Pho Noodle Station

Hong Phuc Nguyen (Meta7)

Honestly, this is the best Viet place I've been to in a while. - The phở is delicious, even by Vietnamese standards. The noodles themselves are the thin kind, not the thick kind as some might expect from "traditional" phở. The broth is a perfect balance between brothy and herbal, citrusy flavor and neither bland nor overpowering on the blood. All the meats are on point and in general, there's just nothing to complain about. - The bánh mì is also good, the BBQ pork is a Chinese char siu and they indeed have pâté. However, they still use mayo in place of pure beurre (French molten butter) for the bánh mì, but then again, I haven't had a place in the United States that serves bánh mì "true Saigon" style, not even in California or at Ba Lẹ in Chicago, so I'll give it a pass. It's not the best thing in the world or anything, but it's among the best bánh mì you can get in a pretty good radius. - The two things I really have to discuss however, are the KARAAGE and the MILK CAP ON THE BOBA TEA! Oh my God these are simply just God-tier! The karaage is hand-breaded in the back (if my server is to be believed), fried to perfection and has a very bold chicken flavor. When had in the curry karaage noodles dish, it is served such that it is still slightly crispy on the outside. Simply scrumptious. - Speaking of the curry karaage noodles dish, apparently THIS is their special house dish for whatever reasons (not the phở, bánh mì or crêpe). Usually, I either dislike both a dish's concept and execution, or really like the concept and am sorely disappointed with the execution of the chef. This dish is the opposite. This is the first time in a very long while where I found myself wholly satisfied with the dish's execution, but found the concept a little bit suspect. They did everything right: the chicken is godlike, the noodles are satisfying to slurp, the curry is delightfully spicy (in the literal sense) and the bamboo shoots provide just the right amount of crunch. However, I'm just not sure if they... chose to cook the right thing. If curry lo mein with Japanese fried chicken, served with bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and broccoli sounds good to you, by all means give it a shot. - The one thing that truly blew me away about Phở Noodle Station and pushed it to the highest tier of U.S. eateries however, is the milk cap. OH MY GOD IT IS SO GOOD. Normally I don't find milk caps on boba worth commenting about, but that's also because normally they just taste like watered down condensed milk, if that makes any sense. This milk cap is different. It tastes very fresh and creamy, not sugary at all, and is filled with little curds of pure milk protein that is just so satisfying to chew in your mouth. It made me feel like a baby again and was honestly the first thing in a VERY long while that amazed me this much. Other than the milk cap, the boba itself is also very nice, warm, freshly cooked and very chewy without being hard. The tea itself is a little bit whatever. - Speaking of the boba, they seem to source their boba tea and crêpes from one "Paris Super Crêpes". I haven't been to any Paris Super place myself so I cannot make a fair comparison, but if you look at Paris Super's menu, the boba and crêpes menu at Phở Noodle Station is almost the exact same. As of the time of writing, I have not had any appetizers, rice dishes, nor crêpes, so I cannot comment on those. However, my friend did have a strawberry truffle crêpe and he described it as authentic, in the sense that it was "simply a medley of flavors in a portable package akin to a flower bouquet". Take THAT however you will. Overall, I think I've found my 4th "Tier S" place. Definitely recommended if you like Viet food, or even just modern casual East Asian cuisine in general!

Dovie

Good food and inexpensive compared to other pho place in the area. Place is very clean and inviting, the staff are nice and friendly. There are other menu options to try beside pho if you are craving for a good meal. Bubble teas, crepes and many more. Ingredients are fresh and waiting time is fast.

Shane M.

The pho here is pretty darn good, definitely worth the stop by, especially on a cold winter day. Their pork bao is absolutely amazing and I will absolutely be craving it for days to come

Linda Kim

Been on the hunt for a delicious pho spot since my OG spot closed down, and this place did it. It’s a far drive but was worth it! …