Pho Saigon Pearl — Restaurant in Irvine

Should I give Pho Saigon Pearl 5 stars?

According to the latest episode of The Simpsons, if I give a 5 star rating this place will no longer be a secret and I will ruin the experience by causing a flock of people to come here. So sad but true. The Simpsons are never wrong.

I have mentioned this restaurant many times to friends and co workers. I have eaten here for dinner and lunch within the same week. Like a drug when offered or suggested by peers I have never turned Pho Saigon Pearl down no matter what. I'm like an addict and best friend at the same time because I will always be there for PSP. Is this place the best Pho place in Irvine? Hands down YES! (Given Pholicious is only open for lunch and it is located pretty much in Lake Forest). If you think Pho-Bac is better well PHOOO-KK You!

There is a decent portion to price value here. If you are expecting 5 dollar pho, I'm sorry to disappoint you. There is a bit of inflation in the Pho Marketplace. Due to it's popularity the average price is about 7 to 8 average in ANY CITY but quality and quantity will vary. I have tried pho in so called "Asian areas" (Irvine will there give it 5 years) even in Little Saigon and LA there are a lot of Meh places. I eat more Pho than you eat burgers at In-N-Out, McDonalds, Carl's Jr, and Burger King combined. So I'm PHOOO REAL!

PROS: -Great taste -Local and fast in Irvine -Super clean, the opposite of standard Pho restaurants. The servers use gloves and the tables are clear immediately after a customer leaves. -I love their spoons. The back of the soup spoon has a lip so it will not fall in your soup with you leave it on the edge. BRILLIANT!! Great attention to detail. -Runs like a smooth and efficient business. -To-Go orders are fast. I am always told 10 minutes for takeout, but I work about 5 minutes away and the food is always ready to go before I arrive. SPEEDDEEEE! -The Pho meat is nicely cut. To-go orders are packed like a master piece. I took a turn too fast and the soup did not explode in my car.

CONS: 3.5 Stars is fair. I am a fan, but here are a few reason that I can't give Pho Saigon Pearl a perfect rating: The Broth- It has a nice flavor and not too watery or too MSG tasting. I only wish the broth could be a little bit stronger. I want a beefier broth with a strong flavor. Inconsistency- Since I have eating here many times I noticed a few things. When I first started eating here the portions seemed larger. Don't get me wrong the pho is still very filling. Most of the time you won't notice the difference between a Small and Large. However, I have found that Take Out especially during lunchtime yields more meat than Dinning Inside during dinnertime. This bothers me a bit because we are getting a great experience at a 15% higher cost because of Tip but getting less.... Rice dishes and Egg rolls- good, but doesn't compare to other pho restaurants. Maybe its just a different taste I'm not use too. I expect a little better for Charbroiled Pork Chop.

Verdict: Recommended.

If you are gonna find reasons to hate this place, save your money. If you are gonna smack talk Irvine for no reason, throw your money at some other garbage place. If you are in a rush for some lunch and want something good try Pho Saigon Pearl. Best time to go is during a cold or rainy day. You will have a smile...

Love this place. Parking is tricky be careful. Tang the manager is absolutely amazing he always make sure that the food I order is exactly how I order it due to my particular diet I have to have. He's often there at night and it's always a delight to see him :-) I love this place no matter what time of day to eat it's one of the best pho Vietnamese places I've ever had many have had the pho soup noodles themselves except I have yet to try it but I have heard raving reviews the vegetarian delicious are absolutely amazing and with my lack of a gallbladder I never have trouble digesting the food the decor is beautiful with the beautiful photographs representing North middle and South Vietnam however the photographer's name is unknown the photographs picture are seen as a woman in each of them in a peaceful dimension in her own world. The photographer is professional and the Vietnamese woman in the photos is absolutely beautiful. I have never seen any photographs like this into place before the decor here is absolutely astonishing the bathroom isn't unisex bathroom however it is very cleanly. They are quick with their orders and you can order to go dine in or even eat outside. The only bad part is I say the parking lot at Diamond and Jamboree is always a bit crowded and you have been very careful do to people ignoring the stop signs when you enter the parking lot. All in all this place is a great place to go and eat it's open decently late in Orange County and very well priced and affordable I give this place five stars and more people should check it out and leave some reviews because it's outstanding and the service is phenomenal thank you for the Saigon and thank you mr. Tang the manager and my favorite person...

So excited to check out the Vietnamese Restaurant across from my new apartment in Irvine until I walked in the door and the manager approached me immediately, intimidatingly, with an angry look on his face. My crime was having a 12 lb. Maltipoo certified service dog. No smile, he was so rude. He insisted I show him my dog’s “paper” ESA cert or I’d have to wait outside in the hot sun for my order, but with the “paper” (so Asian) certificate I could sit inside (any training to tell him that anyone can get an ESA certificate cheap on the internet, or fake one?). Has this manager been trained to identify a proper certificate anyways? It’s only ignorant harassment of customers by this chain. All the staff looked terrified of this oppressive, egocentric manager. And this restaurant was totally empty at 5:30, certain this is because of the management.

Do the owners of Pho Saigon Pearl care to reply with an apology, or should we expect this petty, illegal abuse when visiting a Pho Saigon Pearl restaurant? This is California and not Vietnam, California laws matter here, mafia managers can’t rule with impunity. As of the date of this posting, neither the manager nor any on duty staff would provide their names (who trusts their food to staff that won’t give their names?). PLEASE don’t support this VN chain! If they treat customers like this, imagine how they treat their employees. Btw I left, went to Kickin Crab next store, ordered, left and no one asked me for a certificate for my Maltipoo.

I hope this post will elicit a publicly stated policy change from Pho Saigon Pearl on this issue and an understanding of respect for the customers that walk through their doors...