Vietnamese Restaurant

After camping For over a week, craved me some phở! Drove from Oregon and found this place on Unilocal.got here and no more restaurant!!! Disappointed!!!

Some of the best phở in Boise. However, it is really time to analyze the broth in the phở… it is not authentic nor does it have flavor. It appears that is can be used for either beef or chicken… so there is no flavor.
The sizzling crêpe is perfection. Stick with the appetizers.
I gave the above rating based on what is available in the area.

Actually, we loved this restaurant, however, it burned down last year, and is no longer in business

had the phở tai, spring rolls, and fried rice.
everything tasted good. service was quick and friendly.
portions were pretty big even for a pig like me.

Another place up in flames. Really cool plume of smoke that could be seen all over town. Huge dining area that I don’t imagine was ever filled. A bit odd of a dining experience b/​c of getting shuffled around a couple of the family members that were serving us while they would take turns eating. Phở was ok, spoiled from authentic Phở from other cities, but authentic might be a bit too much for most of Boise to tolerate. If they rebuild, I’ll go back again.

This is one of my favorite restaurants. We return every time we visit Boise.
I will admit that I am not that knowledgeable about Vietnamese food, but I love the taste of what I have had here for the last 25 years.
Forgive the spelling, but I love their cha gio, ban xeo, and the hot and sour soup. They have set the standard for me. Every time I try these at other restaurants I am very disappointed.
Check them out.

I like this place. I’ve eaten here several times and it was always very good and the portions are huge. The service can be somewhat iffy and twice I never got my tea, but it wasn’t a big deal to me since they were very busy both times and they apologized. The décor is what other reviews have described — a little old and tired, but this is a place you come for good vietnamese food and not the atmosphere. Eat and enjoy!

After reading the reviews, I got a craving for good phở. We’ve tried making it at home, but it just didn’t seem quite right. We’re Anthony Bourdain fans, and his love of phở has definitely rubbed off on us. So we ventured out to the Bench to put this place to the test — and were disappointed at what we got.
As far as the atmosphere goes, it’s not horrible — pretty stark, if anything. We did giggle about the sheer SIZE of the place though. I wonder if some of the tables there have ever had anyone sitting at them???
Atmosphere isn’t what we’re here for, though… we want phở. After a quick look over the menu, we decided on cold rolls (veggies & meat wrapped in rice paper) and phở tai. Our friendly server assured us that this was an excellent choice, and we were looking forward to a great meal on this cold, rainy night.
First came the cold rolls, with two dipping sauce options — a clear, sweet sauce, and hosin sauce. I’m used to seeing peanut sauce with these, but to each is own, right? The rolls were okay — I love the raw rice paper, but the filling consisted of cooked rice noodles, green leaf lettuce, shrimp, and a chicken/​pork mixture. So so so bland! Would’ve been so much better with some basil and carrot.
Then, they rolled out our HUGE bowls of phở, and a plate of… bean sprouts?! Where was the lime? Where were the peppers? Where was the basil? In our bowls was a huge pile (way WAY too many!!!) of thin rice noodles, some meat, green onions, and cilantro. Regardless, we added some Sriracha and bean paste, and dove in. What we were ‘rewarded’ with was a bland broth and chewy, overcooked meat. There was nothing aromatic or flavorful about this soup — I’ve had instant ramen that’s tasted better. We could’ve easily shared one bowl between the two of us — but we did choose to bring the leftovers home, where we can chuck some of the noodles, add some more veggies!
We will probably give this place another try, though — some of the other items on the menu looked interesting. But alas, we’re still on the hunt for adequate phở in the City of Trees…

What a great restaurant. The food is consistantly great and the service is always polite and helpful. If you want an awesome meal and have lots to take home, this is the place (very generous servings)!

Went there on a Sunday at around 4pm. Décor is outdated, lighting is kinda inadequate. We seated ourselves and had to wait for a few minutes for our server to approach us with the menu because she was busy on the phone. I ordered the halibut. It was okay… i would have preferred it if it had less sauce. My husband wanted to order Four Seasons but when he asked our server if it was any good, the server said the house noodles was better. I don’t know if anything got lost in translation but when his order arrived, he got the House Noodles. We were supposed to share a bowl of Phở but he ended up eating all of it… he said he’s had better Phở. I’m not sure if I want to go back there again. I guess time will tell.

I was considering downgrading this by a star after today’s visit, but decided to keep it at a 4-​star rating because I’d still come here for phở if I had a craving in Boise.
Today I got the spring rolls (I think most places in Boise call them «fresh rolls»). I was a little confused when the waittress asked if I wanted grilled or steamed pork… usually it’s NOT the grilled kind. The half order comes with two rolls cut in half — stuffed full and wrapped tightly. Oddly enough, they brought out two sauces — one that’s traditionally served with grilled pork, and the usual peanut-​sauce type for the rolls I usually get back home. They weren’t bad at all — better than the others I’ve tried here, but not close to stuff I can get at home.
The phở was a little disappointing today. The soup lacked… something. I’m not sure what it was… but it didn’t have everything I loved about it last time I came. Still, the serving size was still very large and the waittress offered me some basil and lemon (not lime =/​) to go with my phở this time.
Two things that made me want to subtract a star:
(1) The waittress honestly told me she wasn’t sure if the basil was fresh. I don’t really want to hear that you don’t have fresh ingredients… if it’s not fresh, I’d rather not have it and would definitely not want to hear that you don’t have fresh stuff. Sorry =/​
(2) Service was a lot slower today. Granted, they have one waittress and it got busy… you should just keep in mind that if you’ve got places to go, be prepared to wait a while to get your check/​change.

I added this place to my Treasure Valley Phở Tour Fall 2009 today and am happy to report that I would rank the Phở Tai with thinly sliced beef tenderloin at #2. This knocks a couple of contestants down the scale so I will have to make a list.
The broth was savory with highlights of bright star anise. The beef was mixed. Looked like some of it was the really marbled kind and another cut was all light colored and gnarly. The light colored beef tasted excellent. I wonder if it was some special cow part not normally served to gringos. The noodles were the typical small white rice stick. Nothing spesh there. The herbs were a plenty. No lime though. $ 9 of heaven overall.
I also recommend the goi cuon thit nuang with the charbroiled pork. Usually goi cuon comes with roast pork. Grilling the pork with a sweet sauce makes these rolls more of a meal.
The curry stew is pretty good. 3 out of 5 according to my daughter who is the curry princess.
Another soup I’d recommend in the sweet and spicy shrimp. It is a little too sweet but the combination of flavors is unique. Worth trying once when the inversion sets in and you need a little taste of the tropics.
The people who run this place are super nice and I have always felt at home. Back in the day when you could smoke in restaurants, there was a server/​chef who would always have a cigarette hanging precariously off the side of her lip as she took your order. I always imagined the ash falling into a vat of broth.
The strip mall where this is located has a little interesting color too. Tattoo parlor, laundromat, hookah bar, and an OK taco truck. Take a stroll after diner and get your fill of urban funk south of the tracks.

It is a present surprise to find Vietnamese restaurant in Boise, ID in the first place. Since we’re just passing by and don’t know anything about this town. I went on to Unilocal and check out what’s good. And I found this nearby our hotel. So we give it a try and we’re all full coming out! The portion is HUGE! I’m a big eater but I barely finished my bowl of spicy noodle. Since it is so good, I tried my best to finished it. Their lunch special is also very good and huge too. If you haven’t been to here before, you owe yourselves a trip to give them a try :)
PS. They are more like a Vietnamese, Chinese & Thai restaurant rather than Korean, Vietnamese as
claim thou :)

I have been going here for about 20 years I think and it is always the same; consistently good food no matter what I order. I usually get the bowl of cold rice noodles with fresh vegetables and either cha gio or grilled pork on top. Going again tonight and try the take-​out.

Shoot, everyone loves this place, but it didn’t do it for me.
I didn’t mind the lacking décor. Definitely, the place has a friendly, homey vibe. You could tell that many of the patrons were long-​time customers. Based on all the 5-​star reviews, I was expecting greatness.
I’m a vegetarian noodle salad type of girl but could only find a noodle salad topped with an egg roll on the menu. I gave it a whirl because I crave the fresh, crisp, healthy yumminess but this was soggy yuck with fried stuff on top.
The name of the restaurant alone could be a punchline to a joke:
We ate Vietnamese food last night.
Oh? Where?
Vietnamese Restaurant.
Right, got that, but where?
No, that’s the name of the restaurant.
What is?
Vietnamese Restaurant.

This restaurant has been a family staple of ours for as long as I can remember. They consistently produce delicious Vietnamese food with fresh, flavorful ingredients and friendly service. The prices are fair and the portions are generous as well!
We’ve ordered almost everything on the menu over the years and have never been disappointed. We especially love the Bun Bo, a spicy soup with with a unique, addicting flavor and a mixture of textures ranging from melt-​in-​your-​mouth beef to crisp bean sprouts. It’s definitely worth your while if you’re in the market to add a new experience to your dining repertoire.
Bottom Line: The best Vietnamese dining experience you can find in the Treasure Valley.

I’m not sure how they came up with the name but this restaurant is probably the best Vietnamese restaurant in Boise. Saigon Grill deserves honorable mention but the food doesn’t quite measure up.
The interior is super lame. The chairs appear to be purchased from a «going out of business» bingo hall.
The only reason you go to Vietnamese Restaurant is for the food. I’ve never had a bad dish at this place. If you’re a fan of Phở soup or cha gio or bahn xeo this is your place. This is the best Boise Vietnamese restaurant I’ve tried. Plus the name is easy to remember.

I came from San Diego and when I moved to Boise, I first thought that there wasn’t any resturant that I would feel comfortable eating at. Vietnamese food was one of my selections. I live near Allumbaugh and we decided to drive around Franklin Road and we saw «Vietnamese Restaurant». I had to try this place because it reminded us of home. I looked at the menu and thought «man, this phở here is really expensive!» (Compared to a $ 4.75 bowl in San Diego) The soup is made for TWO! (It says on their menu).When I finally got our order the bowl of soup was HUGE! I ordered the Char-​Broiled Porkchops & Rice, so there was plenty of left overs.
The Phở that my friend selected was just like eating Phở back in Ca. YUMMY! The service was very friendly — We looked around to see what the other customers ordered and they seemed pleased. We go here often when were feeling a little home sick: p Great place!

The Cha Gio here is too amazing for words. Order some Cha Gio, put some chili paste in the fish sauce, order a little «Pesi Soda» to wash it down and you will immidiately have 10 orgasms. Honestly too good for words. My favorite dish I’ve ever had at a restaurant– period.