Viet Noodle Bar

For average restaurant: 3 stars
For Phở spot: 2 stars
–This is the first Phở place I’ve ever been that doesn’t have beef Phở even though they have beef dishes on the menu
–Chicken Phở was $ 13.45 each ($ 30 for two with tax BEFORE tip). For those that say this is standard Westside prices, that is not true. Mama Hong’s, Bowl Kitchen, and Le Saigon all have 2X size bowls for under $ 10. And their Vietnamese coffee was $ 4.65.
–Phở was smaller bowl without the standard garnishes… no bean sprouts, basil, Hoison sauce, etc.
Parking was near impossible to find as well.
Don’t go here for Phở. However I can’t comment if it’s worth the trip for a noodle dish.

We underestimated this place. My gf thought that the food wasnt gonna be good because the menu but wooooaaah was she wrong! we got the chicken phở and beef sesame noodle and also crispy shrimp appetizer that my gf hogged ALL the sauce. Hahah she is nice though

I thought I would like this place more after the reviews, but it was only ok. Everything I had was light at the time of consumption, but I felt like I wanted something with just a little more kick, maybe I just enjoy stronger flavors. This would be good for a post hangover meal or when I am feeling under the weather. I ordered the ginger fish noodle soup and the turmeric fish noodles. The flavors were good but after an hour I started feeling so thirsty I questioned how much MSG was used. Vietnamese iced coffee was $ 4.25. Yes they are west side prices. Just FYI. They do have lots of vegetarian options and fish only options so I would like to explore more of the menu.

Walk right in. Sit right down.
Amazing phở and authentic Vietnamese cuisine in a contemporary and minimalist environment. Nestled on busy Pico Blvd., you’ll miss it if you blink. It’s directly across from Trader Joe’s so use that as your beacon.
So far, I’ve tried all the phở bowls and you can’t go wrong. If your appetite is hearty, try splitting an order of the chicken meat balls.
I really love going to owner operated places like this. Everyone there says hi and remembers you and are delighted that you are there!

Me and me husband coming here all the time. He gets his fish noodle soup and I love their fish sandwich. Fav place since the first bite!
Highly recommend!

Glad this place is picking up — as I live in the hood, it’s amazing to see authentic Vietnamese cooking come to our west LA-​SM enclave. The turmeric fish noodle is hands down one of my favorite dishes in LA right now.

Number 21 (tumeric fish bowl). Enough said. I always dreamed of getting that perfectly cooked fish, and I would always get some wet and pale, bland-​tasting meh. That’s why I’m so impressed. They have a great chef! The place is right around the corner from my place, we dropped in accidentally few months ago, and we’ve been coming ever since. If someone pisses me off, I only accept apologies in the form of Number 21 from this place. Srsly! And after you’re done stuffing yourself, stop by the UnUrban coffee shop down the street, an indie vibey place, for people watching and even listening to them sing and play on the open mic!

Nice new spot! Food was great and clean, very nice employees, and modern minimalist atmosphere.
The food was very clean and fresh. We had the phở and a chicken salad. I’ll be back to try the fish dishes.

Located across from Trader Joe’s, near the Ocean Park area, Viet Noodle Bar seems to be quite a hidden gem in the neighborhood.
Food: Very fresh, yet slightly different phở than I am used to. That being said, I loved both things I tried. The Jicima fresh rolls were true to their name — perfect for a light appetizer, and the peanut sauce was delicious. The ginger fish noodle soup phở was a generous serving, but pleasantly light as well. The ginger broth brought warming flavors, and the white fish was cooked perfectly-​it melted in my mouth! Only disappointment was, as many have stated, that the phở was not served with the traditional accompaniments. Sriracha is great, but the bean sprouts, lime, and hoisin sauce would have been nice to have.
Service: Friendly, attentive, upbeat. The man who served us seemed as though he may have been the manager — very cheery, kind, humorous. We appreciated his positive energy!
Ambiance: Modern, bright, yet… very big space considering how empty it was. Granted, it was around 6:30pm on a week day, but only one other table was taken — out of A LOT. Seems as though this location is more popular with takeout orders.
For a chilly evening meal, I was very happy with my meal at Viet — will definitely go back soon!

People who are looking for healthy Asian cuisine in a casual, minimalist setting need to eat here, often. Viet Noodle Bar makes the most delicious fish dish I’ve ever had. That’s a claim I don’t make often. Their lightly battered white fish is incredibly moist and flaky, and it pairs perfectly over turmeric rice with fish sauce or with ginger in a rice noodle soup. I can’t rave enough about it.
Their café sua da is fragrant and pleasant, not overpowered by condensed milk. They also serve various Asian beers, Golden Road brew and oddly, sake. Prices are right in line with other high end Viet cuisine on the west side at $ 11 — $ 13 a dish. If you’re complaining about that price point, don’t bother eating at Nong La, Phorage or East Borough either. Drive to Alhambra, eat a $ 3 banh mi instead.
Other tidbits: location is nondescript but the space is huge with seating available for small and large parties. I’d call ahead for large parties since they seem lightly staffed. Service was very friendly and fast both times I’ve been here. They are located across from Trader Joes and I believe parking is street only.

Service was awesome. Felt like a regular. Food authentic except phở not made with beef broth. Prices very reasonable. Good for vegetarians.

One of my favorite restaurants in California. My husband and I are addicts… The soup is incredible. Zwee is the heart and soul of Viet. Open in Italy soon, please!

What can I say? I LOVE phở! So much so that I was willing to eat it two days in a row despite eating at another place yesterday that made their chicken phở with such poor quality chicken that I didn’t eat it!
And then a friend and I decided to stop in at Viet Noodle Bar today and not only is their chicken phở made with organic, all white chicken breast, the veggies are ultra fresh and the broth was absolutely amazing!
My friend got the fish phở and it was amazing as well!
I do believe my search for a «go to» phở place in Santa Monica is over!
To top it off, GREAT service!

Chicken phở is delightful and filling. The sodium is light. waaay lighter than in other phở joints. It tastes more like American chicken noodle soup than phở. But I love it because of all the green onions. I don’t miss the bean sprouts and jalapeños. Perfect for me as I fight this cold :) give it a try

I actually do like this place. A bit annoyed that I don’t get the usual sampling of herbs for the phở, but I do like this place! A crazy nostalgic soundtrack spinning tunes like the Hawaii Five-​O theme song. A nice team of servers. Very fresh, organic ingredients on the menu. That turmeric fish noodle bowl is very satisfying and yummy.
The slack though is that this place is ALWAYS empty when I visit. I feel bad. Poor location. Beautiful, roomy space inside though. Hope the business sticks around!

First off, I would like to comment on the spectacular service here. Our host was more than generous and attentive, being that we were the firsts of the evening. He came by our table at the right time. The place itself is located right on Pico in a hectic area but if you are patient, you will find free parking on the streets.
The décor of the joint is minimal and not elaborate with fancy cultural items. The dinning area is quite large with several tables and the room itself was a little dimly light but not too dark. Nice little perk is you could actually hear your company from across the table. No need to shout or sign language from afar. As for the food, we started off with the shrimp spring rolls. They were crispy and savory accompanied with a sauce, good way to start as a appetizer.
As for the entrée, oddly I cannot remember the exact name but it was a beef dry noodle dish. The noodles were thicker than usual, that may be the style which I didn’t mind. It made it easier to use chopsticks for the less experienced eater. The prices here are more than reasonable and worth every penny.
This would be a great place to get your Phở fix on a cold, breezy evening. Even on warm days its worth checking out. Great food, good prices and awesome staff here, nice to know good places still exist in the west side of this crazy town.

This place is great !!
I used to eat at their east side locations and was always sad to live so far away now, so i was very excited when they opened the spot in santa Monica
The food is fresh and the flavors are unusual
Love the phở ga and every dish w fish (salad, soup, and noodles) the fried shrimp rolls, the jicama rolls, the c-​shot, and the beef noodles. Also a great place to take vegan folks.
This is not a run of the mill or traditional Vietnamese place. But it should not be mistaken for a pretentious americanized «ethnic health food place».
This is a unique restaurant offering an authentic yet modern and unique take on vietnamese food.
A rare gem on the westside — try it out with an open mind

Writing this as I am eating but before I fall into food coma, you must have their phở and the Vietnamese sandwich!!! Come before I eat it all!

Before I start his review, I want to be clear. I am used to your average run of the mill Phở restaurant. (To me) this includes no frills, quick service, hoisin & siracha at each table, and phở served with bean sprouts and jalapeños.
With that being said, the food here is different. My girlfriend and I ordered the beef noodles and chicken phở. The table had fish sauce in the center so I added that to my beef noodles thinking it was same sauce that your average Phở restaurant serves. It wasn’t, it was extra salty and pretty much ruined my bowl. The phở was good, but without hoisin sauce it’s just not the same.
I feel like this restaurant is making an attempt at serving higher quality Vietnamese food, but it’s just not working for me.

Viet Noodle Bar has opened a new location in Santa Monica. This location is their second location. Their first location is in Atwater Village.
We started with fresh rolls that are petite, colorful, and healthy. Definitely start your meal with these.
The owner encouraged us to try their special, herbal ginger tea which has a natural sweetness from undisclosed fruits.
The Atwater location gets rave reviews for turmeric fish noodles. The fish is colorful from the turmeric seasoning but the taste of the spice is pleasantly mild. The dish appears to be pan fried. The rice noodles take on a nice golden hue as the turmeric runs off on them. The noodles are made fresh daily. They are thicker than vermicelli noodles. They are not cellophane noodles. The dish is garnished with fried slices of shallot and cilantro.