Let's say you live in West LA and want really good Pho. You don't mind driving at all to get it. What is the closest best pho (and PLEASE not the best that's closest)?

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
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For Chinatown Pho… I’ve always been fond of Pho Hoa on Spring. Though I admit it may be partly due to the peptobismol color scheme and the kitchen run exclusively by old men.

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Thanks @Chowseeker1999
Been there on your say-so before and it is really great.
Was hoping to try something new to me.

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I think Phorage is probably a bit better than Viet Noodle but both are decidedly the “best that’s close” rather than the “closest best.”

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… which is why I prefaced the response with " Probably not the answer you want".

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Though I am fond of the sardine banh mi at viet noodle

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Hi @CiaoBob,

Nice! Glad you liked HP Pho Ga. :slight_smile: For something new, perhaps a bang-bang at:

Pho Quang Trung (also in the Chicken Pho post I linked). It was a very good bowl of Chicken Pho, with the bonus of Chicken Offal (free) if you want (Chicken Gizzard, Heart, etc.).

And then nearby, you can get a bowl of the amazing Beef Noodle Soup (Bun Bo Hue) at Ngu Binh (which IMHO is so much better than regular Beef Pho). :wink: Just a thought.

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(deleted)

Argh, never mind. Misunderstood the question.

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That is a great plan!!!

Vietnamese has so many great noodle soups! Bun Bo Hue at Ngu Binh is IMO worth a drive.

I feel like Beef Pho is very hard to get it right and is dependent on many factors (who made the broth? is it ready at the exact time you order?). There has been times when I have Beef Pho and it is the best thing in the world but then I come next week and it’s bland.

Bun Bo Hue, Hu Tieu, and Bun Rieu all deserve just as much attention as Pho. The more I learn about Vietnamese cuisine and Vietnamese people, I find that beef pho for a lot of Vietnamese folks is not their favorite noodle soup.

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Pho for Vietnamese people is breakfast.

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you might want to consider pho hue oi in redondo beach - same family as the one that runs hue oi in OC. though you want to order the bun bo hue instead since hue is a city in central vietnam (and the family is from hue) and bun bo hue is a central vietnamese specialty.

eater posted an article about the place last month.

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We had bon bo hue in Hue, Vietnam, at 8AM. She closes when she runs out.

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Thanks- sounds good

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sorry can’t be of much help, but to be honest, i think the overal pho scene in LA/OC (yes, even in Little Saigon) is very lackluster. Perhaps it due to the general popularity of the dish, but Viet restaurants just put it on the menu without great care and desire to make it truly great like it deserves. It’s just all ok. It’s commoditized item to a point, unlike the Japanese community where attention to detail in every component is important (ie. ramen lab–curly noodles or straight? thick or thin? different flours etc). No one would bat an eye when someone advertises “craft/artisan” ramen noodles. I’m not necessary talking about just better ingredients or fusiony things for instagram either (bone marrow, hunk of short ribs, lobster etc.). We have hard time finding great traditional pho. Don’t want to stand on soapbox, but really do hope some younger gen viet chefs really do something great with pho.

sorry for the rant. :sweat_smile:

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I’d say best closest is up 405 at Pho So 1 on Sepulveda

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had another very average one at NongLa on Monday… it’ll do in a pinch but there’s a lot wrong with it.

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I am a big fan of Saigon Dish in Lawndale. Wonderful owner. A great neighborhood feel. Good food.http://www.saigondish.info

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My favorite in the area is also Saigon Dish. I also recently went to the new Pho place in Culver City Phovorite. Definitely better than others in the area, by the broth was unbalanced. Too much clove. But the noodle game was strong, especially since they use thin noodles…

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Also tried their chicken pho… it was good but they add a lot of crispy shallot which permeates it. I LOVE crispy shallot but I think using it this way is kinda cheating

—Dommy!

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I go to Pho 79. Bonus, I get to meet my Dad there, an OC resident.

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Do you know any places with great Northern/Hanoi style pho?

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I was always curious if Little Saigon has backyard/underground operations like Mexican food in South Central/Boyle Heights/East LA/Lincoln Heights.

I have heard of “monthly subscription” services with homestyle viet food.

I often hear the “best pho is my moms/aunt/grandma etc”. Or even Bun Cha Hanoi in a backyard over fire, damn that would be so good