Pho Nam

This is probably one of my favorite places on island because it was one of the first places my family went when we first moved to Hawaii! They still remember my family after 13 years and not regularly coming here like we used to.
They still remember us as the youngins we once were. Even better the tweetie bird sticker is still on their portrait on the wall. (darn kids lol)

I went here on a lunch date with a vegan friend recently because I was craving soup. It it located on the corner of Cooke Street & Kawaiahao Street (not Kapi’olani Blvd). There is meter parking lining those streets — although I’ve read that there is a structure you can park at, and they will validate your stub.
For it being a lunch hour, it was not crowded at all. The restaurant is pretty small, but I enjoyed the décor and atmosphere. I ordered their phở which was good, but nothing sparkly and their milk tea. The service was OK, and the staff were friendly and accommodating.
Upon reading other reviews — I should’ve ditched my soup cravings and tried the BBQ chicken. I will have to try that next time!

My party and I ended up here for dinner when the restaurant we were trying to go to was unexpectedly closed. Since this was nearby, it was an easy pick.
Sadly, ‘easy’ is not a synonym for ‘good.’ This place was… disappointing. Prices were higher than one might expect for a place of this caliber, and portions were smaller. A good number of us had phở, perhaps due to the name of the restaurant. I paid the extra for a large bowl, and there wasn’t much meat in it – a huge no-​no in my world. My daughter’s curry tofu over rice wasn’t impressive in any way. My wife’s rice plate was adequate, but not special.
Décor was ordinary and a little dingy. Service was decent. I imagine parking in the area might be a challenge, but we didn’t have to contend with that as we were parked elsewhere and walked over.
Verdict: over-​priced and under-​good. We won’t be back, as there are too many better options.

The service is very good at Phở Nam and the staff is quite friendly. The interior feels rather crowded with tables, but you won’t bump into anyone as long as you’re careful.
My usual meal here is usually the meatball phở with spring rolls. I’ve tried the curry but I suppose my tastes are different to the target audience and I can’t say that I like their curry very much.
I’ve eaten there several times, since it’s on my way home from work and it will be a regular spot for me.

I ate here last night with some friends and we had four kids 3 years and under with us. There was plenty room for our large party and without hesitation, the waitress suggested the bbq chicken for my kids to eat. I thought for a second, my kids aren’t huge meat eaters… Usually this doesn’t pan out for us. But the woman seemed so certain that it would be a hit, I took a chance.
WOW! She was right! I have NEVER seen my kids inhale food like they did last night! Even my one year old actually ate a lot! I was so so so happy! My food (bbq pork bun noodle dish) was excellent too!
I will definitely go back here again!

It’s funny how I first started eating here. My ex raved about the Chinese place around the corner, but we ended up here. I was pleasantly surprised. And now that I work in the general vicinity, I find myself here often.
I come here often for lunch. Within a few minutes of ordering, the food is there in front of you, which is great when you only have a half hour for lunch. Dinner time it takes a little longer, but not much.
Food here is consistent. I’ve had bun and phở here, and a couple of times the rice plates. For the phở, the meat to noodle ratio is good. And the broth is just right! I do wish there was more Thai basil though. But they do bring if you ask. I like their coffee made with the ol skool French press. I hate when some places just bring you the iced coffee already in a glass. How do I know they aren’t making it instantly?
The décor is a little grungy, but not gross. Their hood system needs to be cleaned. If they are cooking a lot of meat, the place does get smokey. Otherwise, tables are clean and so are the utensils. Prices aren’t too bad. Parking is validated or you can park on the street. Just watch the tow away times!

Phở Nam is more than worthy of 5 Stars! Phở is always on point and when I’m not in a mood for soup I go for Bún. Food comes out fairly quick and on nights when I’m home late I just call when I’m 10 minutes away and food is ready for pickup. I love the homey atmosphere. I feel like I’m in an extension of the owner/​families dining room. Biggest thing that sticks with me is that the lady that works in the front is sooooo nice! I haven’t caught her name yet. But she knows hospitality!
Their menu is extensive and covers just about everything you want or crave when dining in a Viet restaurant. But of course most go for Phở and they have plenty of options to please everyone. I usually go for the one with rare steak and brisket and/​or tendon. And I put all of the bean sprouts in it! Recently I tried their Oxtail Phở and maaaaannnn what a beautiful combination. They don’t skimmy out on the amount of oxtail you get and its soooo worth it. If you’re not in the mood for phở or even rice dishes go for Bún! I love the grilled pork one with spring rolls. The grilled pork has a nice crisp and reminds me of family BBQs in Waipahu.
Street parking can be found out front and if not just park inside the Imperial Plaza garage and they can validate your ticket. Great food and great people. You can’t beat that! Also, we all know Phở is the perfect hangover cure!!!

I come here once in a while with my coworkers since it’s only 10 minutes away from where I work. The phở here is consistently good. The broth is flavorful and has depth. They are pretty generous with the amount of meat too. The Bun Bo Hue is average at best. The broth was decent, but there was nothing else besides chunks of brisket and carrots. Most places would have other ingredients in it, such as pig’s blood and pig’s feet. The crab meat broth was the same. Tasty broth, but not enough ingredients… just tofu, shrimp, and tomato. I’ll continue to come to Phở Nam, but I’ll just stick to what I enjoy here — beef combination phở.

We tried iT several times to have dinner there and iT was never open. Found another one one that was great! Phở Shanghai.