new pho restaurant (although the old restaurant was also a pho restaurant).

Since the brutal killing of the previous pho owner, I was so sad that the restaurant had closed down.

One evening, I happened to drive by and the lights were on! It made my heart quicken because I thought they had reopened again, after their horrible circumstances. But..., it was not the case.

A new restaurant with a new owner.

Long story short, my husband and I decided today to go try out the new restaurant.

We ordered an oxtail pho ($20), a beef pho ($15) with all the meat trimmings, and a Vietnamese pancake ($15), banh xeo.

The food came out fairly quickly, which I like. I've made pho and banh xeo at home before, and the amount of time to put things together should not take more than 5-10 minutes, especially if there were no customers (given that the broth was already prepared a day in advance).

The banh xeo was very good, flavor-wise. It had the usual pan-fried bean sprouts, shrimp, and pork. I was very glad to see that they used finely sliced pork belly for their pork choice. The banh xeo pancake mixture had the subtle taste of coconut milk, which I love. And, the sauce to dip was top-notch!

The only criticism is, that the outer layer of the banh xeo did not have the crunch that I was looking for. Usually, the pancake would have an overall crispiness throughout its outer shell that added to the experience but it was lacking that. A few more minutes on the pan with a little bit more oil would've made a big difference. I give this dish a 9/10 stars.

Next, the oxtail soup. I did not try it, but my husband said that it was quite salty, and lacking in spices. If the broth is the same as my beef pho, I can see why. He gave it a 6/10 stars.

I came in with an open mind, wanting to give this restaurant a chance. As I tried my pho, it also was salty and lacking in spices. Definitely the same broth, which is not a surprise.

Eating my pho, I contemplated which region (northern or southern Vietnam) the owner was trying to replicate their pho from. But, to no avail. I just couldn't figure it out.

The broth was not the typical sweet crystal-sugared, highly noxious anise/cinnamon flavored broth as the well-known southern style. It was more subtle.

It also was not as beefy as the northern style, nor were the noodles wide like you would typically see in the northern style pho.

So, I asked the waiter, who I later found out was the son of the owners. He came back and said it was 'a little bit of both'.

Huh! You don't hear that often. I was a bit surprised. I wasn't sure if I should feel happy that they were exploring new fusions, or sad that they didn't stick to traditions.

But, my mind was made up. The saltiness of the broth needs a bit more sweetness to balance it out. The beefiness and spice were too subtle. Along with the overly salty and not enough sweetness, it made the dish very one-dimensional. I give this dish a 5/10 stars.

I've looked up the reviews on Google and a lot of people rave about their food, and I have to agree to some extent. The banh xeo was pretty good minus the crispiness of the pancake. I'm just sad that the pho was not up to my standards. But, that doesn't mean that they won't change their pho over time. Fingers-crossed!

I know, and am friends with many restaurant owners, and they all tell me that their recipes change over time to meet the satisfaction of their customers, so I'll be back to support and try out their pho every couple of months to see how much has changed.

But, all in all, go try them out! They just opened up a few months ago. The son said 'It's been slow', but I hope people will go and help support their business. I will definitely go and try out their other...

Their bánh mì is so excellent! The bread was so crispy and fresh, the meat was tender and well-marinated, and the pickles were not too sweet or sour. Their deluxe grilled pork rib rice (cơm sườn) had every little thing - every little piece should come with the pork that a lot of other Vietnamese restaurants here ignore. This is a very interesting restaurant as they use American things and cook them in a Vietnamese way. Our party loved our own order. The service was friendly enough. Their $10 meal menu looks attractive, will try some next time. Honestly, ifI worked in this area, I would make this place my regular lunch routine. What...

Great place! Has student discount! This place just opened, and it's a small business, run directly by the owners. The food is amazing!! Went with my family to check it out. From the soup, to the spring rolls, everything was delicious! My friend said the seafood pho was some of the best she's EVER had, and she's gone Pho hopping with me more than once across the DFW. And it's super affordable! One of us is a college student and they have a student discount! In this economy, I'll take any discount I can get! Not very busy yet since it's new, so service was SO quick. Will definitely come back...