Pho So 1

I get dinner here at least once a week. The pork chop is delicious and the banh hoi shrimp is my favorite

Careless staff, not fresh ingredients (specially bean sprouts), extremely dirty restroom, and it’s freezing inside! I ordered my food and they bring another food! and they didn’t change it. you want to waste your money and be disrespected then I highly recommend this so called restaurant.

This is strictly for take-​out.
I was helped right away. The host was super nice and very helpful when walking me through the menu. I got Phở #19 & it’s the. Large serving and great taste.

One of our go-​to Phở restos. They open at 9 on Sundays and they are right beside the Asian store Ranch99. Their menu is pretty standard. #19– rare steak is always #19 anywhere. But make sure they get your order right. Sometimes, they don’t get it, even after they confirmed your order.

Best Vietnamese restaurant in the SFV. I go here for my phở fix. The egg rolls are good too. It’s usually busy but worth the wait.

The phở here is good. Service… mediocre. Our table was wet when we got to it. Thai ice tea was very good. Soups are a good sizes with the option to choose between small, medium and large. Parking is not easy to find if you come on a Saturday night. They messed up our order but fixed it right away. We will probably try again.

This is my favorite place. Been coming here for years now. We come here a few times a week with the whole family. And I will even sneak in a visit alone (like today) the food is fresh and delicious! The #1 with yellow noodles #25 and the egg rolls are my go to but honestly never had somethings here I didn’t enjoy. They staff is great. They do get super busy during lunch and dinner but worth the wait.

It’s super busy on the weekends and parking can really suck since it is on the same plaza as 99 Ranch but the food is worth it.
The phở with slice steak, flank, and meatball is my favorite phở. The lemongrass chicken and shrimp sautéed with onions and bell peppers over a bed of fluffy white rice is my favorite rice dish. Second favorite rice dish is the pork chop, egg meatloaf, shredded pork skin, and a fried egg over broken rice.
The service can be slow and sometimes hectic but it’s very common with traditional Vietnamese phở restaurants. A small price to pay for good and cheap Vietnamese food.

Yummy phở for this area of Los Angeles! It’s always pretty packed when I go, so expect a crazy parking lot! It’s right next to 99 Ranch which is an additional bonus of crazy in the parking lot!
When you get there… Add your name to the list inside so you can get a table. Usually there are people waiting by the list… so it might be hard to see. Good service for how busy it gets… But the phở is pretty tasty for the price! I always get number 1 with all the meats (tendon, tripe, brisket etc…). Also… The spring rolls are pretty cool since you get to roll your own :))
This is my current go-​to spot for phở! :)

My friend loves Phở. Loves, loves, loves it.
I don’t.
My friend drags me to phở places and complains. Not here!
Here, the food was great! From the egg rolls to the lemongrass chicken to the bbq pork. Great, all of it.
Expect to wait, but if you’re willing to share a table, the wait might only be five minutes.
Worth it.

Food: not bad, not great. your typical phở dish. I got the vegetarian phở which had beef broth, broccoli, and tofu. Noodles were good but the broccoli and tofu were bland. The broccoli was a bit hard and chewy. Their jasmine green tea is good. This and the phở was the perfect hangover remedy.
Service: needs some improvement yo. Our waiter was so rushed in taking our orders and came out with the bean sprouts, lime, and leaves halfway into us eating. We also had to wave him down multiple times to get his attention.
Will only stop by to eat here if I’m in the area.

Don’t be intimidated coming here. These guys do great phở! And they serve you guys QUICK! Price and size difference between regular and large is $ 1 more and the large is a bigger bowl. The fried spring rolls are great too. The staff is polite and friendly. Also, the sheer volume of customers that comes in and out tells you that this is a good place. Try it if you’re in the area of 99 Ranch Market.

Actually, this particular phở place is very convenient for Valley residents who are really looking for decent phở during freezing cold days or when they have fever or feeling sick. First, one of my vietnamese friends from middle school introduced me to this place back in early 2004 when he discovered this place while he was shopping at 99 ranch markets with his parents.
Phở So 1 is basically a small vietnamese restaurant ticked into corner strip mall anchored by their infamous Chinese grocery supermarket called 99 Ranch Market at the corner of Victory and Sepulveda in Van Nuys. When you pass through the doors, you are immediately hit with the fragrance of viet cooking: Mint, Basil, Lime and Cilantro. Phở So has pretty decent phở (obviously not better than various phở shops down in OC), but I would prefer the bun — Vermicelli with vegetables and bean sprouts drenched in fish sauce. You can get topped with wonderfully flavored barbecued pork with just right balance of sweet and tangy.
Last Sunday when I needed to go to 99 ranch markets to buy some steamed buns and some other Chinese style prepared dishes for my dinner yesterday, I decided to dine this place for dinner cause I was terribly craving for the phở in chilly weather my area in SF Valley. I ordered two items couple days ago for myself which were Cha Gio (See pic) aka Viet style egg roll and phở dac biet aka Phở with combination meats such as tendon, partially cooked meat bit similar to Italian Beef Carpaccio and fatty parts of meat etc…
1. Cha Gio aka Egg roll: (4.25÷5), the highlight of Phở So, though, is the Egg Roll. The plump rolls contain a luscious meat mixture (Certainly pork, possibly a beef or chicken, who knows whatelse) with cellophane noodles and spice packed into a rice pepper roll and fried to a perfect consistency where the outer layer of rice pepper browns and blisters.
In my opinion, any rice pepper egg roll beats one made with wonton or other flour based skins. The rice gives it that special chewiness and lightness that is perfect complement to dense filling. Any rice pepper egg rolls lack the greasy mouth feel of fried wonton skin. Phở So is just done right. For my money, egg rolls here are the better than the other decent phở shops in LA.
* You can have the Egg rolls with traditional garnish (Lettuce, tangy, lightly pickled carrots, daikon, mint and cilantro) or in a bun accompanied by the lovely combination of stringy Vermicelli with fresh and pickled vegetables.
2. Phở Dac Biet aka Combo meat phở (³⁄₅) — One of my friend always told me when in doubt (or indecisive) always stick to #1 choice on the menu at any phở restaurants, I did. I ordered a regular size bowl which came with rare slice of steak, well-​done brisket, flank, tendon and trips as I mentioned above. I find that quality of meat at Phở So 1 is not as good as Phở 999 and other phở restaurants I’ve been so far. Therefore, their tendon is my least favorite. The tripe didn’t taste fresh this time, but the beef was tender and flavorful. The broth is ordinary but the noodles are highlight for me b/​c they have the right amount of spring and do not break into pieces when I combined everything together. When I am REALLY hungry, the bowl of this hits the spot. Hope this explains why I rated three stars instead four.
Service (³⁄₅) — Don’t always expect friendliest service in decent Asian places. However, the service is good and attentive in a sense that they take your order right away and all your foods arrive quickly. At least, the phở is satisfying but do not expect to be screaming OMG when you eat it. I enjoyed the Egg rolls and regretted not ordering them before I dined last Sunday by myself. If you are ever in a neighborhood and want a decent bowl of phở or egg rolls, give Phở So #1 a try.

Living in the San Fernando Valley can be a great thing especially if you’re looking for Vietnamese food. There’s so many Vietnamese restaurants that you can go to but Phở So 1 is one of my to go to places. Located on Sepulveda Blvd next to a 99 Ranch, Phở So 1 serves delicious Vietnamese food. I’ve yet to be disappointed by anything I’ve ordered from this place the Phở, Vermacelli noodles, and rice dishes are delicious. This place is really affordable, you can buy a meal for under $ 8. It’s kinda awesome that you can go grocery shopping before or after eating here. I’ve actually gone grocery shopping at ranch as I waited for my to go meal.
I will definitely continue to come back and definitely recommend this place to friends!

I’ve been here a few times and experience has been pleasant each time.
It’s located on strip mall next door to 99 Ranch Market on the corner of Sepulveda and Victory Blvd. The place is modern, clean and portions are modestly sized. Its prime location and affordable pricing model makes it ideal dining destination for locals, students and office workers situated nearby. The staff is quick and very efficient, like Vietnamese minions. Upon arrival, I was seated immediately and a few minutes in after placing my order, the food astonishingly arrived.
I love the phở noodle soups here. Everything is made fresh and the broth are very flavorful. The condiments are fresh and so aromatic. My recent visit had me craving their #1 Dac Biet Xe Lua (meat phở). I got abundant portions of vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, slices of jalapeño, lime and cilantro. The phở arrived piping hot and everything looked vibrantly fresh. An onslaught of thin slices of steak, brisket, tendon and tripe were swimming in light dark translucent broth all fighting for attention to be devoured. Perfectly sliced thin, tender and quite delicious is all she wrote. A few days earlier, I had the #22 — Phở Ga (chicken phở so) and it was divine as well. I actually got tons of chicken meat with my phở soup, more than I could have imagined. Priced around $ 7 and great value.
The #97 — Cha Gio (aka — fried pork egg rolls) is fantastic as well. Both flavor and texture are on point. Though Golden Deli is slightly bigger, Phở So One is just as good. I always get 2 pieces with my soup for $ 3 (7 pieces is $ 7) which enough to satisfy my cravings for them.
Overall, if you happen to be in the neighborhood and craving some phở, highly recommend you give them a visit. Who knows? You might just see me dining here.

This phở place is definitely cheaper than the one across the street. I stopped coming here because I could never seem to find parking and it’s always so busy.
BUT today I gave it another try since I’ll be ordering to go and need to go grocery shopping at 99 Ranch. With that said, my order was ready within 10 – 15 mins. When I looked inside my box I don’t recall if I said noodles not cook or cooked. Either way I wanted not cooked so I could cook it when my boyfriend gets home for dinner. The cashier (owner) lady who is always there was so nice. She said no problem and just gave me extra uncooked noodles. She was so attentive as well. She noticed that my grocery bags had no handles so she offered me their bags for free.
I will definitely be coming here more often since their service and prices are much better. :)
Try the number 1 (their speciality phở), goi cuon (spring rolls), cha goi (egg rolls) and che ba mau (Vietnamese dessert with sweet coconut milk, beans and jelly.)

This was my go to spot. I am so displeased. I’m starving haven’t eaten all day after pulling a graveyard shift. Order a large bowl of Pha Ga when I usually get the small.
Why the heck is my usually flavorful Pha salt less?! The noodle taste horrible today and they make the soup. The soup Needs salt. I never add salt to my food and today it needs a lot. Awful waste of my appetite and food epic fail. Who is the cook today. #mad #disappointed #devastated

I’ve actually been coming here since I use to go to the high school nearby. I’ve probably been here 20 times.
This in my opinion is a great establishment in terms of taste. It offers a very wide variety of food and their phở is delicious.
I have been to the phở restaurant across the street and found that both service and food could not compare to this establishment.
This place is one of the cleaner Vietnamese restaurants I’ve been to, where I don’t feel icky as I walk in. They keep their tables clean, their lighting well lit, and overall atmosphere nice.
Though this place could use some upgrade in their customer service, but at least my water was refilled once without asking :].

How to properly eat Phở.
Prepping the bowl:
1. Taste the broth before adding any condiments. This will be the only way you’ll know the quality, i.e., bland, oily, salty, MSG, etc.
2. Add condiments according to taste — Sriracha, Hoisin sauce. Squeeze a little lemon as you don’t want to make the broth tart. Out in all the veggies — sprouts, basil, and La Gai or thorned leaves. It’s the 3^rd element. I always order a side of scallions as this enhances the flavor of the broth.
3. Mix all ingredients and dig in.
Eating the Phở:
Hold chopsticks in one hand while holding the soup spoon in the other. Scoop the broth with the soup spoon. With chopsticks, grab noodles, meat, and veggies in a portion that will fit your mouth. Please food in mouth them sip the broth from the spoon.
This process will ensure that you have all the elements and taste if Phở in your mouth.
Finishing off your meal:
Enjoy hot tea or Vietnamese iced coffee. I like iced coffee as it will take away some of the onion-​y taste of the Phở that tends to linger in your mouth.
This place has not disappointed. Their broth is good. They do use MSG but very little. It is not bland or oily. If you have to add lots of sauce then either something is wrong with the broth or you’re just a sauce freak. I always order the «Train» bowl and they pile it on equally. Their iced coffee is the best in the Valley as most place makes it too sweet. Look for the color. The darker, the stronger. The lighter, the sweeter. The staff is attentive and food is brought out quickly. This place is always packed during lunch and dinner.

There were a few good things about this place. The parking was easy and we were seated immediately (we were there for an early dinner). The prices were good, not great but not horrible.
Cons–
Like really NO ONE speaks English here!!! I asked for a refill on my diet coke which had a quarter left in the glass and it came back a little more than half full… why even take it if you aren’t going to refill it??? They are super stingy with Ice which is one of my pet peeves. It seems like a waste to pay $ 3 dollars for a drink that you have a hard time refilling. The tables weren’t super clean, but I can’t say that I have ever walked into a Phở place and felt like they were. My BIGGEST COMPLAINT here was that the chicken in my phở wasn’t cleaned properly and the pieces of breast weren’t cut up or shredded, they were just large chunks. The chunks I can deal with I guess… but if I keep having to use my fingers to clean my chicken before I eat it… I think that is a problem. This isn’t grandma’s house, I am not going to a friends place for a quick lunch… I am paying you for clean food…
Also I ordered the egg rolls and was told they only had pork in them, then later I asked again and was told it was pork and shrimp. I still don’t know what was in them (they weren’t good though. I ate maybe half of one before I realized no amount of soy sauce could salvage my $ 8 mistake.