Delicious and quickly servedFriendly staffWhat more could you ask for?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Banh MI Sandwiches, Summer Rolls, Spring Rolls, Sauce, Soup
Todd Benrud
Came by on a Wed at 9:20 am and it was closed.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Quyen B.
The pho beef broth is very plain , not flavorful ; seems like they ran out of spice and ingredients.
Jennylou M.
Combo (pork & steak) vermicelli hits the viet craving. Lunch breaks are complicating at times because we don't know where to eat. Thank God for Yelp!I need to go back to try their Bahn mi.
Marion L.
Great pho soup. Fresh, tasty and comes out piping hot. Chicken sandwich is also yummy. Service always polite and the place pretty clean for Chinatown Only complaint, like most restaurants, too expensive for a bowl of beef noodles; portions don't warrant the higher cost. Inflation is no excuse to over inflate prices. I recommend the place though.
Bryan Okubo
First time to this place and I will definitely be back! The restaurant is very clean. I had the combo pho and papaya salad. The meat and papaya strips were very tender, more tender than other places. The broth for the pho was on the lighter side where you could taste the ingredients. No need for Sriracha or hoisin to add flavor. The marinade for the papaya salad was light and tasty. Definitely a place for good pho.The downside to this place is the area. It is on the sketchy side with street people meandering about. Street parking is a little shocking as $.25 gets you 6 minutes?
R. Lee Donaldson
What a fantastic find. Seen this place for a while, but never went in. I think because they don't post the menu in the window, it kept me from trying it. Actually only ended up there because the place I wanted to go to was closed and the other place next to it looked to dingy, so since we were there, took a chance. It was well worth the chance.The place is fresh and well kept. Even the menus looked in pristine condition. On top of that, everyone working there were friendly and engaging. Cuu Long II is defiantly not like other Vietnamese restaurants as far as what I just described.We ordered their Green Papaya salad, Beef Ball Pho, and Spicy Seafood Soup with Thick Vermicelli. All were fantastic.Their Green Papaya salad was beautifully plated and not drowning in dressing. The layout of the shrimp and the thin pork slices were delicately placed on top of the fresh shredded green papaya and nice amount of basil at the top to allow you to disperse it to your liking versus just all mixed in together like most other Vietnamese restaurants do. Our server brought over some homemade hot sauce to add and it was just amazing. You really could tell that it was homemade and was the perfect addition to kick up the salad a notch. Apparently they even sell it bottled to go.The Beef Ball Pho was a medium, but was very generous with the amount of beef balls added to the broth. The broth already had herbs and other greens added to it for a perfect ready to eat soup. I think even the most pickiest of eaters would have enjoyed this soup.With the Spicy Seafood Soup with Thick Vermicelli, it was spicy. Not rocket ship spicy, but I defiantly didn't need to add any more heat to it. However, I did add some fresh sliced jalapeños to it for a little more kick and flavor enhancement. Lots of shrimp and fish balls in it and the right balance of noodles.Everything was great there and I highly recommend it to try!
Trisha Asao
Got their combo vermicelli with lemon grass chicken and eggrolls. So yummy! Also, they have fresh squeezed lemonade! Easy 1hr street parking on river st.
Bonhee Chung
First time visit. I ordered a large Pho, but the cashier charged me for a super-large Pho. I paid anyway (plus a tip) because it was only $1 difference. But it feels like I was cheated. Not a pleasant feeling.
Andrew N.
I'm not new to banh mi, but I've never had a sirloin pork banh mi, and it was INCREDIBLE!!! The bread was so fresh. The pickled veggies, perfect. I ordered through ChowNow and received a call from the restaurant. Pick up location has changed (temporarily?) to their sister restaurant's Ward Theatre location.
Second stop on my Pho Quest (you can read my first at Golden River) is Cuu Long II, which is on the corner of River and Hotel Street--next to Pho To Chau and two doors down from Golden River.Cuu Long II is another Vietnamese place I haven't been to in an incredibly long time. Probably last century.This place is the only one that's more up-to-date with its menu via QR code and payment as well. The interior is dated, but it was clean, bright, and spacious.If you want loads of meat, strong, flavorful broth in your Combination Pho, and the largest size bowl (SUPER BOWL), then Cuu Long II is your place.The broth was definitely the most dark out of all the Pho places on that block. But it has the MOST flavor, and you can easily taste the spices. For me, it was a tad bit too enhanced in flavor. There wasn't that clean, sweet taste you get from clearer broth. Even after you add in all the vegetables, the strong flavors didn't tone down that much. Don't get me wrong. It was still good though! The broth was more so hearty, heavy, and filling. It also came out piping hot, which wasn't ideal as I needed to eat slowly to let it cool down. Warmed me up though!The rice noodles were good. Not too soft or firm. The amount of meat was great. It was mostly brisket, but that brisket was so good! Tender and tasty. The rare steak was on the thicker side, which made it tough. Not too much tripe and tendon.The saté sauce was the most flavorful here. A nice mix of savory and spicy. Homemade too! And you can purchase jars of it! Overall, the Super Bowl size Combination Pho at Cuu Long II is probably the best deal overall ($15.70) because it's noticeably larger than the largest size at other restaurants, and you do get quite a lot of meat, noodles, and broth. Service was good. Friendly and attentive server. Definitely a solid place if you're hungry and looking to fill you up!
Christal C.
Cuu Long, not only great food while dining it but also for take out/delivery. Ordered Cuu Long online to have it delivered to me at work. Didn't get to eat it right away but even after sitting out for a bit it was still good. I got the vermicelli combo with spring rolls and sirloin pork and mmm it was so good. Of course the spring rolls wasn't crispy since I let it sit for a while, but the overall quality was just great. The sauce too wasn't too salty and was just right. Would highly recommend this restaurant. Wouldn't compare it to a regular Vietnamese restaurant. It's a little more deserving than just average.
Daniel Willcockson
We had the bun bo hue and I really enjoyed it! My partner, who is Vietnamese, wasn’t as impressed. We both agreed that the noodles were well cooked and that the broth looked was flavorful. She, however, pointed out that “something was missing” but she just couldn’t quite out her finger on it. Anyway, the staff was super friendly which made our experience that much better!
Mia M.
My in laws found this place so we gave it a go. I'm Vietnamese and live in Cali where little Saigon is so I didn't have too much confidence coming in since we have all the best Vietnamese food back home. The restaurant and restroom was very clean. Even though the area was sketchy. We ordered the pork banh mii, pho ox tail and pho tai. The pork banh mii was full of meat and tasty. The veggies were very fresh and the baguette was soft and crispy. My husband said it was the first time he ever had a banh mii were it didn't hurt the roof of his mouth. My in laws loved it. The broth for the pho's were well balanced and delicious. I was very surprised. They give you a couple of pieces of ox tail which were very tender. The vegges were fresh and a great addition to the broth. We all enjoyed this place very much.
Hannah N.
We looked for the Pho place and we saw the recommendation from other folks but it was disappointed after we ordered eggrolls for appetizer and combination, oxtail Pho here....not good, the broth flavor is plain then the important part is noodles tasted totally different which compared with other restaurants. The eggrolls are very oily inside. It might be they fried and re-fry so all the oil shucked inside. No good to eat here.
Delicious and quickly servedFriendly staffWhat more could you ask for?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Banh MI Sandwiches, Summer Rolls, Spring Rolls, Sauce, Soup
Came by on a Wed at 9:20 am and it was closed.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
The pho beef broth is very plain , not flavorful ; seems like they ran out of spice and ingredients.
Combo (pork & steak) vermicelli hits the viet craving. Lunch breaks are complicating at times because we don't know where to eat. Thank God for Yelp!I need to go back to try their Bahn mi.
Great pho soup. Fresh, tasty and comes out piping hot. Chicken sandwich is also yummy. Service always polite and the place pretty clean for Chinatown Only complaint, like most restaurants, too expensive for a bowl of beef noodles; portions don't warrant the higher cost. Inflation is no excuse to over inflate prices. I recommend the place though.
First time to this place and I will definitely be back! The restaurant is very clean. I had the combo pho and papaya salad. The meat and papaya strips were very tender, more tender than other places. The broth for the pho was on the lighter side where you could taste the ingredients. No need for Sriracha or hoisin to add flavor. The marinade for the papaya salad was light and tasty. Definitely a place for good pho.The downside to this place is the area. It is on the sketchy side with street people meandering about. Street parking is a little shocking as $.25 gets you 6 minutes?
What a fantastic find. Seen this place for a while, but never went in. I think because they don't post the menu in the window, it kept me from trying it. Actually only ended up there because the place I wanted to go to was closed and the other place next to it looked to dingy, so since we were there, took a chance. It was well worth the chance.The place is fresh and well kept. Even the menus looked in pristine condition. On top of that, everyone working there were friendly and engaging. Cuu Long II is defiantly not like other Vietnamese restaurants as far as what I just described.We ordered their Green Papaya salad, Beef Ball Pho, and Spicy Seafood Soup with Thick Vermicelli. All were fantastic.Their Green Papaya salad was beautifully plated and not drowning in dressing. The layout of the shrimp and the thin pork slices were delicately placed on top of the fresh shredded green papaya and nice amount of basil at the top to allow you to disperse it to your liking versus just all mixed in together like most other Vietnamese restaurants do. Our server brought over some homemade hot sauce to add and it was just amazing. You really could tell that it was homemade and was the perfect addition to kick up the salad a notch. Apparently they even sell it bottled to go.The Beef Ball Pho was a medium, but was very generous with the amount of beef balls added to the broth. The broth already had herbs and other greens added to it for a perfect ready to eat soup. I think even the most pickiest of eaters would have enjoyed this soup.With the Spicy Seafood Soup with Thick Vermicelli, it was spicy. Not rocket ship spicy, but I defiantly didn't need to add any more heat to it. However, I did add some fresh sliced jalapeños to it for a little more kick and flavor enhancement. Lots of shrimp and fish balls in it and the right balance of noodles.Everything was great there and I highly recommend it to try!
Got their combo vermicelli with lemon grass chicken and eggrolls. So yummy! Also, they have fresh squeezed lemonade! Easy 1hr street parking on river st.
First time visit. I ordered a large Pho, but the cashier charged me for a super-large Pho. I paid anyway (plus a tip) because it was only $1 difference. But it feels like I was cheated. Not a pleasant feeling.
I'm not new to banh mi, but I've never had a sirloin pork banh mi, and it was INCREDIBLE!!! The bread was so fresh. The pickled veggies, perfect. I ordered through ChowNow and received a call from the restaurant. Pick up location has changed (temporarily?) to their sister restaurant's Ward Theatre location.
Restaurantji Recommends
Second stop on my Pho Quest (you can read my first at Golden River) is Cuu Long II, which is on the corner of River and Hotel Street--next to Pho To Chau and two doors down from Golden River.Cuu Long II is another Vietnamese place I haven't been to in an incredibly long time. Probably last century.This place is the only one that's more up-to-date with its menu via QR code and payment as well. The interior is dated, but it was clean, bright, and spacious.If you want loads of meat, strong, flavorful broth in your Combination Pho, and the largest size bowl (SUPER BOWL), then Cuu Long II is your place.The broth was definitely the most dark out of all the Pho places on that block. But it has the MOST flavor, and you can easily taste the spices. For me, it was a tad bit too enhanced in flavor. There wasn't that clean, sweet taste you get from clearer broth. Even after you add in all the vegetables, the strong flavors didn't tone down that much. Don't get me wrong. It was still good though! The broth was more so hearty, heavy, and filling. It also came out piping hot, which wasn't ideal as I needed to eat slowly to let it cool down. Warmed me up though!The rice noodles were good. Not too soft or firm. The amount of meat was great. It was mostly brisket, but that brisket was so good! Tender and tasty. The rare steak was on the thicker side, which made it tough. Not too much tripe and tendon.The saté sauce was the most flavorful here. A nice mix of savory and spicy. Homemade too! And you can purchase jars of it! Overall, the Super Bowl size Combination Pho at Cuu Long II is probably the best deal overall ($15.70) because it's noticeably larger than the largest size at other restaurants, and you do get quite a lot of meat, noodles, and broth. Service was good. Friendly and attentive server. Definitely a solid place if you're hungry and looking to fill you up!
Cuu Long, not only great food while dining it but also for take out/delivery. Ordered Cuu Long online to have it delivered to me at work. Didn't get to eat it right away but even after sitting out for a bit it was still good. I got the vermicelli combo with spring rolls and sirloin pork and mmm it was so good. Of course the spring rolls wasn't crispy since I let it sit for a while, but the overall quality was just great. The sauce too wasn't too salty and was just right. Would highly recommend this restaurant. Wouldn't compare it to a regular Vietnamese restaurant. It's a little more deserving than just average.
We had the bun bo hue and I really enjoyed it! My partner, who is Vietnamese, wasn’t as impressed. We both agreed that the noodles were well cooked and that the broth looked was flavorful. She, however, pointed out that “something was missing” but she just couldn’t quite out her finger on it. Anyway, the staff was super friendly which made our experience that much better!
My in laws found this place so we gave it a go. I'm Vietnamese and live in Cali where little Saigon is so I didn't have too much confidence coming in since we have all the best Vietnamese food back home. The restaurant and restroom was very clean. Even though the area was sketchy. We ordered the pork banh mii, pho ox tail and pho tai. The pork banh mii was full of meat and tasty. The veggies were very fresh and the baguette was soft and crispy. My husband said it was the first time he ever had a banh mii were it didn't hurt the roof of his mouth. My in laws loved it. The broth for the pho's were well balanced and delicious. I was very surprised. They give you a couple of pieces of ox tail which were very tender. The vegges were fresh and a great addition to the broth. We all enjoyed this place very much.
We looked for the Pho place and we saw the recommendation from other folks but it was disappointed after we ordered eggrolls for appetizer and combination, oxtail Pho here....not good, the broth flavor is plain then the important part is noodles tasted totally different which compared with other restaurants. The eggrolls are very oily inside. It might be they fried and re-fry so all the oil shucked inside. No good to eat here.