Pho Van

Meal time: Sunday 1:30 PM

This is my third time here and judging by how my first two experiences were, I wasn't really looking forward to lunch but when you're hungry, you're hungry. To the left of the restaurant is a parking lot and there's always the streets so the parking here is definitely ample.

I recall the first time I went inside, I was almost blinded by the bright neon lights that were made worse made by the mirrored walls. I've since grown accustomed to it but I still find it kind of psychadelic and aggravating. I guess the lights help you feel like you're in the 70's. That or the owners really like rainbows. They also have a large flat screen TV at the back which always seems to be playing a Vietnamese version of "Dancing with the Stars". I asked my Vietnamese friend if girls in Vietnam (he went back last Summer) look like that and he said no - only the Western born Vietnamese do.

Anyway, the restaurant itself is mid-sized but it can get really cramped during peak hours. You'll probably find yourself doing a lot of seat adjusting with the tables next to you coming and going.

Small beef balls and soup ($7) ~ The bowl was surprisingly big and it had lots of noodles and its fair share of beef balls, and in the end, it was quite good. I don't normally eat pho but this will probably become my staple meal whenever I come here. The broth is also very tasty as well.

A minor thing but I don't understand why they fill the soup all the way to the top. Yes, we get more but if your fingers are touching it, it's kinda gross.

Normally when i eat Vietnamese foods, I like to go for the rice plates. but unfortunately, I don't like their rice plates here. I had a lemon grass chicken and a lemon grass pork chop my previous trips and I could only eat about half of it given the fat/inedible content of the meat.

We also had spring rolls - they were alright but I wasn't exactly looking towards get a second order.

Service is what you expect from a pho place. They are very busy but manage very well. You can't really expect them to notice you unless you put up your hand but they are prompt once they get the signal.

Pho Van is a decent place to get your pho fix but not your rice plate fix. It's not a place I plan to return to on my own accord but the next time my friends suggest we eat here, I'd be a lot less hesitant to go - that is, until i get sick of beef balls in soup.

Pho Van
3370 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC
Tel: 604-872-2879