Just back from Char House. My impressions:
The restaurant is larger than I’d expected, and there was a lot more parking out front than it looked like on Google Earth. I parked on Ruffner just south of Balboa, and you could also probably park in the shopping center where Office Depot used to be without being hassled. I liked the layout of the place – very nice, comfortable interior.
I ordered the pho dac biet, which came to the table very hot, a must for pho. The serving (large) was substantial and very filling.
I appreciated that the noodles weren’t stuck together in a big clump, as they are at too many other places. No clumps at all here. The tendons and other gristle in the soup were very tender, another big plus. The broth was beefy, as you described it, but, for my taste, I thought it was short on anise and much too sweet. Unusual for pho broth.
I’ll return to try other things on their fairly extensive menu, especially the pho bo koh, bun bo hue, cold bun dishes, and bahn mi. I’m also interested in trying their skewers. And (take note, Plumeria), they have vegetable skewers.
