Pho Ao Sen

sooooo let me just I’m from San Jose and there is phở everywhere and this place is literally delicious! I ordered the fresh spring roll can we say HUGE and FILLING! I also ordered the chicken phở for my 2 picky eaters and they loved it!!! Fast service, humble people, will definitely come back!!!

The food was great however don’t sit in section A9 the waitress takes forever to assist you. And this isn’t good especially during lunch time people can become irritated while waiting for food

3.5 stars.
I was skeptical about the service here from previous reviews, and it’s really not the worst service, but certainly not the best. Perhaps the restaurant just seems so big that the waiters are not as attentive. But we didn’t get our water until we asked for it after the food arrive. Other than that, it was nothing too notable.
I got the #2 phở and it was a decent size bowl. However, compared to the other location in Oakland, I think the Oakland location gives plenty more meat. The soup is still good and hearty. About $ 10 for the bowl.
If they don’t have the sate sauce on the table, definitely ask for it! It’s like a lemongrass chili house sauce. I can seriously eat a whole jar of it.

I came here a week after their grand opening and the place was packed. There definitely had kinks they needed to work out (i.e. Getting more servers; quicker turnaround time; properly charging customers).
I’ve since been back after the newness has settle in. I must say the OG spot in Oakland was still the best when it was just a tiny hole in the wall joint. Although it’s great for their expansion and I’m sure good for their business but I miss that homie feel of the place. It feels so commercialized now.
Food wise the phở is just OK. The flavor just seemed to lack in the broth. The bun bo hue however was better and I’m a fan.
Otherwise I’m glad to have them in close proximity. I’ll be back.

Any Vietnamese spot that has the line «phở-​nomenal» on its sign is enough to intrigue me.
I stopped here the other night before catching a movie at Albany Twin up the block, and it was enough to put me in a food coma throughout the latter half of the movie I saw right after.
We started with shrimp and pork spring rolls, which came with a think, gritty peanut sauce I couldn’t get enough of. Too gritty for some, I’m sure, but just my cup of tea. The rolls were stuffed with fresh cut cucumber, carrots, and lettuce, and more filling than any other dish of this kind I’ve tried.
Next we got our entrees: beef phở for my friend, and a shrimp, egg cake, rice and soup plate for myself (those are 4 different sides — not one dish.)
My dish, though seemingly random and not necessarily tied together, really delivered in all aspects, and had enough diversity in the meal to keep me engaged throughout the entirety of dinner. The shrimp was perfectly cooked with a great season, and the egg cake (my first ever, I might ad) was particularly flavorful. I’m a salt-​tooth, so I ended up dousing this in housin and a drop of soy sauce. Needless to say, my sodium levels after this meal were through the roof.
I could have easily left with leftovers for an entirely new meal, but I ended being gluttonous and finished. What can you do you?!
The service is my only complaint, but the amazingly low prices and quality of food make up for the one or two faux pas that occurred throughout my experience here.

I’ve been here twice now. The both times I had the chicken Phở. Excellent. The broth was well done, chicken tender and shredded into chunks, not cut. Plenty of noodles. Lot’s of fresh basil brought to the table, along with the usual mung bean sprouts, lime and jalapeño.
I had two different spring rolls between the the visits. Both good. The one with the pork sausage I have to say was the better of the two.
The service on the first visit was not good. Very random. Luckily I was there for a long chat with a friend and we weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere. The second visit was yesterday. The place was packed and the service was so fast we couldn’t believe we already had food!
There was one strange thing however. Some of the tables have to share condiment stations. We were sitting at a table that didn’t have the condiment tray on the table and we had to reach over to the next one to get our spoons, napkins, etc. It was awkward as we were looking at the back of the display. We ended up moving the whole thing to our table. This could be easily remedied.
I like the fact that it’s a large space, and the sound level is good. It was easy to have a conversation even with a full house.
I used to live in San Jose and got used to top quality Vietnamese food. So far, I have to say this is the best phở I’ve had in the East Bay. I’ll be returning to try their vermicelli dishes. That, for me, is the dish that marks a good Vietnamese restaurant from a mediocre one. I’ll report back.

Beef broth + meat quality was pretty good. Nice, clean, open space. The only knock was on the service (which was bad):
–Standing in line for a table, we were abandoned by the first server who forgot to show us to a table after already telling him we had 2 people.
–Another server forgot a simple request for a napkin
–Another server forgot the second order of hot tea
–Took forever to get a box to go and the check, so had to get up from the table and find someone
Pretty bad service, but hope it’s just a symptom of being a relatively new restaurant. They have potential. Clearly, my star rating is just for the food so I remember that I can stop by for a good bowl of phở.

I’ve been here about a few times since it’s opened at this location and I have to say it’s not bad. Cleanup/​bussing the tables could use a bit of work but food-​wise, it’s very similar to the Phở Ao Sen on International in Oakland.
I always get the Bun Bo Hue here, because I often crave my mom’s, and it usually does the trick. The broth can vary – sometimes it’s bland, sometimes it’s a bit more spicy, and sometime’s it’s just right.
This place doesn’t have the best phở, but honestly, it’s the only place around that can remotely satisfy anyone’s craving for phở. I’ve had the phở ga (chicken) and phở dac biet bo vien and phở tai nam gan (see their online menu for descriptions) and can’t say they’re amaaaazing. They’re good. They get you satisfied.
Portions – to me they are huge… I have never ever finished the bowl (then again I’m 5’1″ and small… I’m sure it’s a good amount for others).
Service is alright, there’s usually only 2 – 3 people around the whole restaurant so they aren’t quick to notice that you’re out of water, but they are pretty prompt with taking your order. Overall, I’m a fan because of its convenience and the fact that it actually tastes like phở unlike some other places I’ve gone to.

The food is fantastic. But the service was infuriating: the waitress never acknowledged us, never checked on us, had to be flagged down for the check, and had to be asked to take our dirty dishes away.
The management may assume the young waitresses miraculously know what to do, but that’s absolutely wrong.
You need to have clear guidelines, procedures and standards for service staff. I’ll say it again: I waitressed for several years when I was in my 20s and now I see why they trained us.

This is a newly opened phở ao sen in Albany. I’m sure a lot of people know about the one in Oakland, but there are a lot of differences (unfortunately).
Service: 2.5 stars
The service is probably the most obvious difference between the two. You do not get free tea (this one charges 0.75) and even getting water is sometimes a long hassle. There are a lot of people usually because of its reputation and a lot of them are waiting because it feels like the place is understaffed. The place is best described as inconsistent as you might get your food really quickly or sometimes really slowly.
Food: 4 stars
The food is similar to the one in Oakland which is good! The broth is flavorful and it is definitely one of the better phos I have tried. I still think the phở places in Arcadia like Golden Deli top these places. The portion is sometimes not as big as the one in Oakland.
This review might seem unfair because I am comparing it to the other Phở Ao Sen in Oakland, but if you are using the same name and reputation I expect similar service and food. 4 stars for the food, 2.5 for the service. I’d still recommend coming here though.

I was chilling at the Slab Charging my Ankle Bracelet and my Uncle Called and was having Girlfriend issues. So I invited him to Dinner and a Movie. Since its a little Chilly lately I thought it would be a great Phở night .
My Uncle is a Gearhead like me so he picked me up in his Fast and the Furious Car and we rolled to Phở Ao Sen and Albany !!! .We got there quick. We parked in their large parking lot and rolled in .
This location used to be a Sizzler at one time. According to the Owner this location under went an 8 month Extensive Remodel .
We were Greeted and Seated. We were presented with a Menu to Peruse. We Ordered Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Phở Dac Biet and Pork Chops and Grilled Shrimp .
We were presented with the Spring Rolls and Peanut Dipping Sauce. they do this dish very well it is so Yummy and a Must Order !!!
Next out was the Phở Dact Biet — this was also very good the Broth is Packed full of Flavor. and plenty of Beef and Noodles .
Last out was the Pork Chops and Grilled Shrimp Rice Dish. This was also another great Pick. Packed full of Flavor it was my Uncles Favorite
Service was on point very attentive and the Owner even came to chat .
Awesome Décor has an Upscale Feel and would be a great place to take a Date .
I love their Giant Rock Fountain !!
I Paid by Credit Card and rolled out..

This new restaurant took the place of the sizzler.
Service:
The service here is always absolutely amazing! All the staff members and even the owner are attentive, friendly, and professional.
Food:
I thought that the food here was great! When I read the other reviews, I had my reservations about this place. But I’m really glad I tried it anyways. The soup base doesn’t have MSG in it and it’s so good! They have the traditional phở entrees/​rice dishes/​and vermicelli bowls. All are above were prepared better than the phở places i’ve been to.
Overall
I would recommend this place without any reservations!

Great experience!
Food was awesome, delivered quickly, and presented beautifully.
Service was prompt, polite, and informative.
Ambience was quite, perfectly light, and welcoming.
Our table was well stocked with condiments.
Those who have marked this place with low scores clearly don’t get the concept or came in a catastrophic evening.

Like lots of others I waited eagerly for this location to open, having had the Oakland location bookmarked since reading John Z’s review in January 2013. Alan and I came for lunch today, as the weather was freezing and perfect for phở. We parked in their large lot in the back. It’s been at least 30 years since I was in the Sizzler, so my memory of its décor is dim, but the remodel is beautiful, w/​stonework, tilework and even a rock that’s a fountain, not to mention a profusion of beautiful plants. It’s a large, clean space w/​booths and tables. We were shown to a table by the north windows and given menus. It was chilly inside but we soon warmed up.
Our server was a nice young woman whose limited English made it difficult to discuss the sodium levels of various dishes, so Alan ordered spring rolls and egg rolls. I ordered the #12 phở, as John had raved about it. The rolls were brought first and Alan offered me bites of each. Both were large servings, very fresh and flavorful and I enjoyed both. The phở was a generous serving, w/​bean sprouts, basil, slices of jalapeño and a wedge of lime on a side plate. I put all the condiments in, w/​a squeeze of lime. The broth was tasty and complex, the beef tender. Everything was good and it was just what I had been hankering for. I finished every bit and will be back again on another cold day. Alan liked his rolls but would like something else for lunch. Maybe they have garlic noodles. I didn’t check. It seems to be a popular place: the restaurant was close to full.

Why do people give it such horrible ratings? I came here for dinner and…
Food: awesome
Ambiance: nice and clean
Location: convenient and not ghetto (like the Oakland one)
Parking: plenty
Service: nothing to complain about

First time here with the church group after Sunday service. Everything looks good here — ambience, service and seating. I ordered the special chicken noodle and a fresh squeezed orange juice. The chicken is served separately from the noodle and both taste good. Chicken meat is tender and flavorful. The fresh squeezed orange juice was a little bit disappointing as there was half cup of ice. However, it was fresh and they fixed it by taking off from the bill.
This place will become our go-​to places after church from now on. :)

I’ve been waiting for this place to open for a while. My wife heard about this place from her nail salon and that it was the closest thing to Brodards in So Cal.
After hearing that, my expectations were set a bit high and unfortunately they were not met. Now I’m not saying this place isn’t good, I was just disappointed when we ordered the spring rolls that they looked nothing like that of Brodards. Phở Ao Sen inserts the cruncy skin in the middle of the eggroll instead of around the outside like Brodards. Still good, just not the same.
Anyways, the food is pretty good. I ordered the rice with shredded pork, Grilled pork chop and egg. Like most Vietnamese restaurants the portions aren’t very big but I’m used that. The chicken phở was a bit bland, so I don’t recommend getting that.
Their price is a bit higher than Phở Saigon in the Pacific East mall, but the ambiance is much nicer, so I guess you pay for that.
Nice big private parking lot is also a plus.

A poor imitation of the first Phở Ao Sen in the ghetto part of Oakland.
Despite being in a better neighborhood, I can’t say the food is better too. Parking was semi-​easy with a lot around back. Service however, was very poor. I didn’t get a straw when served ice coffee, we were given the wrong appetizer.
The phở broth was completely lackluster: it was missing something that had that oily goodness and savory flavoring. The overall feel of this new restaurant was just not homey and comforting, something you seek in bowl of phở.
Overall, will not be returning, only to the old phở ao sen.

Im tempted to give 3 stars bc of their lack of customer service, but since their food is pretty good n fresh, plus having a nice modern n clean vietnamese restro close to home… I absolutely appreciate! Plus huge parking lot!
Bun cha hanoi — good size portion! love tat my bun (noodle) arent wet! veges were very fresh n clean wit no drip of water! it came wit 3 huge cha n a big piece of grilled pork! meat was flavorful n tender. 4 stars
goi cuon (spring rolls) — inside had shrimp n pork! meat cooked right n all ingreds were fresh! love tat the rice paper wasnt tough to chew! 4 stars
phở tai — ?? my son ordered this, he say not bad lol
com tam dat biet (combo rice) — pork a lil dry, not enuf meat, egg cake ws soft n ok, wats the point of 2 shrimp? over priced @ $ 13. no veges such as lettuce, cucumber or tomatoe, u get shredded carrots n daikon nstead 2.5 stars
cha ga thang long — overpriced @ $ 13, crispy n tasty 3.5 stars
Advise to the owner: you should also serve alcohol. the most profittable for any business! also u should include chicken! Chicken is so lovable!

Shiny and new phở spot right at home in Albany! Finally one of my dreams has come true. If you are looking for the old Sizzler, you may just find yourself some phở instead.
This is a branch off the original one from Oakland. I really like that one as well but due to the sketchy location, my family and I usually opt to not go there at night.
The grant opening was today, so the line was out the door and super busy. The staffs are still working out the kinks so the slow service is to be expected. Hopefully they will have it figured out in a month. The phở and rice plates taste pretty much the same as the original in Oakland tho.
Really excited about this new location and will for sure be back! It’s about time that Albany opens a legit phở restaurant. I don’t have to drive to Oakland for phở anymore!
Updates on ¹⁰⁄₂₇ — Lowering to 3 stars since they are wayyy too short-​handed on a Tuesday night. The line was long but there were open tables that were not cleaned! They need to work on their staffing issue because they are inefficient at the moment. My family and I walked out after observing for 10 minutes and the line did not move.