Midtown Pho

This is the second time I visited, the first time I only got the beef pho and it was just okay. I wanted to give it another chance since I was craving pho on a rainy day and I’m so glad I did. My bf and I went all out for dinner and got the fried spring rolls, banh xeo (asked for rice paper to make wraps and they gave us a lot), original banh mi, combo beef pho, and flan for dessert. I was so happy and pleasantly surprised with the entire meal. Fried spring roll was flavorful and crispy, although thin, it was a good app. The banh xeo platter was huge, this could easily feed 2-3 people as an app and can be a meal on its own for 1. Generous filling and decent, not crazy crispy as I’d like, but the edges and one side was crispy — so still good. The banh mi was what surprised me, the bread was crispy, but soft inside and they were sooo generous with the meat and veggies! It was a big boi. The pho was much better than the first time I went. Extremely rich and flavorful broth that isn’t too oily, not too salty, and generous with the meat toppings and noodles. Although pricey for a bowl and it didn’t have the tripe and tendon, the broth was what I mostly cared about and I can taste the care that went into it. Lastly, what sealed it together was the flan. It was chef’s kiss. It was the Vietnamese-style flan I grew up eating. Very light, smooth, not too sweet, and not condensed-milk heavy (different from Spanish style). It tasted homemade and again, the portion size was generous! The texture is more akin to Japanese pudding - the kind that’ll be perf as a topping in boba drinks. I’m so glad I gave this place a second try and I’m not one to post reviews often. If you had an “ok” pho at this place, please try it once more or try the other items on the menu.