Pho Tum Yum

So this place is, or has, undergone some change in the years. I used to go 3 – 5 times a year but don’t think I’ll be back anymore.
The phở was acceptable but not great — the broth gets points but the noodles were gummy and starchy (as though they’ve been sitting around for a while), the sprouts were anemic and the meat was overcooked. The phở comes out in a big bowl but the actual portion size is smaller than it looks — but fine for $ 7.50. The time before, when we went, we ordered the summer rolls but the shrimp tasted «bleached» so we asked them to substitute something else (without seafood) and never ordered that again.
For some odd reason, there is now a pool table jammed in the back of the restaurant, as well as a large, very loud, jukebox. Maybe the owners are turning into a bar?
Also, I reiterate that picking thai food here is not likely a good idea. Even the pad thai was so oily and oddly-​sauced that it was near irredeemable. However, there are a LOT more Latino/​Hispanic choices on the menu (although Mama Chicken in the same parking lot is probably the tastiest). In fact, it looked like the menu was getting a slow, manual overhaul, including a new name.
So, for phở, go to Saigon City, right down the road. I think this place is on its last legs as a phở joint.

Fiancé took me here one night when I was pouting about us not going out for Phở. It thoroughly satisfied the craving I had for Phở and earned Fiancé major browny points for giving in to my pouty mcpoutface act. Especially considering that the food he got (some sort of generic chinese dish) really wasn’t that great.
I also could have done without the Mexican Dancehall blaring out of the jukebox. I don’t mind the music playing but the volume on that thing was uncomfortably loud.

This place is definitely not the place to go for phở. To be fair, I will do my usual analysis of the food the hubby and I ate there today:
Crispy egg rolls–
The hubby complained that they were a little too skinny, but girth withstanding, the filling was tasty and the skin was crispy, but not too hard that it would hurt your palate upon biting. Probably the only thing worth ordering again.
Phở with rare steak, well done flank and tendon–
Like Kurt K. said, the broth was lacking in the beginning, but towards the end of the meal, the steak that had cooked in the broth helped develop the flavor. The usual accompaniments of mung bean sprouts, jalapenos, basil, and lime were NOT FRESH. The jalapeño slices had a black mushy spot and weren’t sliced properly. The Thai basil had large brown spots on every single leaf. The mung bean sprouts had all the little hairy ends still attached. (I am a little bit of a snob when it comes to bean sprout presentation– quality restaurants will usually trim the skinny ends so only the firm white part remains).
The noodle to broth ratio was too high, and the broth wasn’t hot enough for my taste. My husband did comment that the noodles seemed to have more bite– al dente, if you will, than other phở places.
The meat in the phở had issues. While the steak cooked in the broth stayed tender, the tendon was plentiful (but still not soft enough for my liking), the flank steak was GRISTLY AND HORRIBLE! I had to peel off the gristly parts of each slice of flank and I ended up with a pile of gristle that was far bigger than a pile of all the edible flank would have been. (I should have taken a picture to document the gristle, but that wouldn’t have been so appetizing for readers).
Grilled chicken on rice (C4) —
The grilled chicken thighs looked kind of like the kind you would get from the teriyaki places in the mall. There was a similar brownish sauce that coated each piece of chicken. The taste was also similar to that of chicken teriyaki from the mall… it wasn’t bad… but I don’t think that’s what it’s supposed to taste like either. As for quantity, I feel like the mall servings would have given you more chicken for $ 1.50 less than the price at Phở Tum Yum. The hubby also complained he was hungry 20 min after we left the restaurant… definitely not a good sign.
If anyone does have a phở craving, I would advise them to look elsewhere!

Phở is ethnic food that depends on extremely fresh ingredients. As a result, phở places tend to walk the line between «inauthentic» and «too sketchy to order raw beef.»
Phở Tum Yum strikes a pretty good balance. The food is on the traditional side and the crowd included some Vietnamese people and a whole host of Grand Mart employees, but its also relatively clean and polished.
I thought the ingredient quality was strong and the portions generous. The weakest part was the broth; not flavorful enough for my taste, but still balanced enough to make a decent meal. It got a bit better as the beef cooked and the chilis steeped.
I don’t think I’d drive to Alexandria just to eat here, but its in the Grand Mart complex, so its a decent stop if you’re already in the neighborhood to stock up on Asian groceries.
Note: Most of the negative reviews seem to be based on the Thai food, which is apparently awful. I did not try to Thai food, so I cannot review this claim. I can’t help but note, though, that if you go to a restaurant with Phở in the name, you should probably order phở.

Phở, how do I love thee, is it the fact that you are an empty canvas waiting to be filled with sauces, sprouts or tenderloin… or is it that you taste so good that I cannot get enough of thee?
I was introduced to Phở here at Phở Tum Yum, and I love it. Love it. Thank you Phở Tum Yum for starting a torrid love affair between me and phở, that love affair that always ends with me full, happy, and craving more.
As for the other reviews, I’ve eaten my share of Asian cuisine, but this is the first place that I’ve had Phở. My friend who ate with me said that it was good phở. So, I can’t speak in that regard to the other reviews, but I can say that it’s worth a shot.
The other reviews where they talk about the restaurant menu being schizophrenic are accurate, but there’s an easy explanation to it. The area it sits in has a very heavy Hispanic population, a lot of the patrons and even all the waitresses are Hispanic. This gives people who don’t want to eat asian food, but want to eat lunch with their friends a place to eat.
The parking situation is another matter entirely, and it’s what keeps Phở Tum Yum from getting 5 stars. I’ve never had a problem getting a spot, but that parking lot is hopping, there is a TON of activity there, especially during the day. So, be patient, I don’t think you’ll be dissapointed.
Phở Tum Yum is not really a date restaurant, but it gives a good meal at a reasonable price.

God awful does not even begin to describe the ghastliness of this little piece of culinary hell. I only gave it one star because there is no option for zero stars. The empty dining room should have been warning sign number one, but my girlfriend and I figured how bad could lemon grass chicken be? Famous last words. In addition to Vietnamese/​Thai staples (complete with pictures) there were IHOP favorites such as chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks (warning sign number two). Not wanting to push the envelope on ingredients, we opted for the drunken noodle with chicken and lemon grass chicken. The drunken noodle came out with shrimp rather than chicken and was served with raw tomato slices (a first for me). It tasted as if it were either grilled (not likely) or cooked in a pan that hadn’t been properly cleaned since the waning days of ‘nam. Covered in little bits of carboniferous charcoally goodness, the barely cooked noodle were the highlight of the meal. The lemon grass chicken was something out of a TGI Fridays nightmare. The chicken was defrosted battered chicken bits (also a first for me). I have never experienced something so vile and, with God’s will, will never do so again. The wasn’t even the slightest hint of lemon grass, which left the bland, quasi-​gelatinous, flash-​frozen chicken bits singing solo. Suffice it to say, my girlfriend and I ate a couple bites then moved shifted the food around on the plate, hid some under the garnish, and sent it back from whence it came. I would rather be waterboarded than go back to Phở Tum Yum. I would suggest that you exercise similar caution.

The thai food is horrible here, had the pad see ew and it tasted raw. The phở tastes like it was instant MSG attack. Very friendly, trying to make that whole neighborhood feel… FAIL
The owner told me when they first opened that they were trying to obtain a liquor license, never happened.
I’d skip this one if I could, it’s a pain in the but to find and get to because of the parking situation.

Back in college, I was so desperate for a bowl of phở that I took the instant stuff and added raw meat to it. Fail. Another time, I was staying at a friend’s house and his brother cooked up a big pot of flavorless phở. We ate it. Fail. What is the point of me recalling these phở failures? Read on.
I ordered up a bowl of phở, the usual eye round steak and brisket. The meat was decent. The phở lacked flavor. I tried desperately to save it with CPR, in the form of hoisin sauce and sriracha. A round of adrenaline with lime and basil. It was still dead. It was then that I called time of death and gave up. Don’t get me wrong, I ate most of it because I was starving, but then again I’ll eat anything when I’m starving. The bean sprouts weren’t very fresh. I also ordered up some egg rolls and fish balls. The egg rolls were pretty good. The fish balls were pretty much grilled fish balls with a side of cucumber and onion salad. The salad was pretty tasty. I didn’t try the Thai food but they did have what looked like a decent Thai tapas menu. Also, there were a good variety of bubble drinks on the menu.
The service was pretty good. The location isn’t the greatest but it is next to Heebeen. This place looks like it might be a decent place to drink and get some Thai tapas during happy hour.
I would avoid the phở unless you need something to warm you up as it rapidly becomes winter.