Pho Dao Restaurant — Restaurant in San Jose

What a great find! We were shopping at hmart and were looking for a spot to grab some good pho. This was less than 10 minutes away so we had to try! We walked in around 6pm on a Saturday dinner, the restaurant was half crowded and we were able to grab a seat immediately. Self-seating, service was also pretty quick. The menu isn't super extensive as other Vietnamese restaurants - they had mostly pho, some appetizers, some drinks, and some desserts. No che, no vermicelli bowls or anything of that sort. This is a good sign, means they focus on select items and do it well. You pay at the "bar" area (looks like a bar area).

We both got the large pho each which honestly is a good amount of food. Not too much but not too little. I got the pho tai and the husband got pho dac biet. We also got orders of chicken salad and spring rolls. The spring rolls came with 3 spring rolls, good amount! Most places noways only provide 2. The chicken salad was light and refreshing, huge, and came with generous portions of chicken. Love this! Our pho came out quickly too. The broth isn't as salty as other pho places - they probably don't use msg or overload it with salt. It has a hint a beef, but it does taste a little diluted. It was still good though. The quality of the beef is good quality - my husband kept raving about how it was the best quality meat he's seen used at a pho restaurant. They gave generous portions of rare steak slices in my pho too! My husband ordered the dao special drink which they forgot. We had to remind them. I actually thought that drink was good! It says it has sparkling water but it tastes like they used sprite, and it came with honey/mint. It tasted like it had the pickled plum candy in there though.

Overall it was quick, affordable, and delicious. We would probably come back if we're in the area especially if we're shopping at hmart. I thought the broth could use a little more salt/seasoning, and a bit more...

I had a large special #1 with an extra order of tai bum (they are calling it hammered filet mignon), fresh noodles, along with my usual preferred crime partners of sliced onions in vinegar, green onion tips in beef fat, extra sliced jalepenos, and steamed sprouts (not a fan of making my soups cold). I got there a little after 8:10 in the morning and I was the 4th table seated. Everyone was having phone this cold morning. I was quickly served my steaming bowl of pho and I was not disappointed. The soup is legit here. Deep, rich, beefy, pho goodness. Broth is clear and clean. This is the one of just a handful of places that I've eaten at in the world that I DON'T add the table condiments. It is the kind of broth that makes me nostalgic for my mother's pho when she would start the broth on Friday night so we can have it Sunday morning after church. Needless to say say I left feeling way better than when I came in. If you're on the fence, try it the...

The inside is very nice, chairs and bench seats all with nice cushions and super comfortable. The inside is also clean and interior decorating is beautiful. (The ceilings are gorgeous) for a Phò restaurant 5 stars for sure.

Service: Very good service and the servers are polite, kind and have smiles on their faces. (Not typical of Phò restaurant) 5 stars.

Food: I ordered a Phò Gà, (size med) a hot coffee and spring rolls. The broth is the real deal I mean just by the smell alone I could tell it was home made real chicken boiled broth. The taste? Phò-get-about-it! So so so good! I could taste the the fat from the chicken skin in the broth. The noodles, they said are fresh but tasted to me like regular yellow noodles and were kind of hard. The chicken meat was at least 90 % dark meat? Not sure why. 5 stars for broth 3 stars for noodles and chicken meat. Spring rolls; oh yes I'm a fan.5 stars for sure. Coffee 4...