Pho Sen 2 — Restaurant in Happy Valley

I've literally created an account just to write a review. This place is NOT good at all!!!! My kids and I looove pho... so we figured we'd try this place out! I decided I wanted the pad Thai and my two kids got the pho. They brought out the Pad Thai and I took one bite and it tasted rancid. But, I was like maybe it was just that bite. I go in to take another bite and had to spit it back out. The chicken tasted old and it was soooo bad. I informed our waitress about it and felt bad because normally I'd just fight through and eat an order because I don't like to waste but it was just not good and knew I'd get sick eating it. When I told her she looked very upset and annoyed... I put the plate aside thinking she'd take it.... I asked to see if I could just get a bowl of pho instead and she said okay then walked away rolling her eyes. They brought the soup out and I ate it. When we went to pay the lady said she talked to the manager and said I still had to pay for the plate and I had to pay half. I told them no way... it tastes disgusting and rancid. The chicken tasted old and I will not pay for it! She continued to argue that it was fine, they just cooked it and it marinated all night... I said that may be the case but it still didn't taste right and tasted old. The way she was looking at me and treating me was absolutely disgusting... mean girl status like from the mean girl movie... I ended up just paying the half and for our pho soups so we could just get out of there. I did not tip them because of how horrible my experience was and she saw she looked upset. But, as I was walking out I was holding the door for my kids and I could see inside that the waitress and waiter were laughing at the counter like they did something horrible and knew it. My daughter saw the same thing and we were like what the heck. I kid you not... not only ten minutes later I felt sooooo sick and ended up with the worst stomach ache and was in the bathroom most the night. Either just the one bite I ate messed me up that bad or they put something in my soup. My kids did not get sick, just me and was crying all night! I will NEVER go back there again. I'm writing a yelp review as well and contacting all I need to in order for whomever to go out and inspect. Beyond that they were just rude, seemed upset and annoyed the minute we even walked in. Please save your time, money and stomachs and DO NOT go to this restaurant. Leaving one star only because I can't just...

Convenient and comforting at times, but hit or miss on quality.

Updated to 2/5 stars from 1/5 stars 10 months ago only because our daughter requested their phở during their post-surgery recovery this week and genuinely enjoyed it. We did takeout three times in the last six days, and my daughter said the leftover phớ still tasted good after two days. That kind of comfort food earns some grace!

That said, the overall experience has been inconsistent.

They're stingy with limes, even when I specifically asked for extra. If you're a lime lover, be ready to ration.

I did enjoy their egg rolls. They made with shredded taro as part of the filling, just like my grandma used to make, and seasoned well. One of the few bright spots on the menu.

The combo vermicelli/bún đặc biệt was a letdown: over-grilled shrimp, and the grilled pork was thin and chewy. Just not satisfying.

Today I came in for lunch and ordered the Bánh Xèo ($17.95), and it was a big disappointment. It was thick, soggy, and greasy, with zero crispness, nothing like the light, crunchy texture of Bánh Xeo. No mung beans which is signature Southern Vietnam style, and they added mushrooms, which felt like a Western twist. The filling included bean sprouts, shrimp, and BBQ pork (instead of traditional steamed pork).

At least they were generous with lettuce and herbs, so I repurposed the filling into my own version of spring rolls since the Bánh Xèo itself was a flop. Check the photos on Yelp you'll see what I mean.

I'm torn about this place. It's only a 15-minute walk from my home, and l've given them multiple chances. Still the quality doesn't justify the convenience, I'd rather drive a little further for food that hits the mark. Happy to see their business doing well. It's their second location and they're in a prime spot right across from Kaiser Permanente Hospital and Medical Center. I just wish the food matched the potential of the location.

P.Y. Provides toilet seat covers in...

This was my second time coming in and the first time was very disappointing, so I tried to give them a second chance. The first visit we sat at the table for 45 mins with the waiter coming back to the table twice to ask us what our order was because it was never put in. We sat and watched waiting for our food while other customers came and went. Then when they finally got our food ready we asked for it to go at this point because a hour into this without food was wasting our time at this point. We went up to pay and the bill for a hour of waiting for bowls of soup cost $60. Fast-forward to last night... We ordered the same exact things and to our surprise we got what looks like extra toppings (tendons) we didn't ask for. These pieces looked like they were clearly just thrown onto a bowl that was previously put together and saved in the fridge for future orders. These were not incorporated in any way in the settling of the premade bowl, these looked like they were thrown on top at the last min? I have no idea what they are or why they needed to be on my food, but it was absolutely disgusting to have to see and remove. And the onion on top looked very old. Pretty disappointed all the way around. We will not be back ever. Ridiculously expensive for this food with a very unpleasant...