Pho Spot

their sandwich is good, the phở is good, place is clean and workers are friendly. convenient cause its near my house and they dont put MSG which gives me headaches.

Came here for lunch and was surprised that the place is kinda small. But they were pretty busy too. Had their chicken phở and it was delicious! Pretty big portion for a regular size. Wish it had more chicken but can’t complain because the broth was flavorful.

everything is good. my family with two little boys love the food there. we ordered chicken, pork and shrimp rice and beef phở. we also ordered extra chicken, same size as what’s being put in the rice set for just $ 4. a little bit small in size overall, but with all the good serice and food quality, i feel very happy overall. we will revisit again for sure.

Came here with some friends. She recommended to try it since Phở Shop closed. I ordered the combination Small Bowl. It came out like Large, because so many ingredients there. Vietnamese milk tea was good. This place also have Vietnamese sandwiches and Chicken Phở. I will definitely bring my kids here to try!

I decided to try to place out because I had a little bit of a sore throat and needed some phở for comfort! I took my boyfriend here who wasn’t planning on eating (picky eater).
I decided on getting just vegetable phở –no tofu, crispy calamari for appetizer, and we both got green tea. Service was quick, it was Tuesday night not busy at all. I’m use to calamari from Italian or seafood restaurants not the other kind but obviously was open to trying it. Super hot! (Not spicy) but wasn’t quite my favorite. But it did look appealing enough for the picky eater to try!
As odd as it sounds I’ve never had phở as great as the one my school serves, but this came pretty close — as compared to all the other phở places I’ve had. Regular sizes are always huge. I wondered how big the large was.
Phở tasted great, I’m always searching for a certain taste in it and this one had a bit of that goodness. Tasted clean.
Next time will try the veggie eggrolls instead of the calamari.

Late Post.
We tried this place since it was so close to us and were disappointed. Of course we didn’t expect the Phở that you should get on Tully but at least decent.
Food: i ordered #8 beef phở and my husband got #9. The meat portions were a good size and the quality was okay. The noodles were kinda hard to separate, probably left it in the bowl as a clump for too long. So I had to poke around to loosen the noodles. The noodles were not as chewy as I’ll like but doable. The broth was where they failed. It lacked a lot of flavor and didn’t come out as hot as soups usually do. The broth was «clean» looking which is great but if only it had flavor. The vegetables (sprouts, lime, jalapenos, basil) were fresh so that’s a plus.
Establishment: Clean but it would be expected with a restaurant opened less than a year. Place is small but cozy.
We would probably not come back since the broth is such a big deal to us.

This place is less than 5 minutes away from where I live. Definitely great to have a good Phở spot close by. Customer service was great and portion was huge. I ordered the combo Phở. I must say that I had a couple pieces of tendon that were rough and chewy. Overall, it was yummy. The fiancé had the vermicelli sweet pork. It was also delicious. Was sad he didn’t share a bite of the egg roll.
We went for lunch. Watch out for the heat of the sun if you sit near the window. Can be glaring and too hot. Was a little disappointed there wasn’t a drop down shade to block the sun.

The ratings for this place are most certainly off.
Service is 1 star, and Phở is 1 star (I uploaded a picture to show all the oil in my Phở). Generously giving a 2 star based on location/​convenience and for the fried rolls.
Once I sat down at the table, no one came to me for 10 minutes. I asked them 5 minutes in to take my order. No one asked me how my food was once. When it was time for me to pay, the waitress slide the bill on the table without saying a word. Nice.

So far, the only phở place I’ve found in Alamden Valley where the staff actually speaks Vietnamese!
I’m not saying that’s a guarantee the meal will be good, but it’s at least a decent indicator. :)
The Com Thit Nuong (rice with grilled pork) is done very well — almost to the level of Com Tam Tien Huong. The Bun Bo Hue is also good, if you like it on the spicy side.
As of today, this will be my go-​to Vietnamese place in Almaden Valley.

This place is a three star. Unilocal ratings are always off. The Phở rare slice of meat should be thin sliced, not thick. The broth is average in taste, nothing great. The place is a little dirty and plain in design.
I will not be back.

Just came back from a late lunch at this place.
Impression:
Welcoming, friendly, clean, and service was quite quick, though didn’t feel rushed. I appreciated the retro 30s French music and throw back wall mural.
Food:
Menu was not overwhelming which is smart.
Price…you’re in the Cambrian and Los Gatos area so i can understand the 10% markup.
Taste:
Sauce — I had the spring rolls and found the sauce to be slightly under seasoned, which again, catered toward local clientele so i can understand. Nothing a little compliment of available chilly sauces couldn’t fix which i had no problem doing and definitely spruced up the sauce to my liking… which is quite picky. Yes, if you’re Vietnamese, you’d definitely be more critical.
I also had the vermicelli pork and egg roll dish, again the sauce could use a touch more sugar and a dash of vinegar to spruce it up. The dish was balanced, but then i expect this dish with a compliment of lettuce, julienne carrots and cucumbers along with the pork to do well. I found the egg rolls to have a nice crunch, though could use a tad more seasoning.
Recommendation to the owner (s):
Third less vermicelli, a couple more slices of meat, less egg rolls. Smaller portion. I couldn’t finish my dish.
Less vermicelli in the spring roll as well and replace with julienne carrots, and cucumbers to give it more contrast, freshness, and crunch. You want to have a savory taste from the sauce, the springiness of the vermicelli, and a nice bright freshness of the carrots and cucumbers to cleanse your palate. Have 3 rolls instead of 4… it’s more pleasing to the eye
Add a dash of fresh fennel… i know, it will no longer be Viet, but the floral and anise fresh flavor will take this traditional dish to a whole new level.
A small dash more sugar and white wine vinegar for the sauce.
I welcome the establishment in a predominantly caucasian area and hope to see more Viet-​fusian in downtown LG!
Definitely be back to try the phở… I’ve tried my share of phở places in East SJ and still, nothing beats mom’s! :)

Not bad, but not great either.
The Phở Spot is adequate as a neighborhood restaurant to get some basic Phở.
My wife tried this place several weeks ago, but didn’t order Phở. She and a friend had the vermicelli bowls and they were so unimpressed, she said that she did not want to return. I had to convince her to give it another try. She said that it was so bland, that it needed lots of things added to it to try to give some flavor, but none of the condiments could improve it.
After finally convincing her, and that we should limit ourselves to Phở (since that is in the name of the restaurant). we gave it another try.
I had the #14 Brisket & Steak Phở (large size $ 10), after the waitress said that the flank meat was tough and chewy. I did find the meat tender and good, and the broth was nice. However nothing was great. I did add the condiments (a squeeze of a fresh lime, some basil, bean sprouts, and some chili) which did improve the flavor. It was a basic beef broth that was good. The noodles were just OK in taste. If you are looking for a hearty soup to warm you on a cold night (which it was), and you are in the area and don’t want to travel far, then this will do.
My wife had the #19 Special Seafood Phở ($ 12). I found that the broth was very good. It had a nice spice to it (which my wife found too spicy when sipping just the broth, but I thought was very tasty). It was filled with sufficient seafood (crab, shrimp, squid, and fish balls). My wife wasn’t thrilled with it, but I thought that it was better than the beef Phở. If I return here, I will have this dish.
My wife enjoyed the Thai Iced Tea ($ 3), which to me didn’t taste like the same named beverage served in a Thai restaurant, but was good in its own right.
Overall, we will probably try this place again, since it is nearby. We will hope for an improvement.

Decide to stop by and try this place out a couple nights ago while on my way back to San Jose after work. I’m really glad I did too.
I had ordered the large «Veggie Phở» with extra noodle which was really good. Also had the «Fried Tofu Squares» for an appetizer which was delicious. The portions were pretty big, and I was definitely full afterwards.
It was kind of quiet the night I was there only because I went in near closing time. None the less, I was greeted in a friendly manner by Sarah upon walking in. She was very attentive and caring too, having checked with me a couple times to make sure everything was okay. Special shout out to her.
I would definitely tell my friends to come try this place out, especially on the nights when Sarah is working there.

My part time lover as I like to call him and I went and had lunch here this past Friday afternoon. The place is somewhat new to the area. Location is in a small shopping strip next to a gas station.
Place was clean, light and airy. It was pretty full when we arrived considering it was lunch time. I ordered the combo phở. It was ok. The broth was decent, I just wished they have more spicy condiments for me to add to my soup.
We also ordered the fresh spring rolls and I must say this was pretty free and decent however for the price, it was two rolls cut in halves. Service was pretty quick and attentive.
So, I’m a home chef and I cook a lot of these dishes so when it comes to asian food I’m harsher when I write my reviews.
I would go back again if I’m in the area.

We came across this place recently, and it’s quickly become a favorite for my daughter. So far her top pick is the brisket phở. Chicken was good, but the beef was better. Portions are big. The fresh basil gives a nice flavor.
I’ve also tried the crispy egg rolls and pork. I wouldn’t get either again. Egg rolls were ok. Pork was very dry and chewy. It ended up in the trash.
Go for the phở.

4.5 stars!!! Who is reviewing this?! Obviously no Vietnamese people
We just finished up lunch here and the only positive thing about it was the food was barely edible, so I didn’t gain too much weight as I barely touched my food.
Cons:
We came in and got seated. Nobody brought us menus so my husband had to be our waiter.
Nobody came to bring us water or take our order until we flagged them down. It was at 1:30pm and the restaurant was not full.
My mom ordered the #2 with meatballs. Her broth was so murky. It didn’t taste anything like my bowl. I’m not sure if they ran out of broth and gave her something else, but I’ve never seen such murky water in phở.
My husband ordered the calamari appetizer. Each piece was huge, but they didn’t bring any plates for us. We had to flag down someone again and they brought us 2 plates. even though there was 3 of us.
My husband’s beef stew was runny and flavorless.
Total bill for 3 people for phở was $ 50 + tax/​tip.
I have no idea how this is a 4.5 star phở restaurant. For sure it’s not authentic.

Meat is fresh and cut very nicely in the Phở. They also give a very good amount in the regular size. I wasn’t able to finish it all! Service is friendly and place is very clean. However, I wasn’t impressed with the broth, it was very bland.
This is the first place I’ve been to for phở that has a menu in English! You can tell this place is very Americanized and I think I prefer more traditional Vietnamese food… If you’re like me this isn’t your place, but it was still pretty good.

Phở Spot is a welcome addition to this part of San Jose, near Los Gatos, for Vietnamese cuisine. The mainstays are phở, the delectable soup that is served with noodles and side garnishes, vermicelli entrees which include your choice of protein atop shredded salad greens and cooked noodles, rice dishes and appetizers. The menu has been a work in progress as the owners tweak it here and there.
The restaurant is clean and you rarely see a dirty table just sitting there unattended. Once a customer leaves, staff is quick to take away used dishes, clean the table and set it for the next customers. Service for us has been, for the most part, friendly and efficient. Whether you dine in or get your order to go, presentation of your food always looks delicious.
We’ve tried quite a number of items but my fave is the grilled pork and fried eggrolls on the vermicelli entrée selection. I also like the lemongrass chicken rice dish as well. The phở soups are mainly beef broth with the exception of the seafood special. You can taste the star anise in the beef broth based phở soups!
The menu prices are not as high as others might want you to believe. Rent for this area is higher than the little phở cafes in the east side along Story and King so keep that in mind when you check out the menu.
This is our go to for Vietnamese food when we want to stay close to home. Good food, clean restaurant and friendly service/​efficient!

**Phở Quest Stop #59**
I stopped by Phở Spot after a tip from Unilocaler Extraordinaire Beth W. Located on Blossom Hill Road, Phở Spot is a welcome noodle joint in this part of town. As I drove to the location, it was large residential area and the closest phở alternative I could think of was The Sandwich Maker.
Phở Spot, however, is an actual sit down restaurant with friendly, continuous hours, and a full selection of phở choices as well as dry vermicelli dishes. I came during the off hour and the staff quickly took my order and I was on my way. My order:
Combo Phở — $ 8. Regular. Condiments of bean sprouts were extremely fresh and clean and the regular size bowl is a generous sized bowl that came out piping hot. Broth, while mildly flavored, is oil free and clean with a flavor that improves with both beef cooking in the broth as well as the addition of lime juice.
I opted for rare steak on the side and was happy they were able to accommodate. Steak cooked well in the hot broth and large slices of onions are standard as well. I found the quality of the tripe and tendon to be particularly good (tendon super tender) and the well cooked flank quantity to be quite generous.
The noodles were cooked well and overall it was a solid bowl of phở, again particularly noteworthy for the area and the true lack of this popular cuisine anywhere nearby.
Overall, I’ll be back and if you’re looking for a more complete bowl of phở compared to Sandwich Maker and a better value, Phở Spot is a good choice. I’m sure I’ll be back.
Phở Spot takes credit cards, including Amex.
My Phở Quest Rankings: [San Jose, unless noted]
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1) Phở Ha Noi (CLOSED) — BEST EVER Phở (Overall & Northern Style)
2) Phở Cong Ly — BEST Phở (Current Overall & Oxtail)
3) Phở Y 1 — BEST Beef Phở (Southern Style)
4) Phở Kim Long — BEST Chicken Phở
5) Turtle Tower (SF) — Northern Style
6) Phở Ga Hung — BEST Cau Bun Rau Muong
7) Phở Nguyen (Milpitas) — Phở Nguyen Dac Biet w/​fresh wide noodles
8) Nha Hang Saigon Seafood — Winner: Best Hu Tieu
9) Hai Nam — Phở Ga/​Com Ga
10) Phở Wagon — Phở Dac Biet
11) GOGO Phở (Santa Clara) — Filet Mignon Phở
12) Phuong Thao (Sunnyvale) — Phở #12
13) Phở 54 — Phở Dac Biet #1
14) Com Ga Nam An — Phở Ga
15) Phở Ga Nha — Phở Ga Dac Biet
16) Phở Wagon (Sunnyvale) — Phở Dac Biet
17) Quan Ngon — King Oxtail Phở #6
18) Phở #1 (Sunnyvale) — Phở Dac Biet
19) Phở 90 Degree — Phở Dac Biet w/​Oxtail
20) Phở Spot — Combo Phở
21) Phở Avenue (MV) — Phở Dac Biet
22) The Sandwich Maker (Los Gatos) — Beef Phở
23) Phở Vi Hoa (Los Altos) — Phở P12
24) Phở Ga An Nam — Phở Ga
25) House of Phở — Phở Dac Biet and Bo Vien
26) Rengstorff Phở (MV) — Special Satay
27) Phở Vy — Egg Noodles with Pork, Chicken, Beef
28) Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant (Santa Barbara) — Beef Phở
29) Phở Little Saigon (San Mateo) — Beef Phở
30) Phở Pasteur — Phở Ox Tail
31) Phở Ga Ho Han Kiem — Phở Ga Dac Biet
32) Phở 24 — House Special Phở
33) Phở Minh (Cupertino) — Phở Dac Biet
34) Beef Noodle No 1 — Phở #1
35) Phở Nam (Sunnyvale) — Phở #1
36) Dalat Restaurant — Hu Tieu Dac Biet
37) Phở Little Saigon (Sunnyvale) — Phở #1
38) Phở Nam (Sunnyvale) — Phở #1
39) Phở To Chau — (MV) — Phở
40) Boba Pub — Beef Phở Noodle
41) Phở Garden — (MV, CLOSED) — Phở Garden
42) Phở-​licious (Cupertino) — Filet Mignon Beef Phở
43) Phở Spring — House Special Phở
44) Yummee Sandwiches (Campbell) — Phở
45) LeQuy (Campbell) — Hu Tieu
46) Com Tam Nhu Y Restaurant — Phở #29
47) Phở Blossom (Sunnyvale, CLOSED) — Beef Phở
48) Noodle Bar (Seaside) — Rare beef & meatball Phở
49) Hometown Noodle (Redwood City) — Combination Phở
50) Big Bites (MV) — Phở
51) Phở Hoa (Cupertino) — Phở
52) Phở Ngon (MV, CLOSED) — Phở
53) Phở Binh Beef Noodle (Sunnyvale, CLOSED) — Beef Phở
54) Phở Hoa (MV) — Phở
55) Phở Ba Dau — Phở #1 with Oxtail
56) Four Seasons Phở — Phở Dac Biet
57) Phở Lynn — Phở #1
58) Fast Wok (CLOSED) — Phở Tai
59) Nam Tien — Oxtail Phở

One star simpLy because of their Thai Tea.
We waLked in with a party of four and did not feeL weLcomed at aLL.
BaLd guy came over to hand us the paper menus and stood there thinking we were aLL ready to order. I definiteLy feLt rushed and it was clear to aLL of us that the guy was not nice.
Bottom Line: Phở was mediocre; broth was very bLand. I wouldn’t waste my time or money coming to this pLace. PASS!