Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Rstrnt, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thai Restaurant Details

Food:

Best pad thai in the city. I've been there many time and it's always perfect. They always serve it with a lime and who knew that would make it tastier??

Food:

Fast service and affordable prices for very large portions. One of the best pho dish I have had in America, very flavorful.

Food:

Pho Xe Lua (Loosely translated as "long car special") is one of the older houses at the bottom of Race Street, and it shows its age. The menu is extensive, particularly if you like Vietnamese dishes or Pho. Portions are large. Prices are low. Very popular combination that keeps the two floors busy day and night. Just don't spend time looking at the floor around your table, because cleanliness is an issue. The house hasn't been inspected by L & I for a long time, and it shows.

Still, it is mind over matter. If you don't mind the grit around you, it doesn't matter. Just enjoy the plentitude so light on your wallet.

We were there for a late lunch and stayed with the soup. My partner had the Pho Special that contained all the meats available in the kitchen, and I their Bun Bo Hue. They label the sizes of their bowls as large and extra large, as if that was something everyone understood. The former would be a large bowl in most establishments, and the later, a fish bowl. We couldn't finish either.

The Pho broth was decent; full of noodles and a load of meat. It was tasty, but lacked some of the more subtle flavors associated with the better noodle soups. I did not taste Anise, although it could have been in there. My Bun Bo was stocked with three big Pig's Feet (Glad they left him one on the hoof), plus slices of Beef and shreds of Pork. It had ample Lemongrass for the strong spiciness that makes this so distinctive, Fermented Shrimp Paste for sourness, plus Onions, Mint, and a few unidentified floating objects. I did not detect Coriander, Rock Sugar, nor Congealed Pig Blood (thankfully), which are part of the totally authentic mix. The side dish accompaniments had the usual Sprouts, Thai Basil, Jalapeno Slices and Lime Wedges, but was missing the Banana Blossom Slices, and/or Red Cabbage.

Still, it was pretty good; the first spoonful paralyzing my vocal cords so I could only whisper for about 15 minutes. It wasn't the best BBH I have had in the City, but it wasn't the worst. Given the complexity of the real deal, perhaps it was unfair of me to expect Pho Xe Lua to get it completely right.

Service was fine, and our server was multilingual, making my Mandarin speaking friend happy with his descriptions in her native tongue.

No need to run back here, but its broad non-Chinese menu makes it a reasonable alternative when in Chinatown, but not feeling like Chinese food.

Food:

Most flavorful pho I've ever tasted. I've been from coast to coast and this place is #1 for me! Highly recommend

Food:

My wife craves a good pho and having just gone to Hop Sing Laundromat, this place was the highest rated pho place nearby. It's definitely a hole in the wall but we were seated right away and our food came out literally under five minutes. I ordered the well done beef pho and the meat had little fat on it. It was good but I definitely had to add some of the table sauces to it to make it pop more. It wasn't the best pho I've had but it wasn't bad.