Pho 900

Hello All My friend
Phở 900 will be back soon with the new name is BAMBOO RESTAURANT
Please come and meet us at 345 15^th Ave East, Seattle WA 98 112.
XXXXXXXXX
we are going to Grand Opening this Friday July 20^th 2012 at 11am
Please come and enjoin a great foods

I’m really sad Phở 900 is closing on August 9^th. I think I heard a server tell another patron that they’ll be reopening in Jan/​Feb 2011 after the remodel of the building is done, but it definitely makes me sad not to have a backup option when I’m not sure if I want phở or Vietnamese food.
Love the egg and fresh rolls here. The phở is a bit greasy but I’m happy about the fact that they don’t use MSG. I had a minced pork meatball dish that was pretty good, even though I generally don’t like vermicelli noodles. Service is fine — not too friendly, not too aloof — I like places that will let me eat in peace.

I’d like to preface my review by saying I ate at Phở 900 SOBER, not desperate and hungover. (In hindsight, that might have made things more tolerable).
The soup itself is flat and lacks depth which only is achieved from a rich stock base. When places make shortcuts, I can taste it. When I say rich, I don’t mean an ice rink of floating marrow. And the excess cinnamon, star anise flavor is a surefire attempt to distract the palette.
Between the bowl of phở and fried egg rolls I got a massive post MSG migraine that made me vengeful. Btw, the leftover Phở I stored in a glass container in the fridge, and was horrified to see 2+ inches of pure grease floating on top the next day.
Should have went to Phở Bac.

As I hoped for, there actually are Phở eateries in Seattle that don’t cook with MSG and Phở 900 just so happens to be one of them (even if their menu doesn’t advertise that fact). Phở is a pretty new experience for me, so I don’t yet have much of a baseline to compare against. But I’ll still go with three stars for Phở 900.
I was greeted and seated by the window in late afternoon sunshine. I liked that. I ordered the #2 Chicken Phở with veggies, as well as an appetizer of spring rolls. For the spring rolls, I had the option of tofu or pork & shrimp. I went with the non-​tofu option.
With my Phở, I was served a plate covered with sliced jalapeño, bean sprouts and basil. These two very big spring rolls came with a brownish sweet sauce with something sprinkled on top of the sauce. The sprinkles looked like bacon bits but weren’t. I don’t know what the sprinkles were.
My first sip of the Phở yielded a strong nutmeg flavor that became unnoticeable after a few more sips. Periodically, I did get a taste of green that reminded me of rau ram (Vietnamese coriander). Plenty of chicken in the soup as well as cabbage, broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower and carrots. It was an OK soup but the broth was lacking pizzazz so I did add chili paste to give it some life.
As a nice finishing touch, I was given a complimentary cream puff with a quite good vanilla filling.

I’m still a bit inexperienced when it comes to phở, but I had a damn tasty lunch here and I gots to Unilocal about it.
I had a large bowl of the «veggie» phở, which actually uses chicken broth. There’s a vegan version too, but I like to eat animals (or slurp them, in this case). It came with a huge pile of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, peas and big chunks of yummy tofu. Underneath was a mountain of noodles. It was hot, tasty and the broth wasn’t too greasy. I couldn’t finish the whole thing and I was stuffed. Perhaps I’ll get a small bowl next time – although for about $ 1 more, why not get the large (and take the rest home).
The service was fast and friendly and you get a free cream puff with your lunch! All this, plus a diet pepsi for about $ 10? Yay, I’m a fan indeed!

I belong to a friendly little Phở Club (hi guys!) and we met here last week. I didn’t have any of the phở so I can’t personally comment on its goodness. I did sample my friend’s broth which I found fresh and subtle in its flavouring. I prefer a stronger taste in my phở broth but there was nothing wrong with what I tried, just different from what I was accustomed.
I chose their lightly fried seasoned shrimp which was nicely prepared. I liked the juxtaposition of the cooked red and green bell peppers, green and white onions against the fresh cucumber slices, tomatoes and jalapeños. It was served with a huge portion of steamed rice.
I split an appetizer of fried tofu with lemongrass and chili pepper with a few people. The tofu was crinkle-​cut and lightly fried without being greasy. All that sampled the tofu enjoyed it.
I experienced no problems with the service. It was pleasant enough and unobtrusive. My water was refilled repeatedly and the food came out quickly. And after our group finished our meals, cream puffs were brought out for everyone. They reminded me of mini-​Beard Papas. And if you don’t understand that reference and claim to like cream puffs, get thee to Uwajimaya’s food court to sample one of those treats!
One thing that was confusing was whether or not the bill would be brought to the table or if we went to the register. After waiting a little while, it was evident that you pay at the register. They also split our checks for us which was nice since there were a dozen of us!

I love their beef stew. Huge chunks of beef, fresh vegetables, and a tasty soup without the MSG. I have tried their other dishes, including the chicken phở, fried rice, and seafood with rice. All very delicious, and at affordable prices. I have also tried their egg rolls, but prefer the egg rolls at Phở Cyclo.

Best phở in the city and I have BEEN AROUND. I’ve had the chewy, grey meat, I’ve seen the little roaches skittering on the filthy walls, I’ve downed glass after glass of water because of the shit tons of MSG, and I’m DONE. I, and my fellow 5 star reviewers, have succeeded where Ponce de Leon failed. (I’m trying to work out a terrible pun with phở and the fountain of youth, i.e. some type of eternal glory, and I just need to stop.)
I like that they have pictures of big, colorful roosters on the menus. (don’t you analyze me) And in the back of said menus, they have both the history of phở and how to eat phở, for the neophytes. But let’s get to the food.
The beef, chicken and vegetarian phos are all EXCELLENT and MSG-​free, for those to whom it matters. I must agree with a previous reviewer. The claim that phở requires MSG for flavor, is a LIE to hide laziness and/​or a lack of quality ingredients and basic kitchen know-​how.
YES, there are complimentary cream puffs. I know they came from a box in the freezer, but I still willingly eat them. That’s because they are tasssty little chemical puffs.
I could not recommend Phở 900 highly enough. It’s very clean (watch out for the bathroom, and I am holding positive, ignorant thoughts for the kitchen) in the sense that there are polished wood tables and I could bring my hyperconservative mother here and I don’t think she would get frowny. Service is friendly, the food is quick, and take out is grand.
My only complaint is that it resides in Capitol Hill, and I do not.

I love this place, but I should disclose that I always order the same thing: large vegan phở. Most phở places give you a few pieces of crappy tofu, some onion slices and half a sprig of broccoli in vegetarian phở. Phở 900 really loads you up with a ton of veggies. It’s great.
Don’t expect great service here, because that’s totally not the point. They bring you your food fast and let you eat it. It’s a great place to have a slow meal with friends while listening to bizarre Vietnamese pop music that even Shazam can’t decipher.
They lose a star due to some questionable hygiene. Just don’t look when you use the bathroom…

Good, but not good enough!
Phở 900 misses the mark a bit. The food is a bit mediocre and some of the stuff on the menu was just not good.
I’ll have to give this place one more try, but for now, I didn’t think it was that great.
The décor is nice, service is good, but food fell short of my expectations.
For those who are excited about peanut sauce, don’t be excited about this one.

This is my favorite phở restaurant in Seattle.
Great phở that is infinitely customizable … you can have any kind of meat (or none) and any kind of noodle to make up your phở experience.
I LOVE that you get a cream puff at the end, and teh service is decent, but you go for the phở.
During the summer they also have a patio out front that they let you take you dog into, and usually even bring your kid a bowl of water.
I recommend the #9 … and I always get a small.

I only recently had phở for the first time, having just moved here. Like the silly transplant that I am, I pronounced it «foe» at first. Then I realized how much fun (or should I say, «phở-​n» he he) it is to play with, like, «What the phở?» or «Hey buddy, phở you!»
I love their vegan phở. It is quite tasty, and to be totally utilitarian, it is the right combination of carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables. And yes, the vegetables are fresh and crispy.
As stated in just about every other review, the service sucks. You go in knowing that, and you are okay. I usually just get up and pay at the register. In addition to mispronouncing it the first time, I also sat and waited for-​freaking-​ever to get the check. But the little cream puff was worth it.

We came here with a friend who introduced us to more people in Seattle! Parking can be a b***h in this area but we got lucky and found a parking spot on the block! YES!
We had some egg rolls which was good. I do not recall what I ordered but it was recommended by someone in the group. I thought it was good and my husband kept eating from my plate. I was glad to have cream puffs (which comes after the meal)! I wish I had more! I do have a sweet tooth sometimes :-)

Best vegan phở on the hill, but the service is atrocious. I have never EVER gotten decent service here. They always forget your drinks and your sides, and usually your appetizers too, and you can’t ask the food runners for these things, usually, because they don’t speak English.
Though the service is terrible, the vegan phở is packed with veggies and is absolutely delicious. If you can deal with terrible service, I would definitely recommend this place, especially if you’re vegan /​vegetarian and itching for some phở. I can’t speak for the meat phos cause I can’t eat them =)

Ugh, the GREASIEST, nastiest steak phở I’ve ever had to endure. Each time I’ve ordered their phở tai, there was a thick and palpable layer of grease floating atop the broth that got all over my lips after each bite. If I was running short on chapstick, it would’ve been poifect, but as it was, it was just a greasy mess all over my mouth!
Not only was the broth too oily, it was also immensely bland. No amounts of Sriracha and chili paste could cure this insipid beef flavored water. I left most of the phở uneaten.
The sliced pork in the spring rolls had a disgusting, gamey flavor that I couldn’t tolerate. And the service was confused and negligent. I won’t be back.

I enjoy Phở 900. Although they seem to be a little more expensive than their competitors, their portions seem a bit bigger and let me tell you, the veggie phở is FULL of vegetables. Seeing as the only phở I eat is veggie phở, I should probably stop talking… but it’s worth checking out.

On the recommendations of C. W. and Shaun K, I went to Phở 900 tonight before hunkering down for the Heroes première. I’ve actually never had phở in Seattle… something I’m a bit embarrassed about considering there are almost as many phở places as thai on the hill. But my phở cherry has now been popped, to use the, er, charmingly gauche phrase.
And how. I ordered the small veggie phở and waited at a nearby table. There were a couple half-​empty glasses of water on the table, and just before my food was ready a server came over, and with a very friendly smile, kindly refiled one of the glasses for me. Hm. Well, I was really thirsty, so wondering what manner of stranger had sucked glass on the other side of the rim, I drank it anyhow, and I’m glad I did. Lime water! Delicious! Seriously. I would eat here just to drink at the lime water trough. I wish I had more right now.
Okay, but the food, right? Right. Once I got it (cheap!) I couldn’t get home fast enough. They pack takeout phở perfectly, with the broth separated from the tofu, veggies, and rice noodles (so many veggies, so much tofu!), and the mung bean sprouts, basil, and jalepeno slices in a little baggie. They also stuck in little plastic containers of spicy red sauce (rooster sauce, I believe) and sweet brown sauce.
So I somehow managed to choke down what amounted to two large bowls of phở (and this was the small, remember), which was delicious with and without the sauces. Savory, just the right amount of salty, flavorful, perfectly steamed veggies, delicious deep-​fried slices of tofu… I could eat this soup night after night. And I probably will, now that I know what I’ve been missing.
Oh, I thought I read you get cream puffs here? Not with takeout. Too bad.

I’m torn, I don’t know if I should give this place 2 or 3 stars. Hmmm…
CONS:
–Everything tasted like cinnamon. Did I miss something? Things I’ve traditionally had cinnamon-​less at other phở places all over the east coast. had cinnamon in them. Muh?
–The place was COLDDD. I had come in for some warm soup because of the weather but the restaurant was just as freezing. honestly though, I’d rather it be cold than hot. so this isn’t exactly a complete con for me, but my lunch partner was not happy about it.
–The peanut sauce was peanut soup! It just had no consistency and trying to get a good amount on my fresh rolls were efforts made in vain. Peanut sauce is like. 75% of the reason I get fresh rolls (and if there’s any left overs, I put some of that in ma phở). Sad I know. So bad peanut sauce gets an immediate thumbs down from me.
PROS: Service was quick. Food was decent (despite the cinnamon-​y remnants). There weren’t any raw pieces of beef floating around my well done beef phở (which happens frequently at some phở places). The fresh rolls were pretty big as were the serving sizes (small was just right for this chickie). Prices were decent.
Honestly? I’d try someplace else before I came back here.

Zap! Zing!
Run!
It’s Phở 900!
It is what it is, and what it is, is delicious!

It’s my boy friend’s favorite Vietnamese place.
They have decent food for a reasonable price range.
I kinda like their chicken salad. It have a lot of chicken for how much you pay. My bf got a pork steak the other night, and it was good too. Their phở is pretty decent. Nothing super complimentary, but all veggies are fresh and broth are rich and taster than the brothers.
Plus, you still get a cream puff lol
When I first went there, they had a lot to improve. Mainly their service was not very nice. Overall, they were not used to do a restaurant business, I think. Recently, their service is getting better since they opened the place about a year ago.
4 stars for their progress.