Gạo Restaurant — Restaurant in Citrus Park

I don't really write many reviews on restaurants but i must say Gao surprised me as a California boy who grew up on Viet food. My go to in any Vietnamese restaurant is always Bun Bo Hue if they have it. This restaurant definitely delivered with a refreshing taste of the lemongrass and the depth of flavor that was not artificial. This was the closest to what i found to be similar to the ones i find in California. this is by far the best Bun Bo Hue in the area. I have tried many even from those who are locals that have recommended places but none of them come as close to this one. All the meats that were meant to be in it were there including the blood cake and the pork knuckles. They even gave me a side of the fermented shrimp paste for my tasting but it really didn't need it (I typically have to ask for this at other places due to lack of depth of flavor). My only critique of this dish is the spice level. I'm used to having it spicy and there is chili on the table but its not the same as being cooked into the broth. 9/10

Other Dishes:

Goi (Salad)- The herbs and ingredients were great. It was surprising to sea the clear sea bean in there which added a great texture. Everything was great and harmonious in flavor. My one critique on this dish would be the over dressing of the salad. They give you a side of the dipping sauce (which is amazing) but the salad itself could've been slightly less dressed. 9/10

Cha gio ( Egg Rolls)- pretty standard egg roll, filled with lots of meat but the flavor was under seasoned. dipping sauce was standard nuoc cham. 7/10

Canh Ga Chien Nuoc Mam (Fish sauce wings)- I've had plenty of these in the area but this was definitely a different take on it. The wings seemed battered then fried then tossed in the sauce. The sauce was a bit on the sweet side and the sauté with the onions and peppers seemed unnecessary. I believe this would benefit more for just a basic unbattered fried wing and a more fish sauce forward sauce that is a bit thinner. 6/10

Com Tam Thit Nuong (BBQ pork with broken rice) - One of the only places in the Tampa area that i have seen actually serve broken rice. This is a must because the texture definitely changes the dish to something better. The meat was grilled to perfection, great char and great marinade for it. The sauce was definitely a bonus. simple but great. 9/10

Cafe Sua da (Vietnamese coffee with salted foam)- Now this is the real deal drip coffee. If you have grown up with Vietnamese coffee this is that authentic taste. The dark intense fruity bitterness of the coffee and the sweet salted foam made it a customizable drink throughout your experience. You could have it as dark as you want or as light as you want as you mixed in the foam so the flavor can go from ice coffee light cream no sugar to a salted caramel macchiato flavor pending how you want to mix it. 10/10

Service- was impeccable. The servers were great at greeting and even instructed us how to eat certain dishes and recommended certain sauces to go with certain dishes. Appreciated their enthusiasm.

Overall the experience was amazing and the people were on point with service. I highly recommend folks stopping by this restaurant and checking them out.

Next time I will be trying their Mi Quang...

My bf and I went on Labor Day and they were relatively empty until 20 min in and they had a packed house at 6:30pm. Absolutely blown away by their flavors and quality. You can tell they curate their menu with love. The server gave great recommendations and was just a lovely guy. Even though it was busy with people coming in to place to go orders or pick up , the servers did a great job in looking out for everyone and it was a friendly service.

I ordered the pho 5 and my bf had the #1 rice with grilled pork (he substituted it from the pork chop). I had leftovers because the pho was so huge. It was so comforting and you could taste the flavor profile. A delicious bowl of Pho requires a sophisticated and skillful combination of various spices to enhance the overall taste of the dish. While star anise contributes a mildly spicy flavor to the broth, cinnamon provides depth to the taste. It was like as if it was simmering for days because it had so much depth. It was rainy outside and such a great meal , very comforting. It felt so nourishing.

The ambiance is chill and you can tell locals love this place. There is so much variety to choose from and all true to the Vietnamese culture. It felt like we truly were having a once in a lifetime...

For drinks we ordered the Vietnamese Coffee and Jasmine Tea. The Vietnamese coffee was bitter and thick, but their Jasmine tea has a pleasant floral taste.

For appetizer, the spring rolls meat was a bit tough but good amount of noodle and veggies. The dipping sauce was a bit salty, but balance out with the spring rolls. If you’re up for it, we highly recommend the chicken feet. The chicken feet were crispy and full of flavor. It has a good balance of spicy and saltiness with a touch of sweetness.

For entree, we ordered large Pho Dat Biet and medium Bun Bo Hue. The pho was very fragrant with spices. The beef broth was very tasty and good portion of meat. We ordered the fresh pho noodles which has a perfect noodle consistency. For the Bun Bo Hue, the broth was delicious, just add a little shrimp paste and sate for more saltiness and spice. The pork ham is soft and fluffy. Pork hock was slightly firm yet soft and delicate, and fell off the bones. Beef shank has a slightly firm, chewy consistency like beef tendon. Overall, all the meat absorbs the BBH broth flavor very well.

The service was amazing and very welcoming. Highly recommended and a hidden gem in the heart of...