Pho Ngoon — Restaurant in San Gabriel

NEW Update: I have never had a bad dine-in experience until now. I ordered a chicken x rice meal for supper. During the course of my meal, I was slicing my tender meal and I noticed it was not fully cooked and still very much frozen (I even touched it) on the inside and bloodied despite being looked cooked from the outside. Clearly, the Chef/Cook staff didn’t fully paid attention and seemed hurried to serve it. I instantly lost my appetite and told the male server staff about the situation. He felt some contrition and sincerely apologized for the mishap. Moreover, he suggested to replace the chicken with a new fully cooked one. I declined (not gonna waste time) and commanded to give a sign discount. He concurred. This bad experience was enough for me to banish them from my elite list. Overall, I was unequivocally disgusted and never again will I visit nor recommend this place. ———————- OLD: Here’s the thing about Life. It is a combination of a Pho magic and love. That said, let’s begin this delightful review. ;D Lol.

Pho Ngoon is a corner Vietnamese restaurant located in small plaza in SGV, where the food here is absolutely scrumptious. I’m still dreaming about my supper I had. Their menu offers a modest variety of options, and everything sounds delicious. Its interior design was simply decorated with pic frames, flat tvs and ratan light fixtures.

I have known this restaurant for years but never had the chance to check-in until now. I came to grab dinner on a cool 63 degree with light breeze. I had Chicken x egg fried rice x soup and iced lemon tea. Food was warm, tasty and palatable; portion was generous. One thing that I found repulsive was a lukewarm soup.

Atmosphere was relaxing. Prices were unbeatable. Staff was stolid. Customers were respectful. Overall, this restaurant has something for everyone. I enjoyed my meal and dine-in experience. And...

Whether you like Pho Ngoon or not might come down to whether you prefer the Northern or Southern-style pho.

Pho Ngoon serves one of the best northern-style pho in San Gabriel Valley. Wide noodles are used here. There is a stronger savory ginger taste in their beef broth that is much more clear than the sweet Saigon-style broth typically filled with garnishes like Hoisin sauce, basil, and mint. There is hardly any trace of MSG in Ngoon's broth, unlike the one at Golden Deli which contains a heavy dosage. The quality of the beef cuts is top-notch at Ngoon. I ordered the dac biet for a sample of all the beef cuts. The brisket was lean and tender. There was plenty of cow stomach in the bowl for a contrast in texture.

Ngoon's bún thang, a Hanoi-style chicken pho, is the ultimate comfort noodle soup. I like that the broth is a balance between sweet (especially if you mix in the shrimp paste called mam tom) and sourness from the mushrooms. It incorporates simple ingredients such as Vietnamese ham, mushroom, strips of egg, and shredded chicken. Ngoon opens at 10am, the perfect time to order bún thang for breakfast after a long night of feeling under the weather.

One item that you cannot leave without trying is the sua chua mit, a Hanoi-influenced dessert yogurt topped with jackfruit blocks and grass jelly. It's a one of a kind tropical confection that is not found elsewhere in California. Ngoon prepares the yogurt in house that is smooth and extremely creamy with a hint of sweetness. As Monsieur I. describes it, the sua chua mit will melt in your mouth. Perfect dessert during the summer to share with a...

I went in on a rainy day and almost slipped.. when i brought it up to cashier... he told me i shouldn't wear those type of shoes...i had just come out of work and was dressed in business attire... what an idiot.... how could he say something like that to payng customer.. it was my first and definitely my last time there... on top of that once i placed and paid for my order. I asked to add to my order i asked for spring rolls... in which he made me go outside into the rain to my car to get cash because it was under $10 and i couldn't pay with my ATM... on my way back in...i almost slipped again... this time I told him that it was my second time i almost slipped and that it was dangerous for customers...he said there is a wet floor sign....OMG... i told him "the sign isn't going to keep people from falling... you need to put something on the floor so people can't fall" he shrugged his shoulders and turned his back to me...i really got upset...we are paying customers and its their job to provide a safe environment for their customers...he didn't care...i asked for owners number to report him... he said he didn't know rhe number... after i left him know iwas going to contactmy attorney.. he gave it to me... he should be fired...poor customer service and no empathy towards its customers... without customers..there is no business...on top of that my PHO was cold and not tastey at all....there are far more better Pho places rhan this... don't go here.. this place...