Pho So 1

I’d heard about this restaurant and had to check it out (last Sunday 10÷11÷15 & yesterday). The crispy egg and pork rolls were delicious. I also enjoyed a nice steaming bowl of phở with thinly sliced rare beef, and soften tripe. Once your phở is at the table, everything you do from here on out is your own business. There normally are 2 things you may want to do before digging in: adding the garnishes (sprouts, cilantro, basil, lime and sliced peppers,) and adding the sauces (hoisin sauce for phở and hot chili sauce, mainly the Sriracha brand in the U.S.) that are already at the table. Whatever your preferences, don’t let anyone tell you «you must have this or you must add that.» These are entirely optional per your own taste. Phở does not require you to have anything added, but adding some of these can enhance your phở.
One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the service is not what you’d expect from most restaurants. When you walk in, one of the employees (I’m assuming the manager) just gestures to you from across the main room as to how many are in your party, then points to an empty table, where he tosses down the menus and walks off. A short while later, someone will bring napkins and a glass of water and take your order, then shortly thereafter, your food will arrive. After that, you’re on your own… There is no checking up on you every 10 minutes. You don’t even get your check… Just head to the cashier stand and the fellow there (again, the manager, I think) plucks your check out of the pile and gives your total. You pay and out you go! I never sense any sort of rudeness from this whole process. it’s just run like a finely-​tuned machine with no frills.
The place looks like it’s kind of an old bar. Nothing fancy… humdrum appearance… and it has at least half the tables empty, but that just means you get service and food faster! Perfect break from a long day running up and down broad street doing errands. I’d come again for sure, though there are also others in the neighborhood that may be worth checking out.
Wiping Down Your Chopsticks and Spoon Etiquette:
*It’s a habit for most Viet phở diners to wipe their chopsticks and spoon before eating their phở in restaurants.
Ordering Phở Etiquette:
*Ordering phở by the numbers. Just don’t if you can help it. Many already know my stand on this. Suffice it to say, if you order by the numbers then you’ll be stuck to one restaurant, and once you find yourself first time in a different restaurant, you’ll be fumbling with the menu like someone who never had phở before. Not cool.
Slurping Your Phở Etiquette:
*Finally, this is the moment! Chopsticks in one hand, spoon in the other, you go for it, with gusto. Of course it’s really not «anything goes.» Eating noodle does require some slurping, and phở is no exception. So go ahead. Slurp and no one will mind. Just don’t overdo it. On the other hand, depending on the environment and situation, when in doubt, don’t do it, because civility still counts in any culture.
Finishing Your Phở Etiquette:
*You only have one chance at a bowl of phở, and that is to eat it within 5 – 10 minutes. Otherwise the noodle turns to mush. Taking leftovers is kind of disgusting, however you look at it. I wince every time seeing this.
*The proper way to finish a meal in Vietnam is to put your chopsticks across your bowl, like making a bridge.
Paying and Tipping Etiquette:
*You don’t say «keep the change,» but say «no need to return the change.»

Mmm, if you’re in the International District and want to get some legit phở or some type of Vietnamese noodle soup, swing by here. So 1 = Number 1 in Viet, and really, the phở here is superb. If you’re an adventurous eater, I definitely recommend getting the combo phở that has everything in it. The broth here is quite flavorful, so no need to douse your phở & noodles with hoison and siracha sauce.
As for other dishes, I highly recommend trying out the Hu Tieu Mi Do Bien (seafood noodle soup) and the Rice Combo (rice dish that comes with various food items). For the seafood noodle soup, you can get this either the regular way (noodles + broth) or you can get the dry version (Noodles separate from the broth) plus you can have the option of having both types of noodles (vermicelli + chow mein like noodles) or one type. I highly recommend that you try some satay sauce (must request it) with this dish… So delicious with the spicy kick!
As for the rice, it’s a great dish to whoever is super hungry. Stacked with veggies, egg, meat, tofu and rice, this is one tasty meal. I suggest adding some chili sauce into your fish sauce for an extra zing to your meal.
Overall, interior of the place is spacious and clean. Service is average and parking can be a bit limited. If you’re feeling thirsty, I suggest trying out the egg soda. It’s creamy, sweet, and quite refreshing. It may sound weird to you but try it if you’re in the mood for something new. I did try the Thai Iced Tea but found it to be too bitter for my liking. Next dish up for my next visit: the infamous spicy beef noodle soup: Bun Bo Hue.

Had the Bun Thit Nuong with Cha Gio for lunch. It was amazing and comforting for cool, crisp September days. Their Phở is always delicious too!

Best Bun Bo Bue I’ve ever had. Any day that I’m feeling under the weather, I head to Phở So for a nice big bowl of Bun Bo Hue. It always makes me feel great afterwards and wards off any under the weather-​ness that I might be feeling. Prices are good and they do deliver with BiteSquad which is nice. Service has always been prompt and the phở is not bad either. I wish parking was better but really, that’s not something they can control.

Came here with my family for the first time and was so excited because I heard so much about the Bun Bo Hue here. Did it live up to the expectation? unfortunately not.
The broth was barely lukewarm, a huge no no for me when I order noodle soup. The flavor are there although it was leaning on being a bit too sweet. Also, I did not detect any spiciness at all and there wasn’t any satay on the table either so I guess you have to ask them for it. The veggie plate was kinda depressing, with a lot of purple cabbage and a few strings of banana blossom.
Service was typical for a Vietnamese restaurant.

Phở So 1 is open at a reasonable time in the morning to nurse a gnarly hangover, which I appreciate.
The staff and owners are very kind, patient and welcoming. However, they’re a bit slow to refilling glasses of water, which can be a pain if you’re trying to rehydrate while eating your phở (believe me, it happens).
Overall the food quality is fresh and delicious. I typically order shrimp spring rolls and a bowl of phở. The food comes out fairly quickly, so if you’re looking to satisfy your phở/​Vietnamese food craving in a pinch, this is a great place to go. Give it a try if you ever find yourself in Central or International District!

The spring roll was no good. the wrap was hard, and chewy in a bad way.
The phở on the other hand, was great. the meat was tender, including tendon, and the broth was nice. I wish it came out piping hot though!
*side note: they played Vietnamese radio the whole time, which was a little distracting. They did turn down the volume a little after we were seated.

Unbelievably bad experience. The food was ok (even called good by my non-​English speaking Vietnamese relatives) but the service was so ridiculously bad to the point of comical, that it literally made it difficult to eat.
First impression was good, we had a young, bi-​lingual waiter who spoke to me and my Vietnamese mother in law with equal skill, was courteous and had a sense of humor. Once our order was taken, the middle aged guy in the cap took over, and the train wreck began. Brought tea, but couldn’t bring water, napkins, or plates without being asked repeatedly (at least six times). Our coffee and spring role order was never filled, even after asking repeatedly. He did not bring plates with our appetizers. He did not bring the basil and sprouts for the phở till half way through the meal.
My wife was getting visibly upset with him, and he still couldn’t pick it up, even though he obviously knew he was messing up. We finally just gave up and started laughing about it (the comical part I mentioned earlier).The place was not that busy, so we thought this guy was either stoned, dense, or emotionally challenged, or maybe he’d never worked in a restaurant before and didn’t want to.
It might have been the former since there was a medical marijuana dispensary next door, another charming feature, as people double parked and delayed our departure by about 15 minutes. Regardless, this guy was hands down the worst host/​server I have ever seen.
There were several Vietnamese speaking people it the place, and obviously many people like the food. It sounds like they have changed ownership since they were still waiting for their liquor license. I rarely write reviews, but because this place had such I high ratings I wanted to warn customers (and ownership) — if a guy in a cap greets you, go elsewhere!!!

Food: I ordered the large rare beef phở. It was just okay at best. The noodles were clumped together and the they were very skimpy on the meat even for a large order. The meat was not as tender as the other phở places I have tried. Broth was pretty good. Overall, not a very memorable phở for me. Also tried the grilled pork and shrimp vermicelli dish. The sauce for the dish was actually pretty good. The pork was flavorful too, shrimps were okay. I like this better than the phở.
Service was okay. Not as bad as what I read in the other reviews. It was just weird that the server brought the vermicelli dish and took another 3 minutes to bring the sauce and that was already with prompting from us to remind him to bring the sauce. I would say price was average. I have had cheaper phở, which tasted better. I have also had vermicelli dish that was cheaper and tastier. So I would say for the taste, a tad pricey. With the amount of choices for Vietnamese places in the area, this place will probably not make the top of my list for to-​go-​back.

The food here is so good but sadly their service makes me not want to come back. server would always forget one order of soup, drinks, or sometimes never refills our water. Really disappointed since I am a server myself.

They have the best bun bo hue I’ve eaten in Seattle! Hands down!

Still the best Phở in Seattle, hands, spoon, and chopsticks down… into a large empty bowl. Because I ate it all. Yum…

Great Phở! Located in a strip mall in the international district. Nothing fancy in regards to the interior. Great eggs rolls and tea. Love their phở broth. Its excellent!
Lots of fresh vegetables and the limes were juicy and large slices.
Service average. Prices are average, we paid $ 24 (before tip) for 2 large bowls of Phở and 1 order egg rolls.
Overall: a great & belly filling experience

Um… I used to adore this place. But lately every time I come here, they always have some bad service or something awkward happens. Sad because I really like their food especially their phở and BBH.
Recently, I came and ate. When it was time to pay, they all of a sudden they charged me $ 2 more for my phở and $ 1 more for my spring rolls. I was perplexed and asked why my food was charged SO much when it wasn’t the same on the menu. He said they «change prices without notice.» Wtf! You’ve got to be kidding me.
More recent-​I come and order their rice combo (com dac biet) which comes with pork skin, egg cake, shrimp cake, pork chop, egg, salad, and the red meatball loaf. I love that they give u variety (well it’s $ 10 so there better be variety). But I order and the server says, «That’s too much food for you.» I look at him like «huh?» & again he insists it’s too much food. I’m soo confused. I look at him and tell him I’ll take it to go then if it’s too much food and I don’t finish. He says okay and we finish ordering. Awkward. Like he just stared at me and I was so caught off guard.
The service makes me angry. Why does it take like 5 – 10 minutes for a table to get menus and a 1 minute time period to order and look at the menu? Like do you think I am ready after looking at the 4 page menu for 1 minute? I once walked out because they never gave us menus after seating us. And it’s getting worse time and time again. Seriously? The food is not worth the headache.
The food is a solid 4−5÷5. Consistent and good quality Viet cuisine.
But the service trumps this restaurant. I’m tired of walking out or being neglected when it comes to getting a drink or a menu or even to pay! It’s ridiculous. Sorry Phở So 1– you have good food but your service makes me never want to return ever again. I’ll probably go to my other Viet faves from now on, sadly.

I really like this phở spot. I come every couple weeks. The service is friendly and the phở and rice dishes are really good. I like the spicy lemongrass chicken and rice dish and the vermicelli bowl.
Tea comes with any meal. Prices are very reasonable. If I get a rice dish I almost always have leftovers.
The décor is quite nice. It’s a step above most of the phở places I’ve been to.

My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle. The service is great! They won’t bother you too much but when you need something they are more than happy to help you out. If you get Dong, you’re definitely going to have a good experience — he’ll help you and also probably make you laugh. (Thanks for the guava candy!)
In addition to the staff, the broth is definitely another great thing about this place. It is the perfect balance of salty and savory and I can’t stop thinking about it. While the phở is tasty, I recommend to try one of the many variations of bun bo hue they have. And if you still have room (and even if you don’t), try one of their avocado smoothies.
The only thing I would change about Phở So 1 is the hours because all I ever want at midnight is that perfect broth!

I have never had Vietnamese food for breakfast. I know, how can I be missing out for so looong? I finally gave my ‘first time” away right here at this Phở So 1 and thanks to the delicious food and friendly staff, my cherry-​popping experience was phở-​nominal!
My significant other and I arrived on a Sunday at around 10AM. When we were walking through the entrance one table just paid and left. So apparently we are not the only early risers.
Instead of ordering the same old bun bo hue (which I love), which they have «8» versions of, or regular phở, I’ve decided to be defiant and order duck leg and bamboo shoot noodle soup. I say noodle soup because this dish is usually served with vermicelli but I substituted the original with bun bo hue round noodles instead. Not too long later, a gigantic bowl of piping hot steamy bowl arrived. At the back of my mind I said to myself, thank gawd we didn’t order anything else.
The broth was crystal clear with some oil patches on top. The soup tasted rather different from the regular phở broth. It was duck-​y, savory, and more robust. The noodles were cooked to perfection and the brown bamboo shoots on top were aromatic and not fibre-​y. The duck legs were cut up and served on a separate plate along with a dipping sauce and a generous portion of finely shredded cabbage, which I immediately put in the soup as soon as the food arrived.
I was imagining the duck meat to be softer, almost like fall-​off-​the-​bone tender but it wasn’t. Having said that it wasn’t completely chewy and molar-​grinding.
My significant other and I both agreed that the food was delicious.
Service was attentive. Eating area and washrooms were clean. Price aren’t bad. Highly recommended.

Phở So 1 is where it all started for me, this was were all my foodie adventures began. Ever Since I was a Phat Lil Azn Boi, my Gma use to bring me here every other day to eat bowls of Phở. This is on my My Chautime Top 10 Places to Eat in Seattle!!!
This place has a very special place in my heart, because every time I walk in this complex it brings me back to when I was 4 years old. Holding my Gmas Hand and other hand holding onto a box of HeRro Panda Strawberry and Yan Yans Strawberry. While walking towards the door each time the scent all though a little bit different due to new ownership, still is ehhh close enough to the Beef Noodle Soup that powered this Phat Lil Panda since a baby.
Here you will find my Favorite Phở and Bun Bo Hue in the Entire World as of Right Now and Probably Till Infinity and Beyond like BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!!! This isn’t a «Toy Story» either anymore like Disney when I was a Kid, it’s a Phở Rieu Fact Yo!!! Y.O.R.O., sorry I meant Y.O.L.O!!!
Food:
Phở– The Phở here is UnPhoGettaBo, PhoNomenal, and PhoTastic! The Broth is the Blueprint Base of how a Phở Starts off. Here you have a Broth with Beefy Rich Flavor, Filled with a Spectrum of Complex Notes and Layers of Flavors, has a Darker Color than that watered down Phở you might be use to, has a good amount of Phat to it for that authenticity, and a Lil Bit of Sweet Phở my Toof because of that Brown Sugar. While writing this I remember my Grandma telling me as a Kid the Tales of this Broth.
In order to make this you need 888 Imperial Ox Tails, 666 Ribeyes, 3 NIne Tail Foxes, Two Burning Phoenix, and One Sophisticated Tran DyNasty Dragon from the 13^th or 14thCentury. Noodles are as Silky as the Nguyen Dynasty Silk, Long and Uncut for Greater Years in Life, and Perfectly cooked. My Grandma taught me the Greatest Foodie Etiquette ever always eat your Meat BloODy and Rare. This is making so much sense why I am addicted to Ribeyes. None the Less, the meat here is A+ Top Notch Honor Student Worthy. Here is another tip I learned as a Kid «A bowl of Greatness doesn’t need anything than what is in the Bowl.» That means no Sriracha, Hoisin, Plum Sauce, or Veggies. Maybe this the reason I have never eaten Veggies my Whole Entire Life and had a diet of Meats and Sweets :0:0:0 I always to O.G. when ordering too Phở Dac Biet is my number 1 to go to!
Bun Bo Hue– Grandma taught me since I was 4 Tom Ramen is for the «Punk Itch.» I think she meant to put the letter «B» in front of the word Itch. Broken EnEgerRich (ENGLISH) whateves I UNDaStand MeOw. Bun Bo Hue is a Spicy Beef Noodle Soup with round Noodles and has Pretty, But Not so Pretty much every thing Nose to Tail a Pig has in it!
This is a dish that wasn’t a part of my life as a Rittle Boi from the Original Phở So 1. «Oh Nawww Oh Nawww» — The Weeknd. This that New School New Ownership Best BBH Eva «EVER EVER» — Outcast Dish. After all, I do like The New Money Benjamins more than the Old Money Benjamins because Diddy or was it Puff Daddy taught me, «It’s all About the Benjamins Baby.» Drake is trippin though about «No New Friends» because the New Hundred Dolla Bills be Shining with that Hologram like 2pac from Cochella 2013!
This soup is Fire, Fire from Ashes of the Legendary Burning Vietnamese Phoenix Phuong (The Male one not the Female one Hoang) because that’s whats in the Broth. Right away you notice these Mythical and Magical Bloody Red Hues in the Beefy Rich Broth. They are Mesmerizing and Hypnotizing to the Eyes like seeing the Legendary Fox with the 9 Tails or something in the Modern World like the Tiffany & CO. Blue!!!
The taste of the Broth is EGGStreamLy Addicting it’s Litterally the Best BBH Broth I have ever tasted in my Rife, otherwise my last Chau as it Chautime. If My Homie «Anthony Bourdain» came back to revisit me in Seattle I would have to take him here to taste this Dish and he would Concur.
Spoonful after spoonful, the Broth Invites you in a Little Sweet, FlavorPho Beefyness, but Bites you with that Spiciness Satay Karate Chop to keep you coming back for more. The Noodles are very well cooked. The meat is everything good but YouDontwanaKnow what it is I call it Mystery Meat. If you really wanna know its Piggy Feet, Pork Roll, Pork Blood Ice Cubes, Tendons, Sliced Cow, and other MeatTastic Treats!!! To make it the Meats as Pretty as the Victoria Secret Models walking down that runway I sprinkle some Banana Blossoms to make the dish shine bright like a diamond!
Drank– Get that Thai Ice Tea for a Creamy Liquid Dessert to wash it all down!!!

I have to update and bring my rating back up to 4 stars.
–Bun Bo Hue — immediately apparent are the deep red hues of the broth and variety of meat toppings true to its popularity. Soft slices of beef, a pork foot, combined with a plate of banana blossom, a lime, and mint herb veggies did not disappoint. The broth is more on the «sweet» side, and that adds to the overall spiciness. Be sure to ask for and add the Satay chili to get that kick. No where else has the right combination for Bun Bo Hue Dac Biet– 1) pork foot 2) sliced pork roll 3) tendons 4) pork blood 5) beef slices 6) sweet broth 7) excellent satay chili infused with lemongrass and 8) all the right veggies like mint, banana blossoms, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc.
–Bun Mang Vit — nice sized bowl of bamboo and noodle soup accompanied by side plate of cut duck pieces placed on top of a shredded cabbage mint salad. Oh my goodness gracious, the broth is plain outstanding as the depth of rich savory stock needs exactly NO addition of any spices. I taste the goodness of the bamboo strips and they know how to make ginger fish sauce!
–Phở Ga — Phở here is extraordinary, the broth base and the tender chicken catapults its way up to one of the best I have had in Seattle.
Back up to 4 stars, see you there this weekend.

I thought the name was tacky, I was tired, we all were in the car after a night of no sleep and needed something soupy for our first meal of the day and we came here. I was around the neighbourhood not too long ago and knew I’d find good phở around this area and this was one of those places that was open. Through a consensus vote we all wanted phở, and we were in an area where it was abundant! Might as well try some place I haven’t and see if I could be surprised.
We sat at a table near the window, eyes tired from the night before and definitely hungry, and our menu’s came. A very extensive menu, from phở (or phở’s… is that possible?), a kid’s menu, appetizers, sandwiches, rice dishes, and a whole section of Bun Bo Hue (BBH!!) yeah… this was actually a surprise for me. as usually I would only see one. maybe two. but not 7 choices? Well it was early, might as well wake my sleepy ass up with a bowl of spicy noodle (breakfast of champions!). Putting in my order, I started looking at the big fish tank up front with two big Oscar fish swimming around, following me, while I was looking at them.
Eventually my bowl of BBH came, globs of red fatty oils floating on the top, steam eminating into the air, and the assorted meats, from the blood cube to the beef, and the mixed meat cake pâté where just showing themselves, harbouring around the top of the bowl. Right when my bowl arrived I dipped my spoon in to see how the broth was and surprisingly it was a little sweet, it was deep, but that sweetness was one where I wasn’t use to at first, but eventually going through the bowl I drank most of the broth. The noodles were cooked just right, just not enough, would have loved a little more as there was a bit too much meat in my bowl. If your a meat lover, this one is for you, the portions were very fair for the price.
The other people with me had bowl’s of house special phở, and looking at them, there were filled to the top, didn’t get a chance to try them, but I wouldn’t hesitate next time. I was surprised, but really I shouldn’t be due to the location, the heart of Vietnamese town! Come in, try it out, it’s spacious, many things on the menu, worth a go if you got a craving!