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Pho Hoang Vietnamese Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
3388 Main StVancouver, BC V5V 3M7
Neighbourhood: Riley Park
(604) 874-0832
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
29 reviews for Pho Hoang Vietnamese Restaurant
29 reviews in English
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Review from Matt R.
Vancouver, BC
2/3/2012
The "small" pho is enormous. More than I can eat, good, and cheap!
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Review from Patricia L.
Vancouver, BC
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
It saddens me to write that this place used to be fab, now it's just drab.
I used to come here really frequently about 5-6 years ago. After moving to the downtown core to live and getting rid of our car, our visits slowed significantly. I came here on a random Tuesday lunch afternoon last week - my first visit in about a year. The last time we came the year before, we could tell that things that slipped a bit, but because we used to love the place so much, we made excuses about them just having an "off day" and left it at that. (Though it effected us enough to not return again for awhile - until now.)
Anyway, onto the food - the beef broth is oily and bland and the rare beef is just chucked into the bowl in huge loveless raw gobs that bind together into huge non-appetizing chunks in the sad broth. Also, the bean sprouts were wilted and there were no limes.
The service to take orders was pretty much non-existent, not the usual quick and friendly service I remember from days gone by. We waited for 20 minutes for someone to grab our order, but they simply forgot about us - we almost walked out and left, until my spouse got up and ordered for us by their kitchen window.
The worst was leaving feeling like we had completely wasted our time coming here when there are so many other better options in the city. Just sad.Listed in: I HEART Food!
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Review from Betty T.
11/27/2011
The soup base is good... 4/5... dark, flavorful soup.
But let's talk about the bad service, shall we?
1. The waitress forgot to give the bean sprouts for my pho... and when i asked for it she was like "Oh... you want bean sprouts?" in a very annoyed tone.
2. I ordered the salted plum soda. I was given salted plum water.
3. They said it's cash only, but I see the credit card / debit card machine right in front of her! -
Review from Matthew P.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It's a love hate relationship I have with Pho Hoang. This was one of the first Pho restaurants I tried in Vancouver over 3 years ago. At that time I thought, WOW it's was one of the best Pho joints I've been to. This is a huge statement coming form someone who have lived 31 years of his life in Los Angeles, CA where we have some of the best pho restaurants around (Golden Deli, Vietnam House, and Kobe Pho)... Go ahead, look them up!
Over the years their broth has changed, a little more oily then what I remembered but still very flavorful. To date their spring rolls are some of the best I've had. I've tried a couple other Pho houses here in Van City, but I'm a creature of habit when it comes to barbers and restaurants. Once I find a place that's good i stick with it. I'm sure there are plenty other pho restaurants in BC, in fact I've read so many reviews on others I plan to try them out when I get the chance. However, Pho Hoang is like a second Pho home for me. It reminds me of when I first started visiting BC and the staff knows us now.
The service here is a hit and miss, but I'm not expecting a fine dining experience; but I would like constancy versus the bi-polar attitude I've received on many occasions. Recently the service has gone up a notch, maybe they've read other reviews and made changes. Either way, they could be down right rude and I think I'd still go back (I doubt they would) because I've never came here and left unhappy... I like their PHO and Spring Rolls! To top it all off they accept credit cards, this is a trend that other Asian restaurants/cafes in general should adopt. I hate walking into a place to discover they only accept cash and my wallet is short some bills.
On a side note, I've also tried their vermicelli and it's great.
My usual dishes:
Appetizers
1. #01 Spring Rolls
2. #05 ground Pork in steamed rice roll with viet ham
Mains
#11 - Standard rare beef noodle soup
#12 - Brisket (they call it well done beef)
#13 - Rare beef and Brisket (undecided between #11 & #12, get this)
Vermicelli
#67 - Charbroiled Pork with spring rolls
#68 - Charbroiled Beef with spring rolls
#69 - Charbroiled Chicken with spring rolls
Drinks
# 90 - Ca Phe Sua Da - French coffee with condensed milk on ice
# 91 - Ca Phe Sua Nong - French coffee with condensed milk (hot)
# 96 - Soda with fresh lime juice on ice -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
10/15/2011
The rare beef/meatball pho started out well - my first impression was hot tangy broth with big pieces of meat. But by the time I was finished, it just tasted bland and greasy, and I was exhausted from trying to get rice noodles onto slick chopsticks with any decorum. The service was fine however - nothing special, nothing terrible.
I think this experience confirms that I am definitely a ramen girl. -
Review from Edward L.
Pho Hoang is one of those places that are open decent hours, and serve consistent food. The food isn't bad at all, but the pho is.. well, average.
Parking is ample in front (on Main), as well as the side streets. Usually I get lucky and end up within 20m of the front door.
The interior is above average (for a Pho place), with mirrored walls, and decent tables and chairs with a carpeted floor.
One thing I really like about this place is that the portions are HUGE. The bowls of pho are so large that there's literally no room to put the bean sprouts. The beef balls don't have gristle (common problem with other Pho places), and the soup is decent. I always drink it all.
The biggest complaint I have is with the severe lack of service. The staff tend to like sitting back and chatting / joking around. This I normally don't mind, but it becomes a problem when I have to literally wait 5 minutes, then also walk to the other side of the restaurant and tap the waitress on the shoulder. Come on people, do your jobs. This has happened to me more than once.
Give them a try if you're in the area. -
Review from Isabel B.
Mount Pleasant, Vancouver, BC
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food is consistently good, service very very iffy. While finally enjoying our pho after it had been delivered for 10 minutes we had to go ask the server for our sprouts and basil. On the big round table next to us right in front of the kitchen the sever who's on her break chats LOUDLY with the busser. Incredibly annoying and hard to enjoy our meal. 17 out of 20 of her words were "like".
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Review from Erin K.
Vancouver, BC
3/2/2011
Stopped in for soup to go. Place seemed clean at a glance but wasn't there long enough to really check. Food came in less than 5 mins.
When I asked if all "goodies" were included in the bag, I was told they were out of basil but everything else was there. What? No basil for my pho? Inconceivable! Then I asked about hoisin and hot sauce, and she wandered off to get it. Then I got home - no limes or peppers! Did I say plain noodles with broth?! And to top it off, the hoisin and hot sauce were mixed together and not nearly hot enough for me.
On the plus side the broth was flavourful although salty, and the chicken was decent boneless breast & thigh meat.
This seems to be the closest pho place to my new home, so I may go back and give it another try. But I'll be sure to check that all ingredients are available & included when ordering. In the meantime, I'll be on the lookout for a better place nearby. -
Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
2/28/2011
Pretty decent pho, with large portions for comparable prices. Service is severely lacking, but most often, if you're just there for a bowl of soup noodles, you don't need much more than that.
I did have an experience once where my friend ordered pho with various toppings, but the kitchen had run out of one thing, so they left it out. But instead of informing my friend when the food was served, they didn't say a word until she asked.
The fried chicken here is pretty good, and one of their stir-fried beef dishes on rice was very tasty.
Bottom line: Decent, fast food with not-so-great service. -
Review from Nam N.
Vancouver, BC
10/27/2010
Used to come here a lot back in college with my mates for lunch or a cheap dinner. But the food is just so-so, last time I was here the Pho just knocked me out because there's was so much MSG. MSG makes me sleepy. I find I don't eat Pho much when I go out unless I know the place serves clean Pho or I plan to go for a nap.
However I do love their lemongrass chicken on rice. Their chicken portions are huge, its like they're serving steroid chickens! My friends and I usually grab the chicken dish, after one of those you're pretty much good for the day. Well-marinated and you can't go wrong with the rice ;P
SERVICE: I speak Vietnamese so I don't have any communication issues. I see a lot of people have had service problems on Yelp but I guess I've never had. Service has always been quick and friendly, no probs here.
PRICE: Pretty much the same as any other Pho joint.
SUGGEST: I wouldn't touch the Pho personally. I can vouch for the rice dishes and vermicelli bowls. But really there's so many Viet places now where the food is exceptionally better there's no point dropping in here. They'll need to bring up their A game for me to come back. -
Review from Mercedes G.
Vancouver, BC
5/2/2009
Okay. Here we go again. Vietnamese cuisine let down.
My hopes were up when I saw that Pho Hoang has been voted numerous times as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver. Really?! Seriously people?! While the filling of the spring rolls was better than previous spring rolls that I have devoured, the wrapping was greasy and clearly cooked in old oil. My partner in crime had a dish with meat that was a little more pink that it should have been. She didn't fall ill but it definitely left her a little squeamish about finishing her meal.
I don't usually eat Pho when I have Vietnamese but I hear the broth at Pho Hoang is quite tasty. Frankly, I've STILL had better Vietnamese cuisine, unfortunately, it wasn't in Vancouver. The quest continues. Sigh. -
Review from graham r.
11/22/2008
message details: Sent at 6:21 PM on Saturday
Mogwai: where did you get pho?
me: it's on main. i read about it on yelp before
Mogwai: before the other places? (i mean, it's located before?)
me: yeah it's where that bend in the road is, near those churches
Mogwai: did you like it
me: yeah it was good.
nice interior
big portions
rolls were 3.5 / 5 stars
coffee was 5 / 5
Mogwai: what about the pho
me: i am contemplating its rating.
there are many factors.
I'd say it was a solid 4.33 / 5 stars
the tea was really good
it had lots of sticks and what not at the bottom of the cup, it was strong
Mogwai: sounds nice
me: they played Vietnamese pop songs -
Review from geraldine g.
Toronto, ON
4/28/2009
This place is fabulous!!! If you are new to Vietnamese food, my friend, this is a wonderful place to start!!!
The Pho broth here is so slurp-ilicious! I mean, I've never picked up the bowl and drank the soup in. I want to but usually, you get so much food, I never finish.
My standard order is number 69. ( I can hear what you're thinking with me choosing this and it is funny.) It's good, I swear. It's a couple of spring rolls served with charbroiled chicken over vermicelli noodles with bean sprouts and vegetables. Take the side dish it comes with, nuoc nam and pour it all over this dish and enjoy one amazing dish.
There are many variations of this on their menu and I've tried a bunch and haven't been let down.
Try their Vietnamese coffee. It's a marvel made with condensed milk.
Go!!! -
Review from Phil S.
Vancouver, BC
6/26/2009
Erm I have truly had better Vietnamese food and the last time I was here was over 2 years ago but today my colleagues craved so I caved.
I have to echo Mercedes' comment, the spring rolls were literally soaked in grease/oil, albeit tasty they should have at least let the grease drain before dishing it out. And I ordered a chicken and mushroom noodle dish and it was almost tasteless, I had to add fish sauce, hot sauce and pepper just to give it a little boost. NOT even close to my last noodle experience at Pho Thai Son.
And near the end when I wanted to pay with debit (cuz I called 15 mins before hand to confirm they take interac), I was told the machine was broken. I looked at the machine and having used one in my old office, I could tell it was clearly functional but obviously they wanted me to pay cash (which I was reserving for later) to avoid the transaction charge. Boo! -
Review from Tara T.
BC
11/26/2008
Having just moved in around the corner from this restaurant, I decided to try it out whilst my boxes still overcrowded me in my new pad. This was a big move on my behalf. You see, about two years ago I travelled to Vietnam and overindulged in their delicious cooking. I think it was the potent spices, in particular the coriander that turned me off this Asian cuisine. I also over did it on the Pho so when I came to Pho Hoang I decided not to eat this traditional dish, but instead ordered a chicken curry.
I thought I couldn't go wrong with a chicken curry, but sadly I was wrong. It came to me overpowered with coriander and aniseed and the chicken was still on the bone, complete with sagging, fatty skin. I ate around the skin and picked at the meat surrounding the bone but I was unable to finish my dish. It wasn't terrible but very mono-flavoured and in a spice that I prefer in my desserts rather than curries.
I must have been terribly out of luck during this dining experience because I also ordered a glass of red wine, which came to me ice-cold. I tried in vain to warm it up with my hands. I only like my Chianti or Sangria chilled.
I also ate their spring rolls which I liked the texture of, but not so much the taste. And my friend and boyfriend had the beef Pho, which they both seemed to thoroughly enjoy. A word of caution: choose the small Pho as the large is massive in size.
Service was speedy, the Pho came out within minutes of ordering but my curry took a little longer, and the place itself was simple and casual with a pleasant dining atmosphere. The décor was very dated but the staff were friendly and our waitress laughed along with us when we tried to pronounce the menu items in Vietnamese.
If you like Vietnamese food than Pho Hoang is probably worth a try. I just don't think this is the type of cuisine for me. -
Review from Derek W.
7/1/2010 1 photo
If you happen to be hungry for pho and in the neighbourhood, this place will suit you just fine, but it isn't anything special.
The walls and floor aren't clean, but the utensils are, and what else can you ask from a pho place?
The servers seemed more interested in doing kitchen prep work on one of the tables in the dining area than serving me, but they came around and did their job, albeit without a smile.
In terms of food, it was very average. The spring rolls are heavily deep fried, which makes for a delicious flavour but probably isn't very healthy.
My strangest experience at Pho Hoang was when I went to the register to pay, and there was an 8" by 10" close-up photo of several teeth and gums just sitting there on the counter. Just sitting there, in open view, while the servers came by, and nobody seemed to notice or remove it! It was extremely unappetizing and bizarre, so I pointed it out to the manager, who gave me a nervous laugh and wasn't as surprised as I would have liked her to be, then moved it behind the counter. I'm not sure what that was about. -
Review from Daphne H.
8/12/2008
Pho, in my opinion is all about the beef and the broth.
Pho Hoang houses the best combination of both. Especially their broth..It's simply lip smacking. This is my go-to for Pho in the Vancouver downtown area. *SLURP* -
Review from Joe L.
Vancouver, BC
11/15/2009
Despite a disappointing experience at another Vietnamese restaurant on Fraser Street not too long ago, I'm determined to find another place for ph and stumbled upon Ph Hoàng on Yelp! With the rain pouring all day and being out in the area, we decided that it's perfect day for a bowl of hot noodle soup.
I ordered ph with cooked beef and tripe. I don't have the authority to attest to the authenticity of the cooking since I have never been to Vietnam nor did I grow up with Vietnamese cuisine. However, the soup was very flavourful and the beef was tender. It was as good as the ph I had in many Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose frequented by the large Vietnamese community there.
The best part of my experience was the service. When my ph was delivered with the accompanying plate of bean sprouts, the waitress was very apologetic that they ran out of basil. It was perfectly fine with me. Despite the fact that the restaurant was packed and all 3 waitresses were bussing around, she came back with a plate of basil when a new batch was delivered to the restaurant.
Sometimes minute service details and little things like a small plate of basils can have a lasting positive effect on a diner's experience. Needless to day, I will be a repeat customer.
Note - my accented "o"s disappeared from my post above after posting. -
Review from Ant L.
Burnaby, BC
4/12/2010
Food is acceptable, but with heavy doses of MSG. But service is baaaad. Were given sets of utensil and tea upon arrival. One cup had clear lipstick mark
on it. And not just a little, you can still see the whole lip mark. Order came wrong (asked for rice, turned into vermicelli noodle). Had to ask for beansprout for noodle. Asked for lime or lemon, but told they ran out, but later on found out they had a big bowl of them near the bar area. Of the four waitresses there, only 1 could be considered friendly. Won't come back again. -
Review from Lisa N.
Vancouver, BC
3/24/2010
Dropped by on a rainy weekday during midafternoon about 3. They had about 7 or 8 customers, with just one waitress, typical. The place is definitely more clean than your usual pho joint, and I love how they don't leave the chopsticks and spoons out for you to get yourself like a lot of other places, which is why I gave it a 4 for ambiance. But they play an odd combination of music.. from classical they switch it up to vietnamese music?
The lady who worked there seemed nice.. but it was just her, so she was constantly on her feet. Seemed like everytime she had something to say, she had to yell across the room in Vietnamese. Not much else to say. Oh, and my food came 5 mins after I ordered, which was nice.
I had the in season veggies with noodles in soup. Okay, by in season they meant one kind of vegetable (some kind of choy, looks kinda like bok choy) and carrots. That's it. But the soup base is above average.. I did find it a little salty though, not as in msg or too much salt, but like over seasoned? Maybe my soup was at the bottom of the pot and they didn't stir it as they served it out to customers or something. And they gave me more than enough noodles. For once I didn't drink cups and cups of water after having pho!
My noodles were 6.75, there are no choices for larges or smalls unfortunately. But it's a decent price for the amount and quality I got. Not too bad for a pho joint. -
Review from Kim L.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2011
Decent pho and rice dishes, spring rolls, etc. and the interior looks cleaner and nicer than most of the other Vietnamese establishments, HOWEVER, service can be very unpleasant--boo. This would have been a 3 star rating for food alone, but after giving Pho Hoang a chance on more than a few occasions, due to service, I had to drop a star. I would not choose to go back since there isn't any outstanding dish I would risk my dignity for. Is it really that hard to be minimally nice? Really???
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Review from Vernus C.
Vancouver, BC
11/27/2011
Delicious pho with awesome soup base! Only down side is that I tend to get really thirsty afterwards. Too much MSG?
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Review from Kin L.
Burnaby, BC
4/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I was driving along Main Street and decided to try this place for lunch. It was not too busy at lunch so I sat down right away. The service was super quick as my order of pho was brought out in less than 2 minutes after I ordered. I had a red bean ice drink which was awesome. The pho noodles was generously sized (I had a large bowl). The soup was delicious and the beef was tasty. I would certainly come back for more.
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Review from Beverley W.
Vancouver, BC
11/3/2008
My family has been going to Pho Hoang since it was a hole-in-the wall up the street. It has never let us down after all these years; after trying pho in many places, I find Pho Hoang's broth to be the best. It's fragrant with anise and richly-seasoned, giving it much more depth than most others. Free parking underground and in the back is handy.
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Review from Richard W.
Vancouver, BC
2/2/2011
I come here often for curry beef on rice which is really flavourful. Are those potatoes in there? Sometimes I go for the Pho which is pretty good and tasty. I don't notice much of the msg but I do get hungry again later in the day.
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Review from Leroy L.
1/27/2010 6 Check-ins Here
I come to Pho Hoang when I'm too lazy to cook, I'm in a rush, or on a semi-healthy kick. The Pho is good, flavorful, and served quickly. It comes piping hot, not too oily, and the portions of various meats are generous! My only big concern is the service. While the supervisor does absolutely nothing except work the cash register, the waitresses are scrambling to take orders and deliver food to the patrons. I could also do without the supervisor having loud conversations in Vietnamese with the other workers in the kitchen while I am trying to eat! Minus 1 star. Although the waitresses are polite and overworked, any requests seem to fall on deaf ears. I am used to my Pho served with lime, but Pho Hoang serves it with lemon and only when you ask for it. At least the Basil and Bean Sprouts are still standard. Come here for some good Pho, but don't expect great service!
Listed in: Mount Pleasant Haunts!
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Review from Mendel L.
Coquitlam, BC
3/6/2011
Literally our *first* time in a Vietnamese restaurant, mainly a positive experience. The food was fast, good and generous portions. The only niggle: our waitress spoke very halting English, and was stumped by our questions, so we ended up ordering way more than we could eat. Still, was not overly expensive, LOL, and they readily provided doggy-bag service. Tea was good and was replenished with one request.
The bill (came fast and timely) was just over $50, for 3 of us *and* with our over-ordering. I wanted to pay cash and quick-exit. The only bills I had was a $50 and a $20, so I put them on the bill tray, thinking: a little steep, but oh well. The waitress promptly collected the tray, and CAME BACK WITH THE EXACT CHANGE. What a pleasant surprise!
I gave her back a $10 out of the change and we were on our way. All-in-all a good experience, only: a little more knowledge of English would help attract inexperienced Vietnamese diners. ;) -
Review from Sarah O.
11/26/2009
Came here on a rainy night to grab a quick dinner. I was craving some lemongrass chicken and jasmine rice so that is exactly what I ordered. Usually when I get a rice dish, I expect to wait a good 10-15 minutes as they fire up the grill and char my chicken nice and crispy. So I'm sitting there, sipping my tea, taking off my jacket, settling in my seat.. and then BAM! My dish comes out.. suspiciously fast. I was skeptical but I figured there is no fighting it now.. just eat it. Sure enough, the chicken had been pre-cooked and was not warm, the vegetable on the side was not great at all, no cucumbers, it was just a big let down. When I asked for more tea, the lady didn't come by for 10 minutes and when I went up to pay, they rolled their eyes because I didn't have cash. Grr.. poopie heads. I didn't like the food or the service here.
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Review from John H.
Vancouver, BC
9/27/2009 1 photo
Fast and convenient ... Average Vietnamese food ... Pho is generally good. Street Parking is convenient, and I have never had to wait for a table!
