Phở Số 1 — Restaurant in Seattle

underwhelming bun bo hue -

Food: 2 stars Service: 2 stars Price: 4 stars Ambiance: 3 stars Overall: 2.75 stars

I was craving bun ho hue and found this place from reddit, and I was so excited to try it so we got here shortly after 11 am on a Sunday. There was only one group dining at the time, and we ordered two bun bo hue special (spicy noodle soup special with beef, cinnamon pate, tendon, pork blood, and pork feet.

The veggie plate for the soup came first, and the veggies that come with bun bo hue is usually different than pho. I'm not a regular here, but there are purple cabbages, lettuce, basil, and something that looks like water spinach to me.

The food came shortly and the soup was more red than I'm used to. After adding tons of lime, the soup tasted delicious like other places. However, the pork blood makes the soup a bit bloody somehow, which I didn't enjoy. I'm a big pork blood fan, but I passed it to my husband after one bite as I didn't enjoy it here. The pork feet was soft and delicious. I didn't taste any cinnamon from the pate, but maybe it's just a name...?

We ordered a Vietnamese coffee but it never came.. I felt strange since all the groups came after us got their Vietnamese coffee but we were forgotten. The two soup bowls were around $36 after tax, which seems slightly more than their listing price online so I guess they just raised their price. It's still cheaper than Bellevue price, nevertheless.

While I appreciate the tons of different stuff in the noodle soup, I didn't enjoy the pork blood here and the soup was somewhat containminated imo. It's unlikely for me to return as it's far and they are known for their bun bo hue, which I didn't really like that much. On the side note, the Christmas songs in Vietnamese that they were playing the whole time was...

I've been here once before when a friend was showing me around the city like 10 years ago when I moved back to WA. Today, I came back for the first time since and had a spiritual experience with the tendon/brisket/flank/steak/meatball pho here. The broth is so masterfully crafted, ingredients are fresh and quality, portion/cost totally reasonable for something as labor/time/resource intensive as a finely crafted stock. I didn't ask cuz I was honestly on the verge of tears, but the beef tastes grass-fed (pastured) to me. It's a bit obsessive to try to describe all the things that are right about this pho... I really didn't know how to behave about it... I just blushed and sputtered, narrowly avoiding the urge to scoop the owner up in a tearful hug. Instead, I tipped 100% and tried re-enter society as if everything were normal. I just didn't know it could be this good. This place is a damn historical gem. If you pass up the chance to give this place a try, you are really missing out on a...

A bowl of pho shouldn't taste like candy, yet the callous folks at Pho So 1 have managed to do just that!

Food: The menu here is consistent with most Vietnamese noodle houses in Seattle, offering pho, bun bo hue, rice dishes and a handful of appetizers. Portions for pho are gigantic - even the hardiest eater will have difficulty finishing their bowl. The broth is confusing - a perfect balance of spices that is somehow also very sweet.

Ambience: "Kitschy" best describes the general atmosphere. The space is severely over-decorated with fish tanks, non-functional TVs, paintings and flashing lights. The music selection is equally wacky, playing lots of synth-heavy instrumental waltzes from traditional sources and old movies.

Price: Average prices compared to other pho shops in the area. Which is to say, cheap.

Service: Terrible, inattentive service. Was not greeted. Chilly, angry-looking staff take orders wordlessly and do not refill drinks. Payment was, again, done without...