Phở Gia Đình — Restaurant in Chandler

I had mixed reviews about this place. I've worked in the food industry for 18yrs, so I can't help but to take note of everything. The staff took our temperature upon our arrival due to the whole covid issue. He sat us at a table that looked like it could use a good wipe down. (Crumbs and the sauces tops were left open and gunk was caked on the top) We ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee to start. Ive had this item at a few different places and im never disappointed. The price I believe was $3.50 for 12oz. The drink its self was amazing, but im not joking when I say the cup was 100% full of ice and I got a total of 4 sips out of the cup. Definitely not a good bang for your buck. We mentioned to the server how we really weren't impressed with the amount of coffee that was given. He suggested if we bought another one he'd give us a "heavier pour" so we ordered another coffee..this time with no ice. We were then told that if they made the drink with no ice they would only fill the cup half full.(the cup was only a 12oz cup.) Which defeats the purpose of us letting them know we weren't happy with the original amount to begin with. We decided to pass on the second drink over all. At this time we did feel a little uneasy, like they were upset with our request so we were a little nervous on what was to come with our meal. The timing on the food was normal, but we were the only table in there. Once we got our Pho, it was streaming hot and smelled delicious. I ordered the Ox tail pho and my boyfriend got the combination pho. The price for the pho was $13.95. Reasonable for a specialty pho. So here is where they won my heart...the broth!!. Their broth is to die for! Don't bother adding anything to it, it is absolutely amazing on its own!!!! Both of our Phos were delicious. I've never ordered ox tail before so this was a first for me. The pho came with 4 pieces of ox tail in it. The meat tasted fresh and delicious. A definite order again! My boyfriends combination pho was amazing aswell, another highly recommended dish. Over all I 100% recommend their pho, but maybe...

The food was pretty decent. We got cha gio, pho ga (added shrimp to it), and Bun Thit Nuong (not pictured). What I appreciated was that they had fish sauce for dipping cha gio and lettuce and pickled veggies available for wrapping it (I have been to some where they just have sweet and sour sauce, which is bizarre to me - but still better to have something closer to what should go with it). I personally like the nuac mam sauce that has a bit of tang and chilis in there where I felt this was more like a straight up fish sauce. The lettuce was a bit small, but enough to get the crunchy texture to it. The pho ga had good broth, they give a good portion of noodles and meat - very good. The shrimp I added was huge! I got 5 jumbo shrimp in there, and it was good. The Bun Thit Nuong has Cha Gio, BBQ pork and the vermicelli noodles in it. It was pretty good as well. They also do have specials for the day like certain street foods, but I didn't get a chance to try it. It seems like it would be a fun foodie adventure to try them. As for the atmosphere, it was very spacious and had a lot of places to sit. We did have a little gecko come up and hang out with us for a bit, but that doesn't scare me because geckos take care of the bugs. :) The tables were clean and the staff was polite. It did take a bit longer to get our check, but there was one server to five tables - he seemed pretty busy. This place is good for a pinch, but I don't know if I would say it was like one of my go-tos; still...

Update July 2021:

Hạ É = Basil seed drink with dried longan. This drink was way too sweet for me. If it weren’t this sweet, it would be fragrant and refreshing.

The green mango salad (= gỏi xoài) with pork & shrimp was acceptable. The cut size of the green mango was too thick, so the mango was a bit chewy. The salad also needed a bit more dressing.

Bò Né (= beef steak w/ eggs, hot dog, pâté, cheese & bread) was served sizzling on a hot plate. The meat was tender but bland. It needed more seasoning.

Lẩu mắm (= seafood hot pot with preserved fish) had a lot of components: shrimp, fish, squid, roasted pork, vermicelli & vegetables, in addition to a savory broth. The broth was a tad too sweet for my taste. To enjoy this dish, put the raw ingredients into the broth. Once cooked, put the ingredients into your bowl along with vermicelli and broth, and enjoy. This dish may be best enjoyed during the cooler months of the year. Inside of restaurant is clean & well lit. Service is efficient & polite.

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