PHO NOMENAL — Restaurant in Garden City

Title: Mediocre Experience with Room for Improvement

My wife and I recently dined at Pho Nomenal, a Vietnamese pho restaurant we had been eager to try. Unfortunately, our experience was less than stellar, leaving us feeling disappointed and underwhelmed.

We ordered a pho combination with extra meat, a pho steak with meatballs and extra meat, an order of chicken potstickers, and two Thai iced teas, totaling $73, this was a to-go order. While pho typically ranges from $13 to $17, this price seemed only a bit high for our normal order, the problem was the small portion sizes we received. The food itself was decent, with flavors that were satisfactory but not outstanding – I would rate it a 7 or 8 out of 10.

The main issue we encountered was the severely lacking customer service. During a small rush, our food, which already takes time to prepare, was left sitting on the counter for an additional 15-20 minutes. We were not notified that our food was ready or informed about the delay caused by needing to make boba for one of the teas. This was more frustrating as we watched dine-in customers order and receive their food before we were served. This lack of communication was frustrating and significantly impacted our dining experience.

While Pho Nomenal has potential with its decent food, the poor customer service and lack of effective communication brought our overall experience down. For a place that charges premium prices, I expected a higher level of service and attention to detail. With improvements in these areas, Pho Nomenal could become a standout option in the local Vietnamese cuisine scene. As it stands, I would give this restaurant a 6 out of 10 and hope they can address these issues to enhance their customers' experiences...

Updated 4.26.24 Came in today for a late lunch. I will have to say the lunch service is a lot better than dinner service. Food was dropped off, wasn't checked on and server was preoccupied. Sad to have gone through this since I have always appreciated the great service they give during lunch. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue today. It was so salty. I couldn't finish it. I didn't have a server to tell. Really disappointed in today's visit. I think I'll hold off from coming here even though it's closer than Dong Khang downtown. And there's a new Vietnamese Sandwich joint that just opened up down the road. They serve phó there too. Gotta keep up with your customers, that's what keeps your doors open. There's always something new and shiny to take your regulars away. Consistency keeps your loyal customers. Customer service is key which dinner service lacked tonight.

I have been to a majority of the Asian restaurants here in town and let me tell you, this place does not mess around when they give you a large bowl of phó. I have left certain restaurants after ordering the "large" bowl completely hungry still. I was skeptical trying this place because I did order thier vegetarian spring rolls and felt like they were over priced. 2 small rolls for 8 bucks!?! But my friend brought me here for lunch and I came in a second time with an open mind. Happy I did! My bowl of phó came out and I was so happy! It was the biggest bowl I have seen in town! The broth was hot and savory, a good portion of noodles! Came with all the goodies i.e. jalapeno slices, basil, lime... I'm happy I gave this place a second chance. The phó was really really really good! Looking forward to trying other items...

7/11/24 Update: This was my 3rd visit to Pho Nomenal in the past 3 months or so, and by far, the worst(food was 1 star quality this time). I ordered the same spicy beef pho that I've ordered in the past, but it wasn't the same. First, the broth lacked the deep flavor that I love and instead had a fishy taste. Fish taste would have paired nicely if this was a shrimp or crab pho, but the was spicy beef pho. Also, the noodles were pretty "rubbery"... Yes, a little chew is nice, but not gummy worm chewy. This is the first time I didn't finish my bowl... Just not that good on this visit.

In fact, it was so bad, I will not be coming back and when I get a craving for Pho, I will go to Pho Nguyen on State Street in Garden City, or find a new place nearer to our home in Kuna (moved fro Eagle recently, need to find a good Vietnamese restaurant nearer to us).

Original review (5 stars): This place lives up to its name, it is "Phonomenal". The service and food are great. However, it does have a bit of a "different aroma, but I'll chock that up to "exotic" ingredients, and after you're inside for a few minutes, it just becomes part of the experience.

I had the Vietnamese iced coffee, the pork and shrimp spring rolls, and the P9 Hue Spicy Beef Pho... All were really wonderful. In fact, the pho was as good as I've ever had, and was atypically packed with tasty proteins, probably close to a pound of meat in my bowl. I did not leave hungry, in fact, I probably will not add the spring rolls when I go back, as it's just too much food.

If you want a warm bowl of tasty soup on a cold Boise day/evening, Pho-Nomenal is worth...