Pho Gyu Vietnamese Noodle House — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Great Food Spoiled by A Bizarre and Uncomfortable Experience

Let’s put my unfortunate dining experience in context by explaining how this restaurant operates first.

 Pho Gyu operates in a hybrid fast food/sit-down style of service, meaning you walk to the counter to order, then the food will be delivered to your table by the waitstaff, who will also drop off a jug of water and cups.

However, if you sit down without ordering, waitstaff would also take your order table side. The toppings bar is self-serve, thus further eliminating the need to call for service.

All in all, the only times the waitstaff makes contact is when they take your order (though they prefer you order at the counter), and when drop off your food. The waitstaff does not refill your water cups, fetch toppings/condiments, check up on your table etc.

This is all good and well, perhaps even preferred by many diners who wish to minimize socialization. The young woman who served my table during both visits was pleasant and efficient, and did not try to engage in idle talk. I left an appropriate tip on my first visit (20%). 

The problem occurred during my second visit earlier this evening, where I brought my sister and father along. There was a new face amongst the staff, a middle-aged man wearing round glasses who seemed to be in charge manning the register. This manager fixed my party a very nasty look as soon as we walked in, which made us all feel a bit uneasy. We brushed it off and placed our order with the young woman from last time, but we kept noticing this manager keeping his eyes on us.

This manager called over the waiter and whispered something to her while gesturing toward our table, who reacted with an awkward expression, suggesting it was something unfriendly.

At this point the manager’s demeanor has become blatantly hostile, so of course we discussed this quietly amongst ourselves, making sure none of us were doing or wearing anything that might be offensive.

We remained quiet and courteous diners throughout our meal. This time, my father insisted on getting the bill and went to the counter to pay, then proceeded to the restroom.

Moments later, the manager stomped toward my sister and I aggressively and told us: “Your father only tipped coins, that’s very rude, so I refuse it.”

My father later explained that the manager gave him his change, then he offhandedly dropped the coins into the tip jar, which contained only coins. I checked and verified this myself, as at this point the hostility roiling off this manager was palpable. We then exited the restaurant, full bellied, but mood soured.

I can understand if the manager was upset by the low tip amount, given we were dine-in guests. My father is visiting from China, where tipping is not expected. Even so, had I been aware what had transpired at the counter, I would have made up the normal amount of tip. But the manager’s bizarrely hostile attitude throughout out entire visit has firmly turned me away from the idea of tipping him (the waitress was on break at this moment)

This was a truly bizarre experience and I can’t help but feel our party was specifically targeted by this manager (Korean, I believe), and I don’t feel safe returning to this restaurant again. Which is a great shame, as I very much enjoyed the food and would like to give them my business. 

I hope the owners of the main store will see this review and take appropriate action to make their customers feel safe...

Cannot recommend this place more than enough! The wagyu bone summed broth is delicious with the pho and the unlimited noodle refills makes up is an amazing deal with any of the pho options. Solid deal for what you can get in LA, and especially for the price point. The wagyu beef banh mi and rice plate is very rich in flavor, I loved it!

However, the rice in the rice plate did come out slightly cold so it might not exactly be the freshest rice. But nonetheless, it tasted great paired with the salad and meat.

The banh mi was possibly one of the best banh mi that I have ever tried. They use the most perfect bun, had a soft but crispy texture to it, which I haven’t had before locally. The flavor from the meat and sauce they used also enriched the flavor. It was so filling that I even took the second half home for leftovers!

If you also like strong vietnamese coffee, this place is the best. Went here originally just for the vietnamese coffee, and it did not disappoint at all. If you prefer more condensed milk or sweetness to your vietnamese coffee, this might not be for you. But if you’re a coffee person, definitely check it out. They also have other sweet fruity drinks here for those non coffee drinkers.

Highly recommend this place. Parking may be slightly difficult, but that’s anywhere...

So unfortunately, I don’t have many good things to say about this place. I hope that maybe they can change because I do have faith in this place based on the atmosphere and branding but at the moment, I don’t think I will be going back anytime soon. The pho was bland. The iced coffee was watered down and not very sweet. It was kind of gross and I asked them for more sweetener totally expecting some form of condensed milk and they brought coffee mate…. The eggrolls were overpriced and greasy, seven dollars for two small greasy eggrolls. I’ve been living in Koreatown for 10 years. I’ve had pho for over 15 years. I understand not everywhere can provide the same quality. However chicken soup is pretty basic. There was hardly any chicken in my soup and you could still taste the water the noodles were cooked in, it all tasted water down. And the parking lot was not a great experience, homeless people lurking and just too many people with little...