Flavor Boulevard

Because I can’t make a post out of each and every single bowl of pho I’ve eaten, I’ll make a post about all bowls of pho I’ve eaten.
A perfect score (20/20) means “good noodle (4), good broth (4), good meat (4), big portion (2), low price (2), fast service (2), nice/modern setting (2)”. One bonus point for interesting things. The veggies are not taken into account because: 1. I don’t put veggies in my pho and 2. for the bowls I’ve eaten too long ago, I can’t remember what the veggie plate was like.

By “nice/modern setting”, I mean it’s not plastic-chair casual food court kind of place, the decor, spacing and lighting obviously have an effect.

Beef tripe – Pho Hoa Lao II

CALIFORNIA
Berkeley
– Anh Hong (Downtown Berkeley): good noodle, good broth, good meat, big portion, high price, medium service, nice setting – 17/20
– Le Petit Cheval (Durant, Berkeley campus): okay noodle, bad broth (salty with clinging aftertaste of packaged Pho seasoning), okay meat, big portion, low price, fast service, casual setting – 11/20
– Le Regal (Downtown Berkeley): good noodle, bad broth (too fatty and bland), good meat UPDATE: bad meat (they gave me spoiled meatballs!), big portion, medium price, medium service, nice setting – 8/20
– The Oriental (North Berkeley): good noodle, okay broth (a little too sweet), okay meat, small portion, low price, medium service, casual setting – 12/20
– The Pho Bar (North Gate, Berkeley campus): good noodle, bad (bland and fatty) broth, good meat, small portion, high price, medium service, modern setting – 11/20
– Pin Toh (Downtown Berkeley): good noodle, okay broth, okay meat, big portion, high price, fast service, casual setting – 13/20 UPDATE: this place has been replaced by a different noodle business, will check them out later!

Palo Alto, Menlo Park
– Phở Ngon: okay noodle, good broth, okay meat, big portion, low price, medium service, casual setting – 13/20
– Phở Vỉ Hoa: good noodle, okay broth, okay meat, big portion, fair price, medium service, casual setting – 14/20

Oakland
– Kang Nam Pho: good noodle, good broth, good meat, big portion, fair price, fast service, casual setting – 17/20
– Phở Hòa Lão II: good noodle, okay broth, good meat, big portion, low price, slow service, casual setting – 14/20

TEXAS
College Station
– Pho John: okay noodle, bad broth, okay meat, medium portion, low price, medium service, casual setting – 8/20
– Rosie’s Pho: good noodle, good broth, good meat, big portion, low price, slow service, nice setting – 18/20
– Vietnamese Taste: okay noodle, okay broth, okay meat, medium portion, low price, medium service, casual setting – 10/20

Houston
– Phở An (Humble): okay noodle, okay broth, okay meat, medium portion, low price, medium service, casual setting – 10/20
– Phở Danh: good noodle, good broth, okay meat, big portion, low price, medium service, casual setting – Interesting addition: pickled onion – 17/20
– V Bistro (Humble): good noodle, good broth, good meat, small portion, high price, fast service, casual setting – 13/20