Pho Tick Tock

The service is good. Very pricey.
$ 28 for tick tot combo. The noodle is ok, new concept, but not thing special.
Get very very thirsty afterward.

The worst customer service EVER! I called for takeout and as I ordered, the lady gave me an attitude and when I finished with my order, she straight up just hung up on me without a good bye and a THANK YOU. How RUDE! I for one love good customer service, and at one point the service here was great. I’m giving this place a 1 star based on their crappy service. I didn’t have to give them my business. I could’ve went elsewhere to get good service. Even tip for togos… well sorry lady. No tip for you nor will I be coming back. Also, 4 orders of phở for the price of $ 80!!! Ummmm… if you want to keep your business long term, I think you should add some Kobe beef, fillet minion and a larger portion for that price. Sheesh Louis. I love phở but DAMN! Im not cheap but troi dac qui thang oi… Worst customer service and a small ass bowl of phở that’ll burn a hole in your pocket. Not so worth it.

What an interesting and unique phở restaurant this place is. The design and décor is definitely unexpected for a phở restaurant. The concept is novel and you eat your phở like a hot-​pot style. The noodle, meats, and broth all come out separately so you can take your time eating it and not have to worry about everything getting soggy and cold because the broth comes out extra hot!
Is is definitely a lot pricier than your average bowl of phở so I wouldn’t come here a 2^nd time. I enjoy my original nice bowl of phở. this is too much work for a dish that isn’t meant to be hot-​pot style.

Everyone’s hungry after badminton, and almost everyone enjoys phở, soooo I found myself at Phở Tick Tock post-​league finals. The service was a little eh (not the most friendly), but considering that I went with a group of 16 in the afternoon when there were only two servers working… I guess it was understandable? Regardless, they did a great job of serving us efficiently. The décor was nice and modern-​looking and the food was presented very nicely, so it didn’t surprise me that the prices were a bit higher than other phở shops.
The hot pot phở looked amazing, but they didn’t have any vegetarian/​seafood options so I didn’t end up ordering one… Not sure how other people felt about their orders, but I was happy with the Veggie Vermicelli ($ 11.25)! The vermicelli noodles were unmemorable, but the faux meat was delicious — it looked so much like real meat that at first I thought they’d taken my order wrong! I actually thought it tasted much better than real meat and would definitely order it again.
Overall, cute restaurant and good food! Slightly overpriced and just decent service, but I’d be willing to drive back here to have the Veggie Vermicelli again. :)

This place was pretty good. Me and my friend stopped by here to check out the phở hot pot special for two that they have here. The soup was really flavorful but they were kind of skimping on the meat. The combination egg rolls were decent and the service was good but I would like to see how they serve during a busy day. All in all this place wasn’t bad but wasn’t crazy good. I would come back here again but maybe in a month or two, not right away

If you’re looking for an over price phở joint, this is the place to go to. The broths for phở and bun bo hue were both bland. There are a lot more flavorful phở around the area. Save you money and go else where.

First off when you walk in it’s not your typical Asian restaurant. Everything is modern and they play your typical mainstream music which I find different because most restaurants play Vietnamese music. When I first saw this place on Unilocal I was intrigued that they serve phở in a hot pot style. Basically, their meats are laid out on a plate with three dipping sauces, pre cooked noodles in a bowl, and a hot clay pot with the phở broth. So when I saw the photos I had to come and try it out. However, my biggest mistake was that I should have read the reviews. It is so pricey compared to other places. $ 28 for 2 people or $ 20 for one person. I thought that was outrageous especially for the amount you get didn’t justify it whatsoever. The portions are so small that afterwards my friends and I had to go somewhere else for snacks cause we weren’t full. Broth was ok. Nothing too special. I was so disappointed when I saw how small it was. In the end you just put in everything yourself. I fell for the gimick and never again would I come back. We also ordered eggrolls for appetizers and it looked so sad when it arrived at our table. Small and weird looking. I don’t really know how to explain it but the eggrolls could have been better too.
Save your money and just stick with the restaurants you’ve always been going to for some phở. I recommend Phở Hoa on Tully in San Jose that’s located inside Jazen Tea. Their portions are big and cheap. Soup is flavorful and service is fast. Plus, they offer boba if you order the combo. Skip Phở Tick Tok. Not worth it.

The phở tick tock is a novel idea, with phở coming out deconstructed hot pot-​style. It was pricey, but for $ 28 quite filling for a party of two and came with plenty of meat (some not traditionally served with phở like the marinated grilled beef). While the broth was surprisingly delicious and flavorful, it was rather oily and the wide noodles overcooked. We had no issue with the temperature of the broth, which remained very, very hot for quite some time.
A little bit out of the way, but the phở was good and fun to try. Otherwise, not sure if I’d come back as traditional good food beats pricey novelty any day. And other menu items are served just about everywhere else in SJ. Good service and accepts plastic.

I’ve never tried Phở in this hot pot type of style before! The idea and look of it was so amazing and yummy looking to me. Where can I even start. once I entered the resteraunt, it was so decorative and modern looking. There was also a cool looking clock on the wall to represent the resteraunt’s name which was really creative. To the side, there was a piano and a little stage where I guess they hold small performances.
Ok…on to the food
Me and my bf ordered their signature phở dish which was the hot pot style. When our food came out, the manager (I think) was kind enough to explain to us how to eat the dish and gave us more water. The water he poured for us was in a fancy looking wine bottle which looked really nice. Now the meats that were laid out on the plate was super delish/​tender and nicely presented. The soup had just enough flavor and was boiling hot in the stone bowl they had it in. The only down side was the bowl didn’t keep the soup hot long enough. Anyways, I’ve never ate phở in such a fancy environment and way before, it was great! :’) The workers were very attentive and accommodating and kudos to the manager for being attentive as well for asking how we’re doing and showing us how to properly eat the dish. Will definitely come here again!

I never go out for phở. To me, my mama dearest makes the best in town so why leave the nest just to end up disappointed. But for some reason, I had a random craving and mama was no where to be found. Turned to Unilocal for assistance and saw this place popped up. Fate? Quite possibly.
I don’t like the area it’s in. Personally I don’t feel very safe in that neighborhood but I guess it’s okay to take a walk on the dangerous side if it means good food.
Décor and ambiance is nice and modern. Anyone who says otherwise is being too nitpicking. Yes, there are some things that doesn’t match the others but who really cares. Everyone has different taste so instead of criticizing why not just appreciate the effort someone put into making their restaurant presentable.
We ordered their signature phở platter for two because the nice presentation got to us and to be honest I wanted the picture. It’s like a hotpot style phở where the broth is separate and everything else is on the side served with fresh thick noodles. Keep it isolated or mix it together, there’s no right or wrong way to eat it. I love the whole meat platter. Every piece was well prepared and distinct. But the broth is what keeps me wanting more. It comes out in a stone pot which is intended to keep it pipping hot throughout the whole meal, and it did just that. There’s no overpowering ingredients so even the pickiest of taste-​buds can enjoy it. Imagine your typical mundane broth enhanced to the max. It’s that good.
Overall, I really like this restaurant. Food, service, atmosphere. Can’t complain. It is on the pricey side for phở and that made me wary at first but after trying it for myself I’m convinced it’s worth it. And I guess $ 28 for 2 isn’t too bad. But I do cap out at $ 30 though. So please Tick Tock, enough. Price aside, it’s a step up from your normal phở joints and it’s quickly becoming by favorite. In the words of The Terminator: I’ll be back.
*Happy hour between 5−7pm. A few discounted appetizers and alcoholic drinks.

The décor is very cute and unique. There was definitely a Modern twist on this Vietnamese restaurant and it catches you by surprise because of the location and plaza that it’s in.
The food wasn’t bad. I had the Shrimp Tick Tock the first time and it was seasoned well and the perfect proportion for me. It didn’t have an overpowering coconut flavor which my boss really liked. The roasted garlic on top did add to it. They have fresh chili peppers that you can add that really pack a kick! It was quite empty on the week day and it was pretty quick.
The next time I came in was on a weekend. We stood at the door for about 5 minutes and the waitress kept addressing the crowd behind us. They sat us towards the window eventually and then totally forgot about us. It took about 10 minutes to finally wave a waitress down, but they were too busy busting tables. It didn’t seem like the waitresses had assigned tables and it took about 30 minutes to finally get our food. I got the Bun Bo Hue, and it was okay. I’ve definitely had better. The meat was kind of chewy and the broth was lacking flavor.
The prices are also all over the place. They have some affordable dishes but then Phở for $ 20 does seem a little insane.

Writing this review makes me so sad. Unilocal did such a good job of hyping this place. Because I’m in love with the décor and the menu variety. The cha gio/​egg rolls was fantastically seasoned. Its wrapping in rice noodle sheets was definitely innovative.
But I just don’t like their Phở and it’s in their name! I came ready to try Phở Tick Tock, but upon closer examination it included fewer meats than their cheaper assembled Phở Combo. I’m a die hard fan of gau, so I’d bite the bullet and if it were great I’d come back for Tick Tock.
Man, I just felt like everything was on the short end of the stick. The best part I guess was the wider nontraditional noodles. The broth felt very light, reminiscent of MSG to say the least. And you get so little meat — everything together may be the size of two or three McDonald’s chicken nuggets. There’s no way I’d pay an extra $ 10 bucks to put that together myself — the soup and meat aren’t worth it.
My faith was probably saved by the cha gio. I will probably fool myself into coming back again. But 100% do not recommend the phở, and would try some of the other dishes. If I want soup my money’s better spent on places that get it right without bells and whistles like Phở Kim Long.

1÷29÷16: Mixed bag is the theme here. It all starts with the décor: they obviously wanted to be trendy and modern, but then they got the typical traditional Vietnamese stuff like a synth and stage for singing. Also, the modern transformation is kinda half-​hearted as the walls had some moderny art, but kinda fob’y looking. The service was relatively good though.
The food had its good and bad too:
1. Thit Curu Nuong Com Mi Toi $ 18.75 (grilled lamb chops with garlic noodles): Well, this is either the most ridiculous plating you have ever seen, or some kind of work of art depending on how liberal your vision is. I think most likely they let one of their kids play with their erector set while eating pork chops: voila.
1a. The Noodles: Has good potential, but unfortunately they ruined them by spilling sugar in there. You like candied noodles? – yeah, didn’t think so. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it is sweet and it don’t work. Yuck.
1b. The Lamb Chops: Again, a mixed bag. The chops themselves are meaty and are well grilled, and perfectly medium rare. Awesome. Great spices too. Unfortunately they did that sugar thing again. We’ve all had pork chops with sweet toppings, but for some reason they taste good that way, and these… well, don’t. I think it has something to do with their tart sauce and the nice char taste, with the sugar. Well, anyway, could have been great, but it’s not.
Good attempt, but just ain’t there. ⁵⁄₁₀
2. Phở Tick Tock for 2 $ 28 (rare flap, grilled flap, lengua, tendon, meat balls): This is their main specialty. It’s like a halfway in-​between of hot pot vs. noodle soup. I don’t get the concept really. So, they bring you hot soup in a hot clay pot but without fire. So, it’s hot delivered to you, but slowly cools down, but really, it’s not too different than just being served straight soup. But then they serve all the stuff that goes into the soup on the side: all the meats and the noodles. But for the most part it’s all precooked, except for the raw beef. They could have just as easily given you a standard bowl with everything inside, with maybe the exception of the beef. I really don’t get it.
As for the taste, the soup is EXCELLENT. One of the most flavorful phở-​like soups I’ve ever had. The noodles were quite overcooked and a bit mushy. The meats were pretty flavorful – the grilled flap meat had good char taste, and all the others were cut somewhat thickly so you can taste the flavor.
I think if they cut the high price by a ¹⁄₃^rd and cook the noodles better I wouldn’t mind getting it again, but as is, I think it was cool to try, but not worth another. ⁶⁄₁₀
3. Che Buoi $ 3 (pomelo pudding [note: I believe they did not use any pomelo despite their description] — seasonal): Sigh… even this was a mixed bag. The bad: they lied. There’s no pomelo in there. The menu says that it’s seasonal, so I even asked the waitress if they had it before hand, and she said yes. Cool. But clearly whatever was given to us didn’t have any fruit in it, of any kind. BUT, whatever they gave us was DAMN GOOD. Some kind of tapioca pudding with rice and coconut. A little sticky and gelatinous, but overall an excellent texture for this kind of dessert. And the flavors were perfect. Well, ignoring the pomelo part,… ⁹⁄₁₀
Nice try, but ain’t there.
³⁄₅
#vietnamese #vietnamesefusion

Phở Tick Tock has such a modern concept in presenting the traditional Vietnamese phở. I found this place through Unilocal while looking for «something fun to eat» in San Jose. The name of the restaurant caught my attention! Besides selling phở, they accept special party orders and use the restaurant as the venue for private parties (!?). Their Facebook said that they would have Friday Music from 7:30 to 10:00pm and Happy Hour from 5PM-​7PM Monday thru Friday.
Location ⁵⁄₅: There are plenty of parking spaces in front of the restaurant. Inside, the interiors are full with clocks and time element. I guess the owner wants to put an emphasis in the idea of time and uses his food to be the medium to connect all the guests together (Gosh that’s so corny)! In addition, the word «Tick Tock» reminds me of a Vietnamese word «tich tac» — meaning quick and immediate. They were so quick at getting out both drinks and food to us!
Services ⁵⁄₅ Their quick service aside, mannnnnn, WHERE HAVE THESE GUYS BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE? I have never been in any Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose with this kind of top-​notch services! Others talked about the good looking waiter *wink*, EVERYONE in their front side is so attentive, friendly and funny! The fact that the cashier/​bartender brought me a togo cup for my lychee lemonade to my table and poured the drink inside the cup for me without me telling him first was pretty on point! Gosh, it has been a while since the last time I felt this much «care» eating in a Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose. When we walked out of the restaurant, they opened the door for us. WHO DOES THAT? WAHHH!!! Two thumbs up for ALL of you! I wish you all can maintain this high energy for my upcoming visitSSSSS!
Food & Drinks ⁴⁄₅: We ordered the Lychee Soda Lemonade ($ 3.5) and Jasmine Milk Tea ($ 3.5). You should try it! These are both highly recommended! Many Unilocalers talked about the ultimate Phở Tick Tock that serves 7 kinds of beef on a separated dish, phở broth in a hot stone bowl, phở noodles and veggies on a side. It reminds me of the traditional Bò 7 Món (seven courses of beef). I don’t know if they got the idea from there or not, but these 7 kinds bring such excitement while eating phở here. Phở Tick Tock ($ 20/​person, and $ ²⁸⁄₂ persons) serves with (7) rare flank, well-​done flank, tripe, tendon, beef tongue, grilled flank and meat balls, tops with julienned white onions, green onions and scallions while serving with hoisin sauce, sriracha and spicy pure fish sauce. Concept, check. Broth flavor — intense with spices, check! DIG IN!
In addition, we ordered Bun Bo Hue ($ 10), and Rice Combo ($ 11.5) with BBQ pork, shredded pork skin, egg sunny side up and prawns. I appreciated that they left the sate chili on a side for eaters to adjust their level of spiciness. Aside from that, both dishes left a small impression compared to the Phở Tick Tock.
This restaurant is such a valuable addition to the Phở businesses in San Jose! I highly recommend this for everyone who is ready to try out a different presentation of phở. Especially if you are not from San Jose, go and try this new addition to SJ local.

My boyfriend and I wanted something soupy for the night’s cooler weather. He had bookmarked this and we decided to come give it a try. My first impression was their interior decorations were very top notch. The details of the pictures on the walls were seem to be drawn in chalk (at least I think that was the appearance they were going for). It was pictures of gears which I assume are from clocks or watches? Behind the bar was a real 3-​D gear type art piece as well. In the back on the way to the bathroom was a huge, ginormous, crazy big widescreen. It wasn’t on so it was hidden away.
Food? It was alright. We ordered Bo Tai Chanh, Goi Cuon, and the Phở Tick Tock for 2. The Bo Tai Chanh had beef that was medium rare sliced thinly mixed with herbs and onions in a sweet and sour sauce. It was light and refreshing. I thought it was pretty good but I had a similar home made version from my boyfriend’s uncle and that was hard to top. The Goi Cuon was sliced up into little pieces similar to sushi pieces. It was a bit underwhelming. I felt like there wasn’t enough of anything inside the rolls. Not enough noodles or shrimp or veggies (I saw a tiny piece of shrimp on certain rolls but didn’t taste them!) They tried to be a bit different by adding a little sweet/​sour carrots and cucumber. They seem to use very lean cuts of pork so it came out very dry. However, the peanut sauce was delicious and on point.
I have a main question. What makes the price of the Phở Tick Tock cost $ 20 for one and $ 28 for two when regular bowl is about $ 10. The only difference seems to be the Phở Tick Tock comes disassembled and we have to put it together. The meal comes with a plate of meat and dipping sauces, bowl of wide phở noodles, and a stone pot of soup. The waiter told us we just needed to dump everything into the soup and enjoy. It isn’t hot pot since hot pot can be enjoyed separately. This was basically assembling my own phở. But I can taste the meat was very soft. If the price is justified by the more premium cuts of meat then I understand.
Overall, the customer service was very attentive and nice. The food came out pretty fast. The restaurant looks very clean. I think I would like to come back to try the BBH and garlic noodles but maybe not the Phở Tick Tock special.

Excellent and attentive service. Mordern and upscale décor. Nothing you’d expect at a phở joint (they serve wine here).
The goi cuon was pretty good though the pork had no fat on it, so it was on the dry side. The peanut sauce, though, was on point; one of the best peanut sauces I’ve ever had.
The bo tai chanh was decent. Though I’d prefer it a little cooler, so it brings out fresher and crisper texture. Mix in a little crushed peanuts, an extra dash of fresh lime squeeze to draw out the appetite, and big bonus if they had included the prawn cracker (banh phong tom).
Got the phở tick tock for 2. It was a different take on phở. The soup was in a hot stone, and the phở noodle was the fresh wide kind; soft, smooth, and hearty. You’re supposed to dump everything into the soup hot stone. The soup was a little lacking that herby taste and smell. The tai meat was fresh and tender. And other cuts taste pretty premium too. Overall worth the unique experience (if you go for the ticktock for 2)
3.5 stars. I’d love to come back to try other dishes.

I thought I’d give this place a review since I visited last night. First of all, this place is a phở restaurant but they don’t sell Chicken Phở. What kind of phở restaurant not sell every kind of phở?
Any how, I didn’t like their phở too much. I ordered a meat ball phở with steak. The steak was not even the right kind of steak that you put in the phở. Not only that I had to order a side dish of the white stringy meat that you put in the phở that cost $ 3 extra. They told me that they don’t put it in their phở.
I was a bit disappointed because no phở restaurant does that but them. I don’t know why their phở is so expensive but it is. Their broth is just like every other phở place in town.
Onto their customer service, they did have good customer service. They poor your beer for you, speak very nicely and very quick with bring things when we asked them.
I may give it a second try if they change their phở menu and add chicken phở.

Highlights
— Love the modern décor and cleanliness. Something you would not expect at a phở restaurant, but a nice touch.
— Phở for two: Such a unique offering. It came with two bowls of soup in Japanese udon bowls which keep your soup pipping hot perfect for cooking your raw assorted meat platter and separate bowls of noodles that came along with this dish. Broth was very flavorful and delicious. If you love Phở Combinations that come with tendons, thinly slice beef, tripe, etc, you’ll love this dish.
— Bun bo hue: I am a whimp when it comes to spicy stuff and when I ordered this it was surprisingly just enough spiciness where you can barely taste it, others may say it was lacking flavor but you can add more spice if you wish but it was perfect for me.
— Service was great, water was refilled, dishes taken away promptly, and quite a few people checked on us throughout our meal to make sure everything was okay.
— No wait, we were seated immediately and it would be a restaurant that can easily fit a group of people if needed.
Improvements
— Grilled shrimp and pork dry noodles: It was good, but not the best that I have tasted.
Tips
— Plenty of parking in the plaza that they are located in.

Catchy name you coined there Phở Tick Tock! Love your concept of time and it’s all about PHO time! I really dig how you pay close attention to finer details like your awesome Tick Tock Clock wall. And I’m really liking your whole nautical whimsical Tick Tock theme carried throughout your restaurant, it really makes for an awesome dining experience. Makes one feel very special, especially; with the upscale feel but with a laid back attitude. Kudos man!
Did I mentioned how much I’ve enjoyed your PHO for two? Well in our case, we ordered two (2) sets of your PHO Special for only $ 28×2+1 to go (great deal by the way) and we were left not only fully satisfied, but we were salivating looking at the photos afterwards. Hint… hint… we wanted more… and believe me, I dined in with two little old ladies (origin, Vietnam)… one happens to be visiting at this very moment from Saigon, AND if anyone knows a solid Vietnamese cuisine, she would!
BTW, a big shout out to my Gold Elite Unilocal Buddy Victor G. for his awesome review, otherwise… I would never know you were here! See his review here:
So you are probably asking by now… how did we enjoy your PHO? … Our experience was phenomenally outstanding. Phở Tick Tock, you outdid yourself as the new kids on the block, and what differentiates you from all the PHO places in San Jose which I believe you will have much sucess, … is your excellent cuisine bursting with flavors, fresh ingredients, a very well done on a nice soup that taste very clean to the palate. Best of all, your Tick Tock theme… (very catchy if I may say so) is quite unique here, and of course… your excellent service! You really know how to treat your customers like majesties!
We’ll definitely be back… most likely with a bigger crowed… Oh by the way… when I saw your live entertainment with a mic, I had a «Duran Duran» moment, then I woke up and realized… I am that one in a million Asian that can’t carry a tune on a karaōke or even dance moves (yes, I“m that Filipino dude and a % of something else that can’t sing or dance, sad I know)… but if you make me a few of your special drink mixtures, you might just dandy, tug my sleeve or two… for a fancy Unilocaling Song of «YMCA!!»
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

The best way to describe its signature dish is shabu phở. The phở noodles (both thin and thick are available) and traditional phở proteins are served separately from the broth. You dip the meats and noodles into the broth at your leisure. My favorite meat is the tai (vietnamese rare beef). At Tick Tock, it’s pulverized (courtesy of a meat mallet) to be extra soft and tender. I recommend ordering an extra serving of it with your meal. I also really enjoyed the broth because it is light and pleasant — like how your mom would make it. There is virtually zero msg flavor. If shabu phở isn’t your thing, the traditional phở in a bowl is available for purchase as well.
It is a bit more on the pricey side for Vietnamese food. I say it’s worth it. The shabu phở for 2 people will run you for $ 28. Regular bowls will cost about $ 10. Ambiance is clean and modern. Service is fast and attentive. As a side note, I think it’s great that there businesses trying to create new ways of serving traditional Vietnamese cuisine. I hope this is a trend that continues to spread throughout San Jose.