Pho Chi

A good find — very nice and funny service. I also left my wallet here and they were kind enough to keep it safe for me until I came back to retrieve it. But anyways, summer rolls are decently sized with amazing sauce.

Open super late. delicious food. And it’s a beer and wine store. This place is amazing.

I have literally tried every Vietnamese place in Gaithersburg from Shady Grove to southern Germantown and I keep coming back to this place. The broth in the Phở is the best of any place in the area hands down.
Do they offer a full Vietnamese menu? No
Do they have a lot of desserts? No
But if you want the best Phở in the Gaithersburg area at 10pm, then this is your place.

Loved the Vegetarian Phở at Phở Grill. Great variety of vegetables including shiitake mushrooms and a tasty broth.
Experienced a couple of oddities though, which hint at a less than customer friendly environment. Frequent diner cards are kept in the office so no one would know they are even are offered. They also can’t be combined if you forget yours and want to get credit by starting a new one and them merging them later.
The second oddity relates to wireless availability for diners. When I asked the server if he knew the password, which is of course standard practice, he said he didn’t because only the owner knows it and it is for his use only. The owner didn’t appear to be present. He is a very congenial guy who we first met when visiting when Phở Grill opened many years ago so this less than friendly policy seems out of character. The Phở is great though particularly the vegetarian!

The ONLY late night place open for Phở. Aaaaahhhh. Dreamy flavorful broth with tender noodles and crunchy sprouts. I always crave phở after an evening of gallivanting and have ventured here even after passing up great dining options in DC. Why is Late night phở like chasing a rainbow? Phở Chi’s phở is excellent and is slightly different in that it has a slight peppery quality to the broth. The no frills décor is to be expected when you get a bowl of heaven for $ 9 during late night. It’s also a beer store so you’ll see patrons walk in and out w purchases and if you so desire, you can have a beer w your phở. They also have one type of banh mi and other dishes likes lemon grass chicken which are pretty good. This is definitely an informal place, family run with cute kids doing their homework at the far table. It entertains me and makes me smile. If the usual hosts are busy, a kid might notice you’re waiting for a table and quietly seat you. The TV in the restaurant will inevitably be broadcasting something random. The last time I was slurping broth as I watched some hyper-​muscular robot dinosaurs battling each other with lasers. I assume it was the kids’ choice.

Pro:
Food
Price
Open late
Con:
Limited seating

First few thoughts: «OMG I finally made it, it’s so dark and rainy outside! Wait, why is this a beer and wine store? Oh, but there are tables and people eating phở. This is interesting…»
This is what I would consider a hole-​in-​the-​wall. I really wanted some banh mi before my volleyball game, and this was the closest place. Man, the bread of the banh mi was so soft and delicious. Personally, I could have used more meat and stuffing inside the sandwich, but my friend and I also ordered a summer roll so we were sufficiently full afterwards.
Another thing to note is that this place is opened pretty late (past 11pm), a good thing to keep in mind, anytime you have a phở/​banh mi craving later at night!

The food is great. The owner is rude and and mean. He does not have any etiquette and manners. You can clearly see child laboring at this place as he has he’s children working bussing and sometimes serving. I was here late around 12 and poor kids were watching tv and cleaning table beside us. I’ll never go to this place again. Worst parent, worst owner and but whoever is cooking makes a great food.
Pro: Good Phở, Opens Late
Bad: Everything and the Owner

The day has come! A phở shop with late hours. Came back from a road trip, and Unilocal brought me to this Phở Chi.
Quick, fast, and they take credit card over $ 10. I got the small combination phở, and I felt like they were not as generous with the meats as they are with other phở places. Usually I end up with some meat left over, but instead, I found myself needing more meat for my noodles. Broth was good, bowls are deep.

I’ve been to Phở Chi only once before to try out their phở. However, I heard from JASON C. that they have charcoal BBQ, which is pretty rare to find around the area; it was pretty exciting to hear, so JASON C., JOY B., and I came to check out this after attending an event in the area. Mr. Nguyen, the owner, told us the different meat offerings — we opted for the beef (short rib), chicken, and the pork (they also had shrimp/​seafood available). The meats come marinated with also a plate of veggies (okra, bell peppers, asparagus, and onions). The charcoal grill is set on one of the cut-​out patio tables, and once the grill is hot enough, the food is brought out. Mr. Nugyen grilled the first round for us, and then we were left to be responsible for them — we thought cooking it much longer brought out more of the flavor, but I think the meats could have been marinated for much longer. Also, I think the meats could have been sliced thinly, as that would definitely help with the flavors and cooked in less time. Out of the 3 meats, I actually liked the ‘kobe’ beef on the skewers that were brought at the end, as those seemed the most flavorful out of the bunch. Since the restaurant is also a little beverage depot, you can also get wine and beer (we all shared a bottle of Merlot) with your meal. I loved the fact that this place opens late! We had the patio seating all to ourselves, and we had a great time, just relaxing on stuffing our faces with the meats and the wine. Mr. Nguyen is a total sweetheart, and the staff made sure that everything was swell.
+Mr. Nguyen — total sweetheart! :D
+charcoal BBQ available (outside patio seating)

I’m a very frequent eater of Phở. I’m from LA and they have the BEST phở houses EVER, so my taste buds are a little stuck up when it comes to phở. I have to say this is the most interesting phở I’ve ever had. The soup base is flavored with spices such as tumeric and cumin. I would call this the phở style of the middle east. It’s pretty good, which is why I gave this review 4 stars, but it’s definitely not an everyday phở.
The egg rolls were decent, but I’ve had much better. They weren’t very crispy. When I treat myself to fried foods, which is rare, I want it to be super duper good. This didn’t satisfy my fried food requirement…
As others have mentioned, the restaurant is tucked inside with a convenience store and beer/​wine store. I don’t recommend this place for a first date or if you want to make a really good impression on someone.

This was an okay place for Phở. For its location, it is actually the better choice. I think there are better choices in Rockville though.
There are no vegetarian phở options here so this review is a bit limited. I did have the vegetarian roll, which was good and well made. It was lacking in «umph» flavor thus the okay rating. The atmosphere is a bit lacking and I believe our server was the owner’s child. It was weird. The Iced Thai Tea was a bit on the sweet side, but still good.
I like this place if you want a quick phở bite to eat.

This phở location is in a hidden location. I found this phở restaurant quite randomly. Thus, I assumed it was a restaurant no one really ate at. I looked at the reviews and I was very surprised that four of my Unilocal friends have written a review for this place! Thus, I became more interested in trying the food here. I then assumed this phở location was actually very popular. It was no longer a hidden restaurant in my eyes! I became even more excited to try their food.
The food was good. The phở has a clean broth flavor. The broth is not muddy and it has a deep beef and light fish sauce flavor. The food came out quickly.
I would recommend their Thai tea. One thing, I really like getting my Thai tea unmixed. This place mixes the condensed milk for you! :(
Another thing I would like to add is that this restaurant has a liquor store in the back of the restaurant! It’s actually a very interesting layout! Eat some phở and pick up a bottle of wine… Hummmm, don’t mind if I do… It was confusing at first though.

I am not a big Phở person, but I guess if I come here enough that may change. I have had Phở maybe once before (at a different location), but on this visit, I decided to try something different. I got the Rice Plate with chicken. It comes with Jasmine rice served with chargrilled chicken marinated in their homemade lemongrass sauce and it had a salad on the side with lettuce, tomatoes and shredded carrots. The chicken was succulent and went well with the rice. I did not know if there was any dressing to go on the salad, so I ate it as is — still good. I also had a mango smoothie with no bubbles and it was very good — tasted like a ripe mango just picked off the tree.
I plan to go back again (with friends) and try their Phở.
3.5 stars only because I am new to the food and location
Note:
The location was not hard for me to find as I used the google picture maps to direct me there. If traveling on Montgomery Village Avenue towards I-​270, it will be on your right side, after you pass the Welcome to Gaithersburg sign and in the vicinity of a gas station and a Dunkin Donuts. If you have reached the fire station, you have gone too far (even though it is near it). Parking is free.

Thanks to fellow Unilocalers I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to bring some delicious phở into my life… and so can you!
Their most delicious items are not on the menu… So here’s the inside scoop! If you take a look at the menu, it skips numbers! The 2 items you want are somewhere between 7 and 11 haha (Ask for the «number 8»! Which I have designated as the Kobe Phở number. «Number 9» is the Bun Bo Hue.) :D
Kobe phở is a unique specialty here. Kobe refers to meat from a specific breed of cattle from Japan. Is it likely that Phở Chi is serving this meat? Maybe, maybe not. But the point is the meat is delicious! Much better than your average eye-​of-​round steak slices.
The Bun Bo Hue is another fan favorite! The noodles are a thicker rice vermecelli with chicken meat. It’s got a great balance of spicy, salty, and sourness! I have yet to order this as the spiciness is quite intidimading… But I managed to bum a spoonful from a friend and it was deliciously spicy. The kind that would make my nose run instantly. One day, I will have to venture new territory and order this!
Their smoothies (mango, strawberry, avocado) are also made with real fruit so that’s also awesome!
Best part? They are open until 1 AM (kitchen closes at 12:30, though)!
Yeah! Love this place and the sweet owners!

I came here with a group of Unilocalers for dinner. It was a chilly evening so getting phở was perfect. I started off with the Avocado Smoothie and the Egg Rolls. The smoothie was really good, light, and not overly sweet. The Egg Rolls were really crispy and the meat and veggie filling was minced well together.
Unilocaler Chris L. recommended the Kobe Beef Phở and since it was a special item, I went with that. You knew it was going to be amazing just by looking at it and smelling the aroma of the broth. It was delicious! The broth was very flavorful and had a good amount of chopped green onions and cilantro. The Kobe beef is not actually real Kobe, but it was still very fresh and tender.
Besides phở, Phở Chi also has rice dishes, bahn mi, and other noodle dishes. I’ve had a pork rice dish before. I remember it being good, but not very filling or maybe I was just super hungry that night. It is one of those mom and pop, hole-​in-​the-​wall phở joints so don’t expect any fancy décor. It’s located inside a beer and wine store that is kind of tucked away and may not be the easiest to find. Just turn right in to the parking lot after you pass Dunkin Donuts. It is definitely the place to go if you want a piping hot bowl of noodles during the cold weather or if you find yourself craving phở late at night. Their kitchen closes at 12:30 am.

Whenever I tell people about Taco Bar this is how I describe it:
Do you know about Taco Bar? No? First off it has something like 400 reviews and 4.5 stars. One of the highest rated businesses in the county.
Ok, well you know the Washingtonian Shopping Center… or the Rio Shopping Center.
There’s a gas station that sits right outside of it called the Washingtonian Express.
Inside that gas station, it’s split in two.
Half of it is a convenience store and half of it is a beer and wine store. IN that Beer and Wine store is Taco Bar.
I’ve said that like 100 times, because I want people A) not only to get to Taco Bar to order a delicious and cheap meal, but B) I want people to understand what a hidden gem is, and what Unilocalers nation wide are pointing out for all to enjoy.
This Phở Chi place is the same sort of place. Super Hidden Gem. I have passed this place so many times it makes my head hurt, and have never have seen it or basked in it’s glory. So allow me to describe to you where it is.
So you know Exit 11 Montgomery Village Ave?
So if you’re going North on 270 take Exit 11 and go through through the giant intersection at 355. Continue past the Dunkin Donuts and gas station on your left and make a U-​turn at the next possible break.
Turn, not into the gas station lot, but the next right.
You’ll see a place a place that says Phở, Beer, and Wine
Really, what more do you need in live? I can’t stop thinking about this place– it’s so undercover amazing.
Kobe Beef Phở
Yes you heard it right.
They have Thai Iced Tea Bubble Tea too.
Everything is delicious. Service is friendly, if just a little bit hampered.
You are literally sitting in a small blocked off section in a Beer and Wine Store and eating some of the best Phở in the county.
3 words: Get It Girl!
Get it get it girl. Get it girl. Get it get it girl.
From the front to the side

Kobe phở– excellent! As one enters the restaurant, the owner waves hello. It is a small place, but makes up for it with interesting character, and some outdoor seating.
For example, this evening the restaurant patrons were almost universally silent. Why? Because Arnold Schwarzenegger in «Terminator 3» was one television! Almost everybody’s eyes were transfixed on the female liquid metal /​endonic skeleton terminatrix robot chasing John Connor.
Not quite to everyone — in the kitchen, a most wonderful soup (very meaty, many noodles, excellent spice, was prepared.
I am highly satisfied.

Yesterday did it for me. The heavens or the owners listened to my qualm from my Unilocal review (or I’m just being narcissistic in thinking this way). The one major qualm I had about Phở Chi was the quality of the meat and to my surprise, Phở Chi added a new dish to mitigate this issue:
Kobe Phở
Yes you heard that right. Is it real Kobe Beef? Nope. The term Kobe Beef is abused in the United States because there are no legal restrictions on how those words can be used here. Kobe beef in the U.S. means beef coming from the wagyu breed of cattle. It’s not treated, massaged, fed, or placed in an environment that wagyu cattle go through in Japan to be called «Kobe» beef. And trust me, they are not the same.
Honestly, I don’t know what what kind of beef goes inside this phở but my guess is that based on it’s taste and moderately tough texture that it is sliced sirloin wagyu beef. The quality of the beef is amazing for something you’d find in Phở and is probably the best I’ve tried in any Phở I’ve had. After all have you ever seen a restaurant that puts wagyu, angus, or similar grade meat into Phở???
As for the Phở, I will say it again. I’m in the MSG-​sensitive crowd and Phở Chi doesn’t use anywhere near the amount of MSG that other restaurants like Phở 75 uses. Do you like flavorful broth that gives you a tingling sensation in your mouth? If so, you are in the MSG camp and you’ll probably not like this place so much.
That being said, Phở Chi makes up for that non-​MSG flavoring by giving you an extraordinary amount of green onions, which adds a packing of flavor to the broth. Being Korean, I appreciate this a lot as this is commonly done to flavor some Korean soups like the «Gom-​Tang» (bone broth).
At $ 11.99 the price of the Kobe Phở is steep, and while I still feel this place doesn’t top the best of the best I’ve eaten in LA, there is one thing that’s very clear. I think Phở Chi has the best Phở in the DMV area and I’m very happy I live close by!

Hidden behind a gas station and dunkin donuts… and part of a liquor store, who knew that they served phở? Well, if you can find this place, go in and have some phở!
Not a huge place, but cozy…
Now for the phở. Its a little different from the others in the area. Its the seasoning! I think it may be the black pepper… of course if you want to add spice or the usual add on they are all at your finger tips! The meat is good, and the tendon very good. The selection may not look like a lot, but they have the necessities. Also if you want chicken and not beef, ask for it. They have it even if its not apparent on the menu…