The Corner Pho — Restaurant in Jersey City

UPDATE

Recently we tried The Corner Pho again and I noticed the interior and menu looked different and the food was slightly better than 7 months ago.

We visited during lunch and ordered a classic Bahn Mi sandwich and bun bo hue, a spicy beef noodle. The Bahn Mi was very close to what you can get in Manhattan and the soup was very hearty - others might find it too oily but I enjoyed mine with a wedge of lime.

OLD REVIEW This was our first visit since they changed management because reviews have been low but I wanted to give it a chance.

When I stepped inside, the server asked where I wanted to sit and set up a table for 6 immediately with a highchair and kid friendly eating plates and cups. Looking around, the updated interiors were refreshing. The staff were attentive, organized but we did have to follow up on a jackfruit shake that was ordered at the same time as our meals.

The food however was not on point. It lacked authenticity and depth in taste. We ordered the shrimp and papaya salad, pork chop over rice and pho ga. These are Vietnamese menu classics aren't that difficult to make yet The Corner Pho skimps on ingredients that make these dishes taste authentic. The papaya salad dressing tasted like simple syrup with a drop of fish sauce. The pork chop was thin, overcooked and burnt. The pho ga tasted like regular chicken broth with overcooked pieces of shredded chicken, leaving me parched afterwards. The pho was served with a side of bean sprouts, lime, sliced jalapeno a piece of ngò gai (sawtooth coriander) but no basil.

Please make better Vietnamese food....

This is NOT your typical mom & pop run authentic pho spot with generous portions, fresh food, buddhist statue, unflattering interior. This is your gentrified, SoHo version of Asian dining with tiny portions, steep steep prices, overly fancy interior, and again, tiny portions - and would probably double serve as a night club / lounge if it could. Definition of Not- "no frills". Portions were so small for the price charged and it was upsetting. I've eaten Pho all of my life. I came to pick up a 40$ order. When I felt how ridiculously light the bag felt - I knew I was jipped. I ate the entire meal and had to go out side for additional food because of how obscenely small the portions were. I'm more accustomed to the portion size of meat, soup, noodle, sprouts that you would normally get from a Pho restaurant in long island, philly/lancaster pennsylvania, chinatown NYC, etc. This was scanty on another level. This place is clearly meant for drinking / socializing. Any place that is constructed for a drinking scene will over charge your food immensely. We miss the old no-frills Pho place that used to be...

Very bad experience with this restaurant. Me and my companion attempted to eat here, but werewolves not admitted because I have a certified ADA compliant service dog and my companion had a service dog in training. Both dogs were very well behaved and wearing vests. When the manager/owner, Liam , would not grant us access for our “pets”, I showed him the ADA law for public access to service dogs (on my phone). He would not acknowledge it or even look at it. I then called the organization who trained my dog (K9s4Warriors), who answered immediately, but he would not talk to them either. He asked that their legal team contact his lawyer, but not to bother him directly. He repeatedly sited excuses that someone may be allergic (not one customer in the restaurant besides us), that pets are not allowed, and he has no outdoor seating. We finally left, disappointed and hungry. My organization filed a third party ADA complaint and I filed one as well. Hopefully the next person will be treated with respect and dignity...