The chicken noodle soop/phò is SUPER delicious ! I love it so so much. You should try it some time when you can, I don’t know what they put in it but it is just really delicious.
Tina H.
Place rating: 4 San Leandro, CA
My first time visiting ao sen, and the place was packed which is a good sign! We only waited 10 minutes for a table. Since it was too hot for phở i was tempted to order their nem nuong spring rolls but decided to pass and order the com ga. You can never go wrong with com ga their dipping sauce was absolutely delicious wasn’t like other phở restaurants which usually just gives you fish sauce. My friend ordered the bo kho with egg noodle which he always orders and raves about! Definitely coming back and going to try all the other dishes!
Tatiana B.
Place rating: 1 Oakland, CA
I had the Vietnamese beef stew and they gave Me phở noodles instead of the thicker noodles its supposed to come wit. The lady was yelling at me and usually I get ghetto but I realized she was pregnant so I let it go. when she saw I was actually a nice black girl she tried to be nice to me. but that was declined. I had also ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee and my friend(who isn’t Vietnamese) ordered orange soda. they racially profiled me… gave me the orange soda and her the coffee… my mom is from Vietnam. IMTHEASIAN one… but just because I’m darker they assumed… Never will I eat there again in the shitty establishment
Michelle C.
Place rating: 3 Berkeley, CA
This review is primarily based on the phở here. I personally didn’t think it was anything too special. The broth’s flavor seemed to come mainly from the MSG, rather than the actual ingredients. The meat was not the best quality. It tasted like it was cooked for a long time to add tenderness, but it tasted pretty bland as a result. I’ve heard that the bun bo hue is really good here, so it’s probably a better choice to order that instead of the phở. Service here is definitely 1⁄10. The waiter didn’t even bother coming to the other side of the table to put my bowl of phở down and instead expected me to reach over across the table and handle the burning hot bowl of phở myself. Servers here often ignore customers and don’t understand English too well. The soup spoons were all extremely sticky and dirty with remnants of food, making me question the sanitary condition of this restaurant.
Sivilay T.
Place rating: 3 Orinda, CA
Review #107 — 2016 My buddy, Peter, assumes that I have no life because he’s always busy, and I mean always! The last few times that he’s called me up to meet him, he’s given me a 45 minutes notice. He must forget that I’m a woman. But I’m always grateful that he makes time for me considering how busy his projects have been. He asked me to meet him & his two employees here on a Monday afternoon around 1PM. They showed up about 10 minutes before I did, but they still didn’t get a table until about 20 minutes later. The place is actually a good size for a phở house so the fact that we had to wait almost 30 minutes for a table for 4 means that they’re pretty busy. The place was actually packed and there were others still waiting after us. I ordered the bun thit nuong cha gio which was really good & their veggies were super fresh. Peter ordered a bun bo hue, which I took a sip of and didn’t think it was all that. You can tell that they just used the tom yum soup paste instead of making it from scratch. The other guys ordered a bowl of phở, but I didn’t ask to taste their soup. Peter also ordered two orders of fresh rolls, but I was too full to try; although, they looked nice and fresh. The restaurant appears to be a lot cleaner than all the other phở houses in Oakland so I will definitely return and try their phở.
Sally N.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
The bun bo hue here is really solid! The broth is light but spicy at the same time! I’m not a NorCal local but I would definitely be back here if I’m in the area to try their phở! This is also a great place for large groups. The tables are big and spacious. Overall, a great Vietnamese place!
Rachel A.
Place rating: 5 Woodside, NY
Phở Ao Sen was recommended to us by a Vietnamese friend. We wanted to try a really good Vietnamese restaurant in the Bay, something a step up from 99 Ranch. The neighborhood is so so. Just in case you don’t find parking lot on the street, there is a private lot just for Phở Ao Sen. Even with the constant stream of people coming into the restaurant until closing time, we were able to get a spot in the lot. We were visiting from New York, where the Vietnamese food is only okay at best, overpriced, and a minimal portion. Imagine our faces when we got our bowl of phở. The bowl of phở at Phở Ao Sen is as big as a record/my face… You could swim in it. It was amazing. The grilled pork chops were amazing as well. Cooked perfectly and with tons of flavor. Phở Ao Sen is solid and was definitely a highlight during our trip. Service was good considering how busy it is. And you get your food in lightning speed. Great for hungry people!
Daniel C.
Place rating: 3 Honolulu, HI
What do you do when your favorite bun bo hue place closes down in Oakland? You look on Unilocal to find a new one! I looked around and found Phở Au Sen. There are so many great reviews and beautiful photos of the food here, we decided to give them a try. When we arrived, we parked in their private lot. It had a decent amount of parking stalls but from what I’ve been told, it quickly fills up and usually people have to find street parking around the restaurant. As you enter the restaurant, you will notice the sign that advises you to wait to be seated so we obliged. The restaurant was about ½ full and we were seated immediately. They brought over menus and cups of tea. We told them 3 people but they only brought 2 menus and 2 drinks. It took awhile before we could flag someone down to bring another menu and drink. Once the third person arrived, they came to take our order and didn’t even give him time to look at the menu. We asked for a few minutes. When we were ready, no one came to take our order. We had to flag someone down again. Service is below par. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue and Mink got the phở so we could get a taste of their menu. The one thing that stood out was their house hot sauce. It was 5 stars and I must have used ½ the container. I would go back just for that sauce. The Bun Bo Hue broth came out hot but was only ok. It was similar to the phở broth but seems like they only added some chili oil. I’m sure they added other ingredients but I wasn’t impressed. There was a good amount of noodle and portions of meat along with veggies. The phở broth was flavorful and it came out with equally good portions of meat plus noodles. Mink really enjoyed their phở. Last memorable part of the restaurant is a sign by the restroom. It says«Men to the left, Women are always right!» This gave us a good laugh. Heads up, you have to go up and pay at the cashier. They do accept credit cards which is nice. This is a nice spot to dine at in Oakland. Unfortunately, it was just ok for us and we are still on a quest to find a new bun bo hue spot in Oakland…
Melissa N.
Place rating: 3 Berkeley, CA
This is a pretty big phở place which has a good amount of large and small tables. Coming with a party of 7 around lunchtime it took 35 minutes to get seated which is crazy long for a phở place, but that’s fine since we had a pretty large group and they had pretty good Unilocal reviews. I ordered my standard fried egg rolls and rare beef phở. The side been sprouts, jalapeños and basil was fresh and promptly brought out. The fried egg roll appetizers came out BEFORE our phở meal, kuddos to them! Sadly, I wasn’t a big fan of their egg rolls and thought it lacked flavor. Though it was nice and crispy and the side veggies were fresh. The rare beef phở was sadly disappointing as the phở vermicelli was slightly undercooked and not cooked perfectly. Of the 5 bowls of phở all 5 ppl had undercooked noodles. The broth and contents of the phở were quite rich in flavor and quite tasty. However, the vermicelli just fell short. Overall, ok phở place.
Syrena L.
Place rating: 1 San Francisco, CA
Here is a classic example of when they were a good restaurant and now turned into a nasty extremely POOR customer service. With that said. It is a crowded place and the quality and quantity of the food has gone down the tube. The ‘QAL’ is definitely gone in many aspect of running a successful restaurant. The ‘QAN’ if you people who first came will observe that their portion has reduced significantly and this is the result of stingy owner wanting to get money in their pocket to go gamble. Enough said. They will close soon but not soon enough.
Ander C.
Place rating: 4 Oakland, CA
Love the phở here and there is a reason why there is always a line in this place. The soup is brothy, hot and smooth and its what really stands out. Pretty much any phở on this menu is rock solid. I’ve also gotten the rice plates a few times and one note of caution is that they are BIG. A lot of food for just one person so beware! One appetizer that my wife and I enjoy ordering is the spring roll that has a crunchy wafer and a slice of pan fried meat in it. Can’t remember it off the top of my head but definitely get it every time I go there. Oh, and they have an upstairs with seating but usually don’t open it up. But if you have a large party you can ask them to open it up for you.
April D.
Place rating: 4 Oakland, CA
I like this place a lot. It’s a go to for me, whether I’m alone, in a pair, or with a group. I think the phở is pretty good, but what I really like is adding that fish paste scallion or something condiment into my bowl. It adds such a yummy flavor. I have no real clue as to what it is. I also love getting a combination com tam here, it’s huge and delicious. Super filling! It can feed two, or it can just be an awesome leftover later. After going to this place and a few other places in Oakland, I know that Oakland has much better Vietnamese food than San Francisco. I can’t speak for San Jose, but I believe Oakland fairs pretty well.
Anita L.
Place rating: 4 San Leandro, CA
Relatively full house during lunch time with Asian themed interior. They have two lots designated for them but signs that says«Park at your own risk» sounds sketch. But hey, parking is parking. Egg rolls were crunchy comes with lettuce and mint leaves and fish sauce for dipping. Pretty good, kinda like a lettuce wrap. #1 dac biet phở size large. Same price as the medium but don’t let this trick you, the bowl is indeed LARGE however, the noodles and portions were not in proportion with the size of the bowl… Very deceiving. Nonetheless the broth was good. Noodles were cooked well. Will be back with my bf to try their bun Bo hue!
Daniel B.
Place rating: 5 Atlanta, GA
We got takeout from Phở Ao Sen and wow, this was the best Vietnamese food I’ve had in the Bay Area yet. The food is authentic, tasty, and reasonably priced. That’s all you really need to know about this place. The restaurant is as typical as it gets for a phở restaurant from the menu(egg/spring rolls, phở, com, bun, and che) to each table with its own set of chopsticks, soup spoons, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, and those little white plates you squeeze the sauces onto. Along with common rolls like cha gio(fried egg rolls) and goi cuon(spring rolls wrapped in rice paper), Ao Sen also has Nha Trang-style nem nuong, which is a type of spring roll that comes with grilled pork, lots of veggies, and a special meat sauce; plus bo bia which is another type of spring roll made with Chinese sausage and jicama root. There are over 20 varieties of phở, most of which contain beef. They do have chicken phở(phở ga), but I don’t believe they have a veggie phở. Other traditional Vietnamese soups include banh mi bo kho(beef stew with French bread) and bun bo Hue, a noodle soup made with lemongrass and chili. Note the broth on these are completely different from phở. There are about a dozen rice plates(com) and a half-dozen rice vermicelli noodle entrees(bun), both of which look absolutely delicious. Desserts include a few varieties of Vietnamese pudding(che) which are made with fruits, beans, jellies, coconut milk, and crushed ice, as well as a sweet longan drink known as nhan nhuc. We ordered goi cuon and bo bia for appetizers and I had a phở dac biet for my entrée. My sister and brother-in-law ordered phở as well. My mom had the bun thit nuong tom which consists of vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork and tiger shrimp, shredded lettuce, cucumber, mint, bean sprouts, and scallions. It looked great and she loved it. I enjoyed everything. Since I’m allergic to shrimp, we ordered the goi cuon without shrimp. This meant bigger pieces of savory poached pork. Other fillings included vermicelli noodles, chives, bean sprouts, lettuce, and mint. The goi cuon came with a side of housemade peanut sauce. Along with the aforementioned Chinese sausage and jicama, the bo bia came with dried shrimp(I can tolerate small amounts of dried shrimp), scrambled eggs, peanuts, and basil leaves. The rolls also had cucumber and some delectably fried crispy stuff which I think is the same ingredient used for the fried egg roll wrappers. Served on the side was hoisin sauce with crushed peanuts. Both rolls were terrific. I especially liked the bo bia which, after dipping in the hoisin sauce, seemed to be be packed with flavors not to mention multiple appetizing and contrasting textures. I highly recommend them! My phở dac biet was fantastic, from the broth to the noodles to the meat. It was a very satisfying bowl of phở. Phở dac biet is often referred to as special combination phở or phở with everything(meaning all sorts of beef products). At Ao Sen, this means sliced eye round steak, well-done brisket, well-done flank, marbled brisket, soft tendon, and tripe. My sister likes the tendon so much that we ordered a separate side of tendon, just so we could add more to our bowls of phở. I think you can order extras of most, if not all, of the beef products here. The noodles came with spring onion and white onion along with customary phở sides: bean sprouts, basil leaves, culantro, jalapeño, and lime. I loved the broth — robust, flavorful, and comforting. The bowl was packed with both noodles and meat. It was nice and filling. The noodles were appetizingly chewy and I found all of the beef parts to be equally savory and good, though I was especially fond of the meatballs and tripe. The veggie sides were crisp and fresh. More culantro(ngo gai), please. Since we ordered our phở to go, we got packets of Sriracha, hoisin sauce(Lee Kum Kee), and red chili paste. They have everything covered. I look forward to trying their com dishes sometime. TL;DR — Phở Ao Sen serves legit and delectable Vietnamese food.
Joshua M.
Place rating: 5 Daly City, CA
mmmmmmm phở! Phở a phở place, Phở Ao Sen is phở-tasticly phở-nomenal! Came here with a reservation for 15 on a Saturday night and were seated promptly at our table. The servers here were patient to wait for everyone to arrive without much bothering though the place was not too busy for a Saturday evening. It was also nice that there is a good amount of parking nearby, being located adjacent to a parking lot. I ordered the beef stew(#19) and was impressed mainly by the quality of the broth. The broth is not as oily as the ones I would get at other Phở places. It also had a more homemade kind of taste and style to it, being a bit more mild and less salty than others. The beef came in generous amounts and was easy to bite through though I would have preferred a little bit of variety in the beef though that is just personal preference. The noodles also came in a generous portion as I wasn’t able to finish my noodles. The price for all this is absolutely great as it is comparable to average Phở restaurants!
Maggie Y.
Place rating: 4 Oakland, CA
Yooooooo they take card here! And you can totes split your check by going up and just telling them you wanna pay for your dish when dining with large parties! Located in the not so beeest part of town, this restaurant is actually quite nice. Large private parking lot and pretty clean ambience overall. They service is a bit short and curt(as expected) — they were really like«you can get one drink, not both. Tea or water?» When the server misheard us and got us a cup of water instead of tea he was both really confused and slightly upset at that interaction. The phở was quite delicious though– they shrimp rolls were delicious(they even made an effort and did some siracha art on the plate), my #1 Phở Dac Biet was pretty well portioned and paired with fresh crisps veggies save for the fact that the broth got a little too oily near the end for me. Oh! The rare beef mine came with was good, but I’ve definitely had better at other phở establishments– this one was a little on the thick side and dry-ish side. My friends got the Phở Ga(Chicken Phở) and he seemed to like it okay. The plate of chicken it came with looked really well portioned. Overall, pretty good when you want to satisfy some intense viet food cravings. :P
Amy G.
Place rating: 5 San Jose, CA
The best Phở in norcal! I’m so glad I came here! I feel spoiled by the many Phở places in San Jose but none can compare to ao sen. The broth is so amazing taste extra beefy and rich. If I lived closer I would probably be here weekly. Even my bf who doesn’t like Phở loves this place.
Eunice K.
Place rating: 4 San Jose, CA
I have to decide if I actually come to Oakland to visit my sister or for the hangover phở we eat in the morning. First of all, it opens early. And my sister and I are those piglets who wake up to eat breakfast. I only come here for my hungover breakfast. Even in the morning it can get packed. I never have waited more than 10 minutes though. *Parking Lot: There’s a little parking lot next to it. It’s small and tight and can get difficult. I love their phở and their chive pork eggrolls with that crunchy eggroll skin in the middle. So good. They have this house fish sauce which I love. Takes credit card. Con: Sometimes their soup doesn’t come as pipping hot as I like.
Otto O.
Place rating: 5 East Oakland, Oakland, CA
I can’t get enough of that phò, those noodles… That broth… The fresh veggies… The the tender meat… This is the best phò spot in Oakland, phoreal
Zaa G.
Place rating: 5 Hercules, CA
I remember first trying them out when they were a lot closer to Lake Merritt and thinking these guys are great but too bad there isn’t enough room to fit this long ass line of people in. Thankfully(and lord willingly), their recipe has been so delicious that it’s granted them the opportunity to not only open up a brand new bigger location but another one in Albany. I’m definitely a fan of the broth in their soups, I think the presentation for their appetizers are cute, and they tend to be consistent when it comes to bringing out the food in a time manner. And I can’t forget, they accept cash AND credit cards unlike most of their competitors — which definitely adds convenience.
Janet T.
Place rating: 4 Alameda, CA
I normally come here with my family and it can get pretty crowded depending on the time. Lunch time is usually when it’s packed! The décor of the place is nice and green. Looks pretty fancy, but also casual. I am a fan of their vermicelli and rice plates and those are usually my regular orders. The meat and shrimp have a lot of flavor, which I love. Since they’re so busy, service can be a little slow but it’s understandable. They try to get to you as quick as possible. The service is usually friendly and always accommodating. This place is good for groups or just a small get together.
Kathy Z.
Place rating: 4 Oakland, CA
Came with the family on Sunday morning for breakfast. They sat us by the door but then we realized it was really cold so they accommodated us in a front large table. We all ordered phở and it was delicious. Very generous meat and noodle portions for a medium size. Some places add small amounts of meat and ton of noodle. This place was great. One star less because their menu is somewhat limited. I wanted fried rice and the didn’t have it. Little sister wanted tea with pearls and they didn’t have that either. It’s really minor but would’ve been nice if they had it.
Monique W.
Place rating: 5 Oakland, CA
FOOD: Phở Ao Sen is simply amazing. Their phở is my to go spot when I’m craving for phở! Flavorful and I can always tell that they use the freshest ingredients! At times I would get the Broken rice plate, and I can honestly say I’ve never had better rice plate than Ao sen’s! Everything I try there never disappoints. I also want to give some love to the coconut juice, cause it’s honestly the best. Everytime I come here, I haveeeee to get it! SERVICE: This restaurant has been around for some time now, and when they switched locations they are even more packed! Phở Ao Sen’s employee are amazing. The owner is extremely nice! The people who work there have been there for a while now, so I believe that they treat their employees like family which is awesome! They can speak chinese, vietnamese, and english! PARKING: Parking lot! So you never have to stress on parking!(:
Laura D.
Place rating: 3 Parkmerced, San Francisco, CA
The phở itself wasn’t bad but certainly not worth the hype it was given. The meatballs were filled with fat and more chewy than anticipated. And the phở took forever to get to our table. The hot tea is served in plastic cups and any additional drinks you order are in plastic to-go cups. Not the most environmentally friendly or classy. On the upside, they had no problem splitting out check and we got seated quickly.
Bobby l.
Place rating: 5 San Jose, CA
I had some doubts but when Chinese people visiting the bay area know about this place, it must be legit and they were right. That phở broth doh. so umami, rich, and delicious! Having tried many phở in San Jose, their broth is just on another level. It’s that next level stuff. Phở Ga(chicken) broth was okay, but their chicken totally makes up for it, it’s full of flavor and just so soft. Many people also said to pass on the large because you don’t get much noodles. For the regular size, they seriously do skimp on noodles. Must try! Take it home and add some more noodles yourself!
Taye N.
Place rating: 1 Hayward, CA
The place is a ripe off. We can here before and ordered a super large phở bowl. The only difference is soup. Both bowls have the same amount of noodles. Even the meat is the same. So get a larger bowl and get charge more same amount of noodle. The rice place meat has been reduce too. Rip off. Don’t come here no more.
Jim D.
Place rating: 5 Oakland, CA
Five of us visited Phở Sen at 12:00 and we noticed that it was full house. I guess the Christmas leftover dinner was not the meal of choice for lunch. Right after we were seated the crowd outside the door became larger. I usually order some type of phở($ 8.25) for the regular order, $ 9.25 for the large order. My choice was the beef round steak, tendon, tripe and beef ball. The broth is light with the right amount of rice noodles. Acourse the soup comes with the bean sprouts & basil. I also ordered the Thai Tiger tea. Phở Ao Sen also features rice dishes beside the phở. Great flavor, I highly recommend this place.
Jennifer T.
Place rating: 4 Berkeley, CA
I have a phở place right outside my apartment in Berkeley, but I drive the extra 20 minutes to come here every time I crave phở. I give their food a five stars for sure, but their servers can be a bit inattentive(especially when it gets busy). I’m a HUGE fan of their chicken wings… they always come out pipping hot, super crispy, and perfectly seasoned. The phở here is also pretty on point — they come in huge portions and the broth is very flavorful. The shrimp spring rolls are also delicious and taste very fresh, but only come with one shrimp in each roll :(
Michelle C.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
Get in my belly!!! I can’t say enough good things about this place. Food is cheap, delicious and fast. No, the service isn’t the best, but it’s what you expect from any other authentic phở place. Try the shredded pork with coconut milk. It’s DELICIOUS!!! Phở has good meat to noodle ratio and the veggies are fresh… none of those brown bean sprouts. My friend loves the steamed chicken with ginger. Menu is large and there’s plenty of seating. There isn’t a day I’ve gone with the place empty. Small parking lot attached to the building. Make sure you remember your table number when you go up to pay. Accepts credit cards.
Alex T.
Place rating: 5 Berkeley, CA
This place is my go to spot for phở. They have their own parking lot which is very convenient. Weekend morning tend to be super busy. Staff tend to you like any other vietnamese restaurant.
Katie P.
Place rating: 2 San Francisco, CA
In dire need of phở in Oakland, you might find yourself here. Their special chicken phở with ginger sauce sounded like an awesome cross between phở and Hainanese chicken. Apparently their chicken is even free-range! Alas, what I got was very undercooked, butchered cuts of chicken bones. It was kind of really gross. To be fair, they do say their meat might contain bones, but this was every single uncooked, rubbery pink slab with thick yellow, prickly, fatty skin attached. *shudders* I felt my vegan friends laughing at me as I tried to eat this. Phở Ao Sen is an Oakland favorite. I might give them another try with fishballs or meatballs — anything without bones or prickly skin, please!
Linda T.
Place rating: 4 Gold River, CA
I was in town for a football game and wanted some Vietnamese food. So of course I looked on Unilocal,Best app to find some delicious places . I came across this place and checked out their reviews and pictures. So we decided to come here and check it out. This place was pretty packed for being 9am. Luckily it was only my husband and I so we were seated right away. We saw they had bun bo hue so we had to order it. It took longer then expected to get our food but I can see why because they were so busy. Let me just say my husband loves bun bo hue and we’ve tried many places but this one definitely was worth the wait. The flavor is so delicious you don’t even have to add anything. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good BBH. I would have given a 5 star but one star off because when we got our BBH, one of the bowls they forgot the most the important thing, the blood meat. Can’t have BBH without that. We kindly told the waiter and they did it bring it to us. But that was the only negative.
Bryan W.
Place rating: 5 Sunnyvale, CA
Its never too late right? I’m definitely glad my Vietnamese friend and I took the time to check out Phở Ao Sen, dubbed one of the best Phở shops around the area and quite possible an alternative to homecooking in Westminster. Well what better way to test it than to bring two Vietnamese cultured goons to this restaurant. Now let me first say that I’ve actually tried to come here on multiple occasions but somehow Phở Ao Sen comes up with interesting reasons not to follow their hours, but I guess that’s the power you get with popularity. The place is super big and so don’t be fooled by any lines. We put our names down and got in in less than 10 minutes. The menu is pretty fancy for a Vietnamese restaurant and you’ll notice that the phở selection is pretty expansive. You have the larger«xe luong» near the front and the standard«tai» after that. My friend got the combo #1 xe Luong while I got the #12 phở tai with chin. Let’s break down the experience: 1. Atmosphere Definitely lively and poppinn. It reminds me of a phở 54 or a 79 in Saigon. You don’t get this often in Oakland or in the Bay as phở shops seem to be pretty small(or very modern like Monster Phở). This place has the smell and look of authenticity. 2. Vegetables Good portion size of mint, bean sprouts, and a lime or two. Very reminiscent of home. 3. Broth Can’t complain about broth one bit. Very flavorful and definitely on par with the best of the best in SoCal. I think they could’ve heated it up a tad bit more but can’t ask for any more. 4. Noodles The noods were pretty standard but a tad bit under the quality of SoCal phở shops as I think they were a bit too overcooked. I think the best type of noodles are the ones that finish cooking in the boiling soup. 5. Meat Meat was probably the best part besides the broth. The fillet and brisket were VERYTENDER. Add that with your hoisin and siracha and you have bought your self a one way ticket to nirvana 6. Price The price(8 – 9) is reasonable for NorCal phở since it’s so rare to find a great establishment. Yes it’s at least 2x more than SoCal places but what can you do when you are surrounded by subpar places like phở k & k or Vietnam village(sorry Berkeley but you have to step it up). And it’s 2 – 3 $ cheaper than Monster Phở!(A popular favorite) Overall I say try this place out if you’re a phở aficionado. I had a great experience at Ao Sen and I’ll definitely come back again to check out their other items. Eat well and don’t Phở get to have fun!
Emmeline C.
Place rating: 4 Berkeley, CA
You can get a more than filling and tasty Vietnamese meal for a great price here. The big bowl of Phở Tai has a fabulous broth that wasn’t too salty, and they also give a more than generous portion of veggies: basil and bean sprouts all cleaned well and fresh. My only complaint was that the round eye steak was very well done and too chewy. I prefer mine to still be red when served so it can cook tenderly by the time I eat it. You can ask for the meat uncooked on the side and cook it yourself in the hot broth, which I’ll do next time. But to end on a positive note, the Vietnamese coffee iced was delish! A warning that the coffee is strong, and for me that means a perfect midday pick-me-up.
Michael W.
Place rating: 4 Fremont, CA
Short Story: I’m a fan! Long Story: We got there around 12PM on a Tuesday afternoon for a group of two. We were promptly seated and got our menus. I got the Korean beef short ribs and my friend got the special combination phở. The prices are good and the service is pretty average. It’s a big place and as the afternoon progressed it got more and more packed. The ribs were a bit sweet due to the sauce they use. My friend really liked the phở though. Verdict: I’ll probably come back when I’m in the area.
Eddie C.
Place rating: 4 Torrance, CA
Why is Little Saigon in SoCal? This past week I had me some smokin’ Vietnamese food in the Bay Area — Phở Ao Sen was one of the places. I heard some fantastic things said about their Bun so I decided to go for that vs their namesake, Phở. Bun Bo Hue is the Vietnamese version of the Chinese beef stew noodle soup and just as good. It is a sizzling spicy robust soup based noodle with plenty of beef, pork and vegetables. This strong flavor bowl of goodness is a kaleidoscope of spices that explodes on your palate and fills your tummy with its enormous size. Next time? Phở for sure.