vPho Westfield — Restaurant in Westfield

We ate here several months ago over the summer and had a very nice first impression of the food and ambiance. We were greeted at the door by the owners and were seated in a table nook near the entrance. There were also a couple of restaurant-style booths, and a couple of other 2-seaters around the small first floor footprint. I was invited by the owner to take a peek at the upstairs area and was impressed how much they can accommodate in such as small house-converted-to-a-two-story-open-spaced restaurant. The servers were busy but also courteous who wore neat and nice all-black buttoned up uniform outfits making them look very professional. The menu was a clean, green, laminated, back and forth, thick plastic sheet in place-mat-sized format. Utensils were sturdy including a set of plastic chopsticks instead of the usual disposable bamboo versions. The food we ordered (pho) were piping hot, very flavorful, hearty, and the portions were more than ample. The owners stopped by periodically to check on us and chit-chatted with us a bit too; that was real nice.

For this visit, we called in early asking if we needed a reservation since it was a holiday week but we were told that it wasn't necessary since the time specified was still early and was a weekday. When we got there, there were no more parking space available and had to circled around to find an open space. When we went in, we noticed that all the downstairs seats were all occupied and was told to go upstairs. We went upstairs and took the long, empty table in a cozy nook next to the stairs.

After a while, the same server came back to us and took our orders. We ordered drinks and asked about an item in the menu, in particular, the grilled pork chop. We were surprised when were told that it will take 50 minutes for it to be done! We then pivoted and ordered the plain pork and chicken dish instead, and other pho dishes, plus a vPho Box special.

It was a good 30 minutes until we saw a couple of our food order come up. And to our surprise, the [male] owner was the one who served us. He noticed that we did not have any place settings or anything to drink and apologized mentioning that they had a computer glitch earlier that did not put out the [take out] orders to the cook. He brought us our utensils and had his partner brought us glasses and poured us water.The rest of our orders finally came. As we were enjoying our meal, we noticed both owners and [seemingly, the only male] server feverishly bringing up food orders as more guests arrived. As were were finishing our meal, we noticed that none of our drinks ever came so we flagged the server. He said that it is still being made and left us. We accepted it even though it was already an hour into our meal and joked around about it. After we were done, we thought about having dessert and after meal beverages but decided that it would probably be just best to go instead and asked for the check. When the check came, we caught the drinks ordered still charged on our check and asked for a revised bill since we never received our drinks. A new bill was printed after a couple of minutes with the payment device brought to our table. When I requested for a receipt, the payment device replied with an error saying there's no more paper. So we put on our jackets and headed downstairs to the main register to get our receipt and met with Gua, who was the owner at the Millburn location, who came over earlier to help. She apologized again for the less than ideal service experience and re-explaining the situation. We assured her that we understood and will be back again, and hope that she gets the issue(s) resolved soon.

Despite experiencing the small problems, and the more-than-the-usual busy schedule, plus the forgetfulness [and nervousness] of our [perhaps new, inexperienced] server, the food retained their authenticity, flavors, and proportions. I would go back again for the food; but next time go when it's not during the holidays or during busy times. This way, I can enjoy the food, the company, and hospitality of...

I usually don’t write reviews unless it was exceptional. Visited vPho last week. The dishes were outstanding for flavor and freshness. Each dish was crafted and presented with a lot of love and care. Loved their Dumplings, Spicy Lemongrass noodle soup and my favorite -the Vbox. There are many more gems to be tried and I can’t wait to go back. Service was quick. The owner chef takes the trouble to explain the best way to enjoy each dish. Thought that was a nice personal touch. Only wish the chairs in their outdoor patio were a bit more comfy esp if you are going to take your time to enjoy, but I am picky. They do their best though to make you happy. Other than that it’s an outstanding if not the best Vietnamese in NJ. Ps.I will be sure to add pics the next time. It was so beautifully presented that we dove right in and forgot...

Rather than spending $225+ for two having a very expensive dinner at the usual 3-4 Westfield haunts, we went to vPHO on Westfield Ave. The vibe walking in was a bit sterile and plain - folks very busy with to-go orders but staff very welcoming.

We got the vBOX platter main, a dumpling soup app and a vermicelli soup main. We were blown away - everything came out screaming hot, excellent spices and good size portions. This place is a find if just looking to go out for an hour and have a reasonably priced dinner. Every item was a 10 and definitely going back and bringing friends.

Did not go to 2nd floor and hoping it's a little more interesting a vibe for a bigger group - all-in with tip was ~ $62. Outstanding value proposition - especially when just bringing a $20 bottle of wine or home...