Lovely Pho — Restaurant in Provo

Having grown up in a city with a large Vietnamese population--and having been to Vietnam as well--I've eaten quite a bit of Vietnamese food in my life. In fact, when I can find it well prepared--it's my favorite / go-to option. The problem is just that: finding good quality Vietnamese food--at any price--let alone at a good price.

To be fair, Pho is not my favorite Vietnamese dish--though I've had plenty of it in my life--including up and down Vietnam. However, after a 25 mile bike ride up Provo Canyon on a 40 degree afternoon I kind of needed something to warm me up--so I decided to give Lovely Pho a try. It's soup... right? How could it go wrong?

First, let me just say that I respect and appreciate immigrants that come to America and try hard--open their own businesses--etc. I want the to succeed. I support them whenever possible. But America is not Vietnam... so you can't really expect to operate a restaurant here like you do there and get away with it. We have MUCH stricter health codes and just expectations from customers in general. And right off the bat, at first impression, Lovely is just not maintaining a high enough bar. The general operation is just too haphazard. The person that I interacted with the most--a late middle aged man of foreign origin--that seemed to be the owner / proprietor--was as nice as could be to me--but was definitely fraying around the edges from being over-worked and probably lacking good management / training / delegation skills.

From the dining area you can look directly in to the kitchen to see literally everything that is happening back there. In some cases this might be kind of cool... but in the case it was not. Instead of a sharp, highly trained, professional-looking staff back there--what you witness first hand is a rag-tag team of mainly family members (?) --including great-grandma--doing most of the cooking and prep--with a few right-off-the-boat (probably illegal) immigrants doing the dirty work. (The girl that was taking food from the kitchen window to the tables--and busing tables--literally didn't speak a word of English--and I later found out just got here from Venezuela a week ago. The table next to me was asking her for some to-go / plastic forks and spoons--and she literally had no idea what they were talking about. Several other staff members had to get involved before they figured it out.)

Now, again, I have no beef with immigrants... but if you've literally just arrived in this country and can't speak a word of English... could you POSSIBLY be trained PROPERLY in the HYGIENE and other state and county laws related to the proper preparation and service of food? Which reminds me; she and the other immigrant girl were wearing hair nets, the (grandson?) had a baseball cap on, grandma also had a hair net--but great-grandma--who seemed to be doing most of the cooking--had neither. And I don't recall seeing anyone wearing any plastic gloves at any point... though the two immigrant girls were both coming and going / doing double duty between busing / cleaning and plating / serving food.

So... now to the food. Pho used to be (and still should be) a very affordable dish. It's MAINLY WATER... broth... with a few bits and pieces of meat and .50 worth of noodles in it. VERY cheap to make--and thus a very high margin dish. In Houston you can get very good Pho for $6, 7, 8--in Vietnam, Pho costs less than $1. The Pho I ordered at Heavenly was $14--their "best" / most expensive Pho... but it was probably the worst Pho I've ever had. And I also ordered some eggrolls... which were also probably the worst eggrolls I've ever had (at a restaurant); small over-fried; flavorless; a complete waste of $6. They tasted like something frozen you'd get at Walmart and heat up in the oven. Conversely, he Vietnamese eggrolls at Shanghai Cafe in SLC for example--are the BEST eggrolls I've ever had--anywhere--ever. So, I know it can be done. It just takes effort. But great-grandma probably just don't have the time or energy...

Had 3 separate tickets. 1 chicken Fried Rice, Calamari, & Strawberry Boba 1 shrimp fried noodle, egg rolls, & Mango Boba 2x House special Pho extra meat, 1 kids chicken Pho, spring rolls, wontons, dumplings, 1 Boba milk tea, 1 Cafe sua da

Starting with the Service, it was excellent but a little slow due to dinner rush starting right after we arrived, our server remained attentive, and asked many times if we needed any thing else, even going so far as to send me home with house made chili oil! We left a very generous tip.

Food:

calamari was perfectly cooked, chicken fried rice was to be expected from a typical Asian fare, and the Boba was sweetish but well flavored

The fried rice was perfectly seasoned, and egg rolls were crisp even after being on the table for quite a few minutes, the meat inside was moist and well seasoned, again the Boba was great

Special Pho, broth was great, but needs a hint more ginger and cinnamon in my opinion (just my preference from my kitchen), the extra meat put it where other pho shops would normally serve it, they also graciously provided a mint sprig and chili oil at my special request, chicken pho was well seasoned all around and the perfect child size. Spring rolls were amazing, and well filled, wontons were smallish but packed with cream cheese and green onion, dumplings were standard fare for a Vietnamese restaurant

The milk tea was very sweet but delicious, the cafe sua da was like a caffeine jolt straight to the brain, strong, lightly sweet, and great to cut through the spice of the chili oil...

11/10 would drop...

As a fervent pho enthusiast, stumbling upon this gem of a restaurant in Provo was nothing short of a culinary epiphany. From the moment I stepped through the door, the aroma of rich broth and fragrant herbs enveloped me, promising an unforgettable dining experience.

I ordered their signature beef pho, and let me tell you, it was a symphony of flavors that danced on my taste buds. The broth, simmered to perfection, was robust yet delicate, infusing each spoonful with warmth and comfort. Tender slices of beef, cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, complemented the silky rice noodles exquisitely.

But what truly set this pho apart was its audacious use of spices. The subtle heat of chili peppers mingled with the earthy sweetness of cinnamon and star anise, creating a flavor profile that was both daring and harmonious. It was a culinary rollercoaster ride, each spoonful a thrill of excitement and satisfaction.

However, I must warn the uninitiated: this pho is not for the faint of heart. Its bold flavors may be considered offensive to those accustomed to bland, uninspired fare. But for those willing to embrace the exhilarating journey of taste and texture, this restaurant is a sanctuary of culinary delight.

In conclusion, if you're in Provo and craving an authentic pho experience that will tantalize your senses and challenge your palate, look no further than this delightful establishment. It's a culinary adventure you won't...