Pho 80

So I've seen this restaurant for awhile since I work nearby and now that it's opened I went to give it a shot.

FOOD: I went with my husband, his sister and my son and was starving so on such a rainy chilly day we decided to all order Pho (Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup). Unfortunately my child isn't too crazy about Pho so we decided to order a platter of Deep fried Chicken Wings for him instead. In about 5-10 minutes or so the waiter came out with a piping hot plate of chicken wings and for around 5 bucks we got about 7-8 chicken wings which was a pretty good deal. The wings were very crispy, juicy and suprisingly flavorful. I had expected just plain wings since it's a Pho restaurant but it well seasoned. It was enough for our son to enjoy and us to each try one.

The pho came out under 5 minutes after the wings. Being Vietneamese and having eaten Pho my whole life, I am quite picky when it comes to it. For me, proportion is the most important thing, next to the broth and the freshness of the meat. The Pho ranged from $5.00 -$5.50 which is a very reasonable price considering how most place has knotched it up to around $6ish already. I ordered Pho 80's house for $5.50 which included everything (well done flank, fresh thin beef slices, beef tribes, beef balls, tendon). The broth was deep and not overly strong. I requested a small bowl of 'creamy broth' with is actually the fattier layer of the broth that is on the surface. A pho veteran would definitely order this to enhance the beef flavor. If you're not into the fattier aspect of Pho then no worries - it only comes upon request. I added minimal amounts of hoison and hot sauce because the taste was just about right for me when the sprouts and herbs were added. The noodles were a good size and didn't overflow/bland out the broth. We got a good heap of meat which allowed for every bite to have a combination of everything. The meat were fresh and thinly sliced - I've had very bad experiences where the meat tasted stale or wrecked of small...perhaps it's because it's been cut and left out for way too long? Anyhow, their's was just the right amount.

ATMOSPHERE: The atmostphere is nice, new and clean which was a good addition. Unlike the usually crowded vietnamese restaurants, Pho 80 is, although small, orgnanized and spacious enough that you don't feel like you'll be bumping into people's back when you eat. I overheard the table nearby and it seems that the owners are very attentive to their customers and are willing to accepet suggestions when other customers commented about the taste and so forth. The decors are nice and modern and they have 2 TVs which was nice to kill time before the food came. A great plus is their washroom ( I usually dislike using restaraunt washrooms esp vietnamese ones are usually too tight and cramped). This one was a good size that was big enough and was very nice and clean.

SERVICE: I came in to a greet and was seated immediately with our menus given to us. The waiter was quick and was on call to whatever we needed. The menu has a good selection of items with appetizers, Pho, lots of rice dishes, vermicellis, desserts and smoothies. Too bad we didn't have room to try anything else but we'll probably drop by again considering the close distance.

Overall it was quite a pleasent experience and I would definitely come by again. Since the place is new so a few of their special dishes are not available yet but despite that, the menu is still extensive with lots to offer rather than just Pho and some Rice dishes like other places. I was surprised that they offer a good variety of appetizers and desserts that are usually not present in Vietnamese restaurants. If you're nearby looking for a reasonably priced yet filling and healthy meal, this is a nice go to place.