Pho Saigon Restaurant — Restaurant in Honolulu

As a Vietnamese American I know I can be pretty critical of Vietnamese restaurants, so I tried to keep that in mind for this review. However, there were some pretty egregious red flags when we ate here.

We got seated fairly quickly and the staff were pretty friendly (especially cause we spoke Vietnamese to each other) but we immediately balked at the prices. Pho should not cost $16 for a single meat option, nor should vermicelli bowls cost $20 for 2.

We're from Seattle so food is generally just as if not more expensive than stuff here but even then our prices would be half of what we paid at this place.

Furthermore, the soup base here is almost entirely all-spice and MSG, with little to no complexity of flavor.

Yet another thing that was annoying was that they started trying to clear our table when we weren't fully done eating, even when we told them that we were taking our time. Yes, there was a bit of a line so they probably were trying to clear our table ASAP but that's not an excuse to make your guests feel rushed out!

But truly, the final nail in the coffin was that they charged us an 18% gratuity fee for our party of six (which we know is standard practice), but they had the gall to try and hide this added charge and ask for a separate tip.

All in all, I'd strongly not recommend eating here, which is a shame cause I really want more people to support Vietnamese businesses and try more Vietnamese food! Just maybe not this...

Very clean and has a nice ambience. Very well taken care of parking lot and is located in a very busy area. This is an Upscale Vietnamese restaurant. Service was impeccable and the plating and furniture was very nice. About 15% more expensive than your typical Vietnamese restaurant however reflective upon the ingredients used, furniture and decor of the restaurant. The food here is very flavorful and the herbs are hand selected. The serving size here is fairly large and the food is tasty. The house fish sauce is on the sweeter side. The Vietnamese coffee is on point. The bathrooms are very clean. This is a place that you would want to take a date or conduct a professional business meeting. Take it from a guy who's been eating Vietnamese food for 40 years. This is a excellent restaurant. Other reviewers have said this restaurant is expensive however I find that to be misleading considering where it's located (Honolulu next to Ala Moana Mall) and the level of gourmet dishes they serve. It is priced accordingly and somewhat on the cheaper side compare to comprable restaurants...

Aloha, I’m usually not the person to ever do reviews or be negative about something, no offense to the workers or anyone, But I’ve been here 5 times, I love pho, I eat it all the time, however this place has to be the most stingiest place I’ve been too, if I’m paying $23 dollars to eat a bowl of pho, why do I only get 3-4 bites of noodle and it’s done for. You guys have to be generous with your portions, I always either get little bit of chicken or little bit of pho noodle. To the point where I order extra noodle on the side for extra $5. It’s really unbelievable how I come and show support to this lovely restaurant but get so little food. I think it’s unfair to pay $23 for a bowl of pho and you walk out still hungry. I think it’s unfair for any restaurant to do that. The food was delicious but not generous with their portion and that just shows a lot. And when I told the waitress she just said “ oh” This will be my last time going there. If you want delicious pho with generous amount of portion then go to Pho Viet Ala Moana. It’s down the street from this...