"Pho Cafe is Just Okay. Went there for lunch today with my son. We got there at 12:15 PM and there was no crowd so we were able to get the 'feel ' and 'mood ' of the place a few minutes before the lunchtime bustle. I had the Beef Pho with tendon and tripe, while my son had the Chicken Pho. We both agreed that the flavor of the soups were nothing to rave about, but nothing to criticise either. The pho at Golden Deli in San Gabriel is more flavorful, rich, with bigger portions of meat, while Pho Cafe offers a 'short and to the point, ' kind of approach in its bowls with nominal flavor and mere slivers of cuts compared to Golden Deli. For appetizers, we ordered the spring rolls with lemongrass steak and shrimp. My son prefered these over Goldens Deli 's crisp and rich egg rolls. Pho Cafe 's spring rolls are refreshing (surf and turf with white rice and herbs) especially in the afternoon to cool you down on a hot day. By 12:30PM a few of the locals started to trickle in with the waiter staff noticeably becoming more busy with preparing more glasses and less on attending to our needs at the tables. The staff is minimal in its hospitality (nominal warmth in hosting, no smiles, but dutifully accomodating) with a hint of pleasantness when you finish giving your order. Parking was available during lunchtime, but because of the obscurity of its location (it 's nestled within a strip mall with no obvious sign) we parked on the street (metered parking with an hour for every quarter you put in the meter). The atmosphere was definitely minimalist chic with high ceilings, orange chairs, tables for two, and an echo that permeates the room causing you to start chattering over each other as you converse over your meal. The beer list is pretty diverse in selection (Singha/Thai, Red Stripe/Jamaican, 333/Vietnamese, Tsingtao/Chinese, Corona, Heineken, etc) and great for meeting up with buddies who like to throw back a couple of cold ones after work. If you 're looking to take a date to a quiet place and speak in whispers and hushed tones, this place is not the place to go to. The tables are very close to each other so there is no 'personal space ' if you 're someone who feels uncomfortable sitting so close to strangers. However, this is a great place for singles or extroverts looking to meet new people, strike up conversations, and to spot eye candy (two attractive women sat next to us). All-in-all, Pho Cafes strong points are twofold: a good place to get the bare-bone minimal--a decent, hot bowl of Vietnamese soup to fill you up and to 'people watch/socialize ' in a hip vibe with good beer and cheer with friends ."
Pho Bo
