4.4
Superb
30 Reviews
203 West Gorham Street, Madison · 3.01 miles
“Prices are high enough to make your Vietnamese aunties faint. But let's be honest, you are not your aunt, you are likely a first generation immigrant student who found this random university halfway across the country as an excuse to leave the diaspora nest. And whenever you are missing home or catch a cold during your first Midwest winter, this cute little pho spot will be here to be the symbolic tiger mom hug that you need, but never had growing up. Yes $20 a bowl is highway robbery but rent is expensive in downtown and I appreciate not having to drive all the way to Middleton for a $18 bowl that's only slightly better. For pho, the broth itself is on the lighter and sweeter side, which is completely preference. I think the portions can be misleading. This places gives a higher ratio of noodles to broth and I found (for the first time) I would run out of soup before finishing the noodles. I was surprisingly full given the size of the physical bowl. I was also given beansprout and sate sauce, unlike the older reviews, so it's encouraging that they have been adapting to feedback My more preferred viet dishes are cơm tấm and bún (rice plates and cold vermicelli). For either dishes, their nước chấm is the right amount of sweet and I appreciate the amount of sauce they give. The grill pork is something special and is similar to how my mom would make it. I wouldn't write this place off from price alone. This is a mom and pop shop trying to making it in an increasingly expensive city and I'd like for them to stay in downtown, as a Vietnamese person who works close by!”
Cafe · $
