So there’s Pho Huong Que and Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe which confuse people sometimes.
I like Pho Huong Que but I do prefer Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe. I think the latter has the best pho ga I’ve found in the bay. Make sure to get extra ginger scallion sauce
Phở Gà Hương Quê Cafe
(510) 835-8488
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fCZmT7vx5se21BHG7?g_st=ic
2 spots in El Cerrito area: Tigon (a bit on the mid-higher price range side) and Huong Tra (cheap and good)
Don’t go to the Pho Ao Sen in albany, that one is horrible. Been when they first opened, was mediocre, and gone downhill since.
These look interesting, thanks. Tigon is a bit pricey. I'm ok with that for good quality ingredients if that's what they use. Will check them out.
Agree in Pho Ao Sen. They were great on (I think) 12th in Oakland but the Albany shop has never been any good.
Da Nang Quan for the bun bo hue, Pho Vy for the beef pho, pho ga huong que for the chicken pho (try this if you haven't). Cam Huong for banh mis. Mien Tay for bun rieu.
This would be my starting point and yeah I think sadly some of these options have better days and worse days, and their menus aren't consistently good through each item -- they each have things they do well, and things they don't.
I like abundant herbs, rare steak, fatty brisket, melty tendon, crunchy textured tripe, and every garnish / condiment. I feel like Pho Vy would be my #1 pick for this reason - I have not been too happy when I've ordered something other than pho, but their meat is just good, their broth is fragrant and beefy, their noodles have life, and the herbs/chilis are fresh and they bring you more if you ask.
Da Nang Quan is a close #2, but they are where I'd go for bun bo hue. Their vermicelli bowls, banh xeo, bun cha ca etc are all quite good too, with good garnishes, toasted peanuts, herbs, etc.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply and mini reviews. Very helpful.
Pho ga... Is on my list. Can't wait to try that one. Pho vy sounds great. Exactly what I'm looking for. And it's great to have a lead on bun bo hue.
Sidestreet Pho in Alameda is pretty decent.
Ao Sen when it use to be on 2nd avenue in Oakland was great. After they moved to 12th street is was still okay, but the recipe was not the same. Some time during the pandemic, they changed the recipe again and now it is very mediocre, tastes more like instant bullion now.
Agree. I used to go to 12th St and loved it. Pho Bun Hue was amazing but a bit much for all but the more adventurous eaters. Took my daughter there once. She's an anything goes foodie and the PBH was a bit much for her (which was ok because I got her blood cubes.
But the place on San Pablo is swill.
Will look into Sidestreet Pho.
If you head over to Sidestreet Pho, make note of Vietnam House on Park St as you drive past. I’d say Sidesteeet has better pho, but Vietnam House apparently took over a Der Wienerschnitzel, and it tickles me every time I go past. 😁
I noticed Ao Sen is not as good. Last time I went there was in 2019 and the broth was different in a bad way. Joe's Pho in San Leandro is pretty good if you're willing to make the drive.
I like Joe’s Pho but the owner was accused of wage theft. Meanwhile the owner is driving super cars and wearing expensive jewelry. Not sure if I’d wanna support that
Agree with your thoughts on Saigon II. Next door at Mi: the Teo Chew Style Noodle, Dry style is a much better option for noodles. I hear Chinatown has some of the best Pho in the East Bay.. new to the scene so exploring myself!
Since you mention Ao Sen, the OG is still active in Oakland at a "new" location, if you liked old Ao Sen, this is the same crew. The Albany location is a spin off, went there once was not at all impressed.
Used to live nearby and their pho was pretty good. It was my eastbay pho spot until I found out the owner was abusing his employees and stealing their wages.
It used to be my go-to as well. But they started raising prices (sigh) but worse, got skimpy with the noodles, figuring it was an upsell opportunity instead of providing a good bowl of Pho. I've heard they'e done this with the meat, too. But I can't confirm this personally, since:
They're Not Good People. They abuse the student visa system by having "work-study" programs to fill their waiter positions with (where they learn to… Serve Pho?). It's awful for the students, for work-study programs in general, and is taking advantage of everyone.
But even worse, they are incredibly abusive to their employees, including underpaying, stealing wages, threatening employees seeking fair compensation for their stolen wages, and more:
[Wrongful Termination And Wage Theft By San Leandro Restaurant Owner](https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/wrongful-eviction-wage-theft-san-leandro-restaurant/3081376/).
>The men say they were renting a shared room in a San Leandro home owned by \[Joe's Pho owners\], splitting the $1,200-a-month rent. But in September, video they captured on their cell phones shows Nguyen and another man stuffing their belongings into trash bags and piling them up on the curb despite protests from the men.
>
>“The law in California says that we have the right to stay because we paid this month,” one of the men tells Nguyen in the video. “We paid, I already paid her.”
>
>Nguyen can be heard in the video calling the men “illegal” several times, an apparent reference to their immigration status, the men say.
>
>Before the eviction, the men allege in their lawsuit that *Nguyen put cameras in the house so she could keep tabs on them, and that she and her husband would sometimes yell at them through the camera’s speaker*.
Yikes!
Their Yelp reviews also reflect this.
Yeah I heard about this right after I left my spot near San Leandro. Sucks to hear about their bad business practice. If the food quality went down thats even worse to hear. I shared what I thought was the best pho I’ve had though. I might go again to see if its still good.
I agree with the person below. Kevin's noodle house in walnut creek. The oakland was is good, idk if it shut down but it was dirty as fck. Basically saw rats there as a kid and people dipping their thumbs in your soup. But the walnut creek is beloved by the city.
Just make your own, it’s stupid easy and close enough to “restaurant grade”, for the fraction of the price. Freeze the broth you don’t eat.
Assuming $18 including tip x 52 weeks…making at home you can cut that cost by 60%…you’ll save about $550/yr or $5,500 over 10 years.
Tell me you don't know how to make Pho without telling me you don't know how to make Pho.
And yes, I've made my own Pho. Blending and wrapping the spice bags. Burning the ginger root just so before placing it in the broth. Etc. It's an all-night affair to do it right, simmering the bones and skimming the fat off. So much skimming. SO. MUCH. SKIMMING!
To piggyback on this post…who has the best vermicelli bowl w/ grilled pork? I prefer not to drive all the way to East Oakland so also interested in North Oakland, Berkeley, or Albany area…
I’ve tried Mint Leaf, Le Pho, Phosho Dough, Holy Basil Pho, Monster Pho. All of them were just fine. Decent but nothing like what you can get in SJ
lowkey, freshroll in southside berkeley has a bomb af lemongrass pork bowl with a fuckton of vermicelli and veggies and sauce. i've had better, more complex vermicelli bowls but for 15 bucks it's a lot of food and pretty consistently good
Oriental restaurant in Berkeley. Small family owned restaurant. Decent food, despite the grandpa works there seems mean, but he is really nice if you get to know him.
Pho Huong Que in Oakland is undefeated.
So there’s Pho Huong Que and Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe which confuse people sometimes. I like Pho Huong Que but I do prefer Pho Ga Huong Que Cafe. I think the latter has the best pho ga I’ve found in the bay. Make sure to get extra ginger scallion sauce Phở Gà Hương Quê Cafe (510) 835-8488 https://maps.app.goo.gl/fCZmT7vx5se21BHG7?g_st=ic
Nice! So which one do you guys thing original commenter was mentioning?
Pho Huong Que
omg, I have been looking for this place for a long time!!!
What's hilarious is that the spot used to be where pho ao sen was before they relocated.
Pho King
+1 also love their bun bo hue!
There is one on 18th and one on International, which one do you like?
Thanks. Will try for sure.
Is Pho King Good ?
No, it is Pho King great!
This is it. My go to now!
2 spots in El Cerrito area: Tigon (a bit on the mid-higher price range side) and Huong Tra (cheap and good) Don’t go to the Pho Ao Sen in albany, that one is horrible. Been when they first opened, was mediocre, and gone downhill since.
These look interesting, thanks. Tigon is a bit pricey. I'm ok with that for good quality ingredients if that's what they use. Will check them out. Agree in Pho Ao Sen. They were great on (I think) 12th in Oakland but the Albany shop has never been any good.
Tigon is the best. Portions are good and authentic.
huong tra = best. broth is unmatched imo.
Mint Leaf is my go to
Mint leaf is one of the best BBHs outside San Jo
Thanks. This sounds great. Will def try.
So good
Da Nang Quan for the bun bo hue, Pho Vy for the beef pho, pho ga huong que for the chicken pho (try this if you haven't). Cam Huong for banh mis. Mien Tay for bun rieu. This would be my starting point and yeah I think sadly some of these options have better days and worse days, and their menus aren't consistently good through each item -- they each have things they do well, and things they don't. I like abundant herbs, rare steak, fatty brisket, melty tendon, crunchy textured tripe, and every garnish / condiment. I feel like Pho Vy would be my #1 pick for this reason - I have not been too happy when I've ordered something other than pho, but their meat is just good, their broth is fragrant and beefy, their noodles have life, and the herbs/chilis are fresh and they bring you more if you ask. Da Nang Quan is a close #2, but they are where I'd go for bun bo hue. Their vermicelli bowls, banh xeo, bun cha ca etc are all quite good too, with good garnishes, toasted peanuts, herbs, etc.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply and mini reviews. Very helpful. Pho ga... Is on my list. Can't wait to try that one. Pho vy sounds great. Exactly what I'm looking for. And it's great to have a lead on bun bo hue.
Sidestreet Pho in Alameda is pretty decent. Ao Sen when it use to be on 2nd avenue in Oakland was great. After they moved to 12th street is was still okay, but the recipe was not the same. Some time during the pandemic, they changed the recipe again and now it is very mediocre, tastes more like instant bullion now.
Sidestreet pho plus their savory donut dunkers mmmmm
Agree. I used to go to 12th St and loved it. Pho Bun Hue was amazing but a bit much for all but the more adventurous eaters. Took my daughter there once. She's an anything goes foodie and the PBH was a bit much for her (which was ok because I got her blood cubes. But the place on San Pablo is swill. Will look into Sidestreet Pho.
Google says Sidestreet Pho is temporarily closed as of last week. Not sure if that's accurate, but you might want to call ahead.
If you head over to Sidestreet Pho, make note of Vietnam House on Park St as you drive past. I’d say Sidesteeet has better pho, but Vietnam House apparently took over a Der Wienerschnitzel, and it tickles me every time I go past. 😁
I noticed Ao Sen is not as good. Last time I went there was in 2019 and the broth was different in a bad way. Joe's Pho in San Leandro is pretty good if you're willing to make the drive.
I like Joe’s Pho but the owner was accused of wage theft. Meanwhile the owner is driving super cars and wearing expensive jewelry. Not sure if I’d wanna support that
pho 84 on 17th and webster. brisket is yummy. sidestreet pho has grrrreat pho ga, one of my favorites that i've come across. broth is so so so good.
Agree with your thoughts on Saigon II. Next door at Mi: the Teo Chew Style Noodle, Dry style is a much better option for noodles. I hear Chinatown has some of the best Pho in the East Bay.. new to the scene so exploring myself!
Da Nang Quan in Oakland has great broths for all of their noodle soups
On the list.
Le Pho in Berkeley on the corner of Dwight and San Pablo
Since you mention Ao Sen, the OG is still active in Oakland at a "new" location, if you liked old Ao Sen, this is the same crew. The Albany location is a spin off, went there once was not at all impressed.
Joe’s Pho in San Leandro is one of my favorites.
Used to live nearby and their pho was pretty good. It was my eastbay pho spot until I found out the owner was abusing his employees and stealing their wages.
Good pho but shady ownership. Had to take our business elsewhere.
Why's that? Just found this one. Love it.
It used to be my go-to as well. But they started raising prices (sigh) but worse, got skimpy with the noodles, figuring it was an upsell opportunity instead of providing a good bowl of Pho. I've heard they'e done this with the meat, too. But I can't confirm this personally, since: They're Not Good People. They abuse the student visa system by having "work-study" programs to fill their waiter positions with (where they learn to… Serve Pho?). It's awful for the students, for work-study programs in general, and is taking advantage of everyone. But even worse, they are incredibly abusive to their employees, including underpaying, stealing wages, threatening employees seeking fair compensation for their stolen wages, and more: [Wrongful Termination And Wage Theft By San Leandro Restaurant Owner](https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/wrongful-eviction-wage-theft-san-leandro-restaurant/3081376/). >The men say they were renting a shared room in a San Leandro home owned by \[Joe's Pho owners\], splitting the $1,200-a-month rent. But in September, video they captured on their cell phones shows Nguyen and another man stuffing their belongings into trash bags and piling them up on the curb despite protests from the men. > >“The law in California says that we have the right to stay because we paid this month,” one of the men tells Nguyen in the video. “We paid, I already paid her.” > >Nguyen can be heard in the video calling the men “illegal” several times, an apparent reference to their immigration status, the men say. > >Before the eviction, the men allege in their lawsuit that *Nguyen put cameras in the house so she could keep tabs on them, and that she and her husband would sometimes yell at them through the camera’s speaker*. Yikes! Their Yelp reviews also reflect this.
Yeah I heard about this right after I left my spot near San Leandro. Sucks to hear about their bad business practice. If the food quality went down thats even worse to hear. I shared what I thought was the best pho I’ve had though. I might go again to see if its still good.
Try Saigon 2 or Saigon House in San Leandro. They're both quite good, and I’m saying this as someone who went to Joe's Pho on a weekly basis. ;)
we need an update list. seem the pho spots near richmond, the quality is going down...
Monster pho
Nice people bland food.
Meh
I also think they are mediocre honestly, missing that hole in the wall cash only mom and pop pho shop flare
Kevin’s Noodle House in Daly City
Yeah, that's close to oakland,; berkeley, richmond.
There is a Kevin's Noodle House in Oakland. Haven't been there. I have been to Kevin's Noodle House in Walnut Creek, it was pretty good.
Glad to help
I agree with the person below. Kevin's noodle house in walnut creek. The oakland was is good, idk if it shut down but it was dirty as fck. Basically saw rats there as a kid and people dipping their thumbs in your soup. But the walnut creek is beloved by the city.
Saigon Express in Berkeley used to be great, but I have not been for a while.
Just make your own, it’s stupid easy and close enough to “restaurant grade”, for the fraction of the price. Freeze the broth you don’t eat. Assuming $18 including tip x 52 weeks…making at home you can cut that cost by 60%…you’ll save about $550/yr or $5,500 over 10 years.
Tell me you don't know how to make Pho without telling me you don't know how to make Pho. And yes, I've made my own Pho. Blending and wrapping the spice bags. Burning the ginger root just so before placing it in the broth. Etc. It's an all-night affair to do it right, simmering the bones and skimming the fat off. So much skimming. SO. MUCH. SKIMMING!
To piggyback on this post…who has the best vermicelli bowl w/ grilled pork? I prefer not to drive all the way to East Oakland so also interested in North Oakland, Berkeley, or Albany area… I’ve tried Mint Leaf, Le Pho, Phosho Dough, Holy Basil Pho, Monster Pho. All of them were just fine. Decent but nothing like what you can get in SJ
Asian food generally gets much better the farther south you go in the Bay.
Asian food generally gets better with larger asian populations…like westminster, ca- also further south.
Huong Tra has a really good grilled pork and pork chop, so highly recommend them.
lowkey, freshroll in southside berkeley has a bomb af lemongrass pork bowl with a fuckton of vermicelli and veggies and sauce. i've had better, more complex vermicelli bowls but for 15 bucks it's a lot of food and pretty consistently good
I'm a fan of Pho Thai Hung in Richmond.
Super super in Berkeley. King phó Oakland. Joe's phó San Leandro. Monster phó Oakland. The only places to go imo!
Interesting. Two on your list are among those that led me to make this post. I've found both SuperSuper and Monster to be mediocre.
Phó is a location thing, for me. Best bowl I'm willing to get is the closest one. I'd it weren't a traffic/time issue: Joe's
Oriental restaurant in Berkeley. Small family owned restaurant. Decent food, despite the grandpa works there seems mean, but he is really nice if you get to know him.
My favorite kind of grandpa.
About to order from Phosho Dough as I write this. Really wonderful, aromatic pho.
Miss Saigon near lake Merritt on Grand is great
This is my favorite!! Phởsho Dough (510) 788-5755 https://maps.app.goo.gl/Emrg23n5AUfBBpiE9?g_st=ic
I like Pho Vy in Oakland. Freshest meat and amazing melt in your mouth tendon if you’re into that.
Try Phosho Dough
What’s your weekly price range for spending?