Pho Family — Restaurant in Vancouver

When you look in the window, it is not awe inspiring. If you are seeking cozy and romantic, this is not it. However if you are looking for one the best Pho bowls in 100 miles you might have hit pay dirt!

I am a Pho enthusiast! I swim in it! I seek it out like a dog seeks a bone, like a miner seeks gold. When it is good I am ecstatic! When it is bad I am as sad and depressed as an old pile of soggy sheets.

Family Pho is something special! The broth has a depth that took me completely by surprise. It arrived at the table hot with plenty of fixings, there were ample condiments at the table, the pot of jasmine tea was not only hot, but complementary (when was the last time THAT happened)… I don’t know what to say. It was a perfect meal.

My wife loves Pad Thai and on a whim I got her some to go. Her eye lit up! Family Pho, for all its humble decor is our go-to place. I don’t say this lightly. Portland and Vancouver have a lot of food options, really you could eat at a different place every day, particularly if you’re like me and you like new places and you like writing reviews, I mean why tread the same path? But when you find a broth that has so much flavor, so much umami, it haunts you. It gets under your skin. You have to bring your friends.

This is it! One of “Those Places”! One of the semi secret hole in the wall magic spots we always seek but rarely find. Do...

Wonderful little pho cafe. Great prices. I had #52 Bo Kho/beef stew with rice vermicelli. The broth was rich, aromatic, and thick and there was a generous amount. There were big chunks if tender stewed beef, carrots, and a large mound of plated basil, bean sprouts, fresh lime, and sawtooth leaf. Sawtooth was new to me. Tasted like intense celery leaf, a little sour, and interesting in a good way.

We shared a grilled chicken banh mi. Wow! Best I've had in Vancouver. Packed with ingredients, meat, herbs, aromatics, cilantro, and jalapeno on the side. The baguette was 5 star. The jalapeno wasn't spicy at all, which was a little disappointing. Sometimes you just can't control a jalapeno.

The chili sauce condiments were good and we used the sauce (much like Sriracha), and the chili flake oil - my fave. All in all, I wanted more spicy heat. None of the jalapeños were hot enough. I like very spicy soup.Perhaps, the chef is afraid to scare off people who don't typically eat vietnamese food. I would like a hotter chili oil.

Our waitstaff was super friendly, informative, and attended to all our needs.

Next time I will try the bun bo hue spicy beef noodle soup, and the vietnamese coffee.

Thanks...

I typically try not to go to places right before closing however I just got off work and I was around the corner and had a commute so I thought some Vietnamese food would be awesome tonight! Regardless of my late entry, the man that helped me was super nice, I'm assuming the owner, he took my order promptly and answered my questions with no problems. I even got a water while I was waiting without asking. I decided to order a Thai tea to go as well. Their tofu is perfectly cooked and the pad Thai was so delicious. It has been a challenge to find good pad thai and I wish this place wasn't so far from me but it's definitely worth a drive if the craving comes over me. Spring rolls were delicious and the peanut sauce was on point. I suggest if you're looking for some good pho, Pad Thai or any Vietnamese dish, you should give this...