Pho 27 Cafe

Viet menu — Rice noodle with BBQ pork and spring roll was great.
Hong Kong menu — Baked seafood over spaghetti and baked pork chop over fried rice was ok, but the minestrone soup was fantastic.
Therefore I suspect the Viet menu is better than the Hong Kong menu, in general. However next time I go I think I will try the steak, French fries, broccoli/​tomato.
Service was very good, young lady that served us was very attentive. Utensils and extra napkins in a drawer under your table.
Dining room and leather seats in the booths are comfortable.
Parking is good but air conditioning could be turned up a bit.

3.5 overall stars
Phở 27 Café, located in the Kaimuki Shopping Center, has reopened after a brief stint as the former Vietnamese eatery named Phở 27. After Phở 27 closed, the place turned into a ramen restaurant and again, it closed quickly. Then it was followed by the opening of another restaurant serving Chinese food. I do hope Phở 27 Café can make it because it is such a cute place to eat, talk story and hang out. The entry to the restaurant can be accessed through the same doorway shared with Fairwood Drive Inn & Diner. A quick glance from the cashier’s counter shows Phở 27 Café has about 12 to 13 tables-​booths spread comfortably and evenly in the long I-​shape restaurant.
I entered Phở 27 Café to find its décor and furnishings appeared exactly the same as the prior phở restaurant. Well the menu looks different and upon closer inspection, the new menu revealed a new page incorporating some Hong Kong style fare: i.e. sizzling platter meals and baked spaghetti/​fried rice dishes to include soup and salad. Explains why the caption below the restaurant’s name included Chinese letterings.
Since this is their second month back, Phở 27 Café is offering a 10% re-​opening discount. Cool jellybeans! IDK how long this special is good til though. Also, I’m glad to find the interior didn’t changed much because I was always partial to it when I used to eat there before they closed the restaurant. The entire place is almost completely white and the tall ceiling made the long space looked «opened and airy» but still modern. It’s kinda cool they hang those architectural lantern-​like white ball drops from the black ceiling. Loved the vanilla leather seats at each booth because they’re so comfortable. Lighting is soft and relaxing, making it not too hard to slouch there if one is not careful.
They served decent phở and the broth was pretty good from my past dining experiences there. However, I decided to order the #34 vermicelli noodles with BBQ pork and spring rolls. This bun bowl came out beautifully arranged and it looked really appetizing. Serving size was right on, the julienned veggies (lettuce, cucumbers, carrots and basil) tasted fresh and refreshing. Unfortunately the pork was a tad too salty for me and the spring rolls could have used longer frying time. These were the only 2 sticking points I wasn’t too keen on. Next time, I will probably order the phở to see if it is still the same phở. It’s unclear if Phở 27 Café is the same owner as the previous Phở 27. Under the beverage section, they got a variety smoothies but there was one that stood out: the caramel latte smoothies. Sounded interesting and unusual; perhaps it will complement the phở nicely when I return.