Pho 66

Two friends and I stopped by for lunch on a Saturday at noon, and it was not that busy and generally doesn’t seem too busy. It’s a nice, clean area and had fairly good service. We split two of their «summer» rolls, which were decent, while I also had the Thai iced tea, which is not your standard fare and is much more tea-​like than normal Thai iced teas. It’s definitely much less sweet, but I prefer the standard drink. For my entrée, I had the bun bo hue, which was decent as well. Also, it’s not very cheap for Vietnamese food but is not too bad for a meal in Midtown. It’s not a bad option for a sit-​down place in the area, but it’s not a place I’d rush back to.

A tough review… if you’ve had Vietnamese before, this may seem a bit bland or Americanized. That being said, I still had a good meal. Summer rolls were fresh and the pork belly wraps were delicious… nicely barbecued and tasty. The Phở Deluxe was a bit blah, but it had a beefy stock and the pieces of beef were numerous and quite flavorful. Sticky rice for dessert lacked sweetness but ginger-​lemongrass panna cotta was rich and creamy. Overall a good meal, but I like my Vietnamese more spicy and more –uh– Vietnamese! No sandwiches– also a negative! Excellent service a plus.

What the fuck is wrong with the other reviewers?
I came here for lunch on a Tuesday and the place was pretty full. The lunch special is super great — $ 9 for a little chicken phở and a roll. There is SO much food. The phở is delicious. I really loved that it was 2 different kinds of chicken (roasted and poached). I wish I had more veggies to toss into it but I loved having the basil and cilantro. Not every place will give you everything in NYC, but I was super pleased here. The broth is delicious — not too overpowering so you control the flavor with what you add yourself.
Highly recommend the watermelon with chili.
I’ve had my way around midtown’s ramen and noodle bars and I think this is definitely one of the better ones. I don’t even understand why no one else feels the SAME EXACT WAY.
Perfect for a casual business lunch. Heard the waits can be rough at night so if you’re down to wait, go ahead. Otherwise, trek on over for a perfect lunch.

Like my tip said: Believe the reviews!
My word! What horrible Phở they have!
While I do trust my fellow Unilocalers, I don’t always agree with every overall rating of an establishment. I have my personal faves that others may not like and I have places I dislike that have great reviews. All good. That’s why I always want to see for myself. In this case, I am right there with the others. This place has horrible Phở!
They are clean and the staff is amazingly friendly; however…
* Broth was dull, bland, and on the sweet side.
* Brisket was in shreds without any shape or flavor (no fat either).
* No sauces on the table. No sauce caddy with my order. I had to ask for Sriracha twice. Each time it was brought out to me in a dipping dish. That’s just not enough for a bitch like me!
* RIDICULOUSLY overpriced for a bowl of Phở! I get it. It’s Hell’s Kitchen and not Chinatown or Flushing, but if the Thai food joints in the area can maintain mainstream prices on their dishes, why can’t this Vietnamese joint do the same?

Terrible! Some of the most unauthentic phở I’ve ever had. Just yuck.
I have no idea what kind of noodles were in my soup, but they resembled spaghetti. Flavors were allllll wrong and couldn’t be salvaged no matter no much sirracha and lemon I added.
Such a disappointment because I was so excited to have a phở place opening literally around the corner from my place. I will be sticking to Cha pa’s a few blocks north.
Don’t do this to yourself people… it’s no good

Don’t listen to the other reviews. I really liked this place. When I walked through the doors I was greeted by the friendly staff and taken to a table. First of all the service was very good. There was always a waiter whenever you needed one. For my entrée I ordered the bo bon hue and sticky rice and bolk choy on the side. The food came out rather quickly (it could’ve been premade), but was still warm. The phở seemed like average phở to me and nothing else. The sticky rice and the bok choy also seemed pretty average as well.
Overall the food was about average (about 3 stars). However, I added an additional star for the great service and hospitality.

OMG! What a horrible taste/​price bowl of Phở!!! Soup taste like chinese beef stew, but no favors. over cooked thin slide beef and who knows what make they decide to add some shredded beef in there. Also, Vegetable dish is super salty… eww
So i just Keep drinking my beer to wash out all the salty taste in my mouth + calm myself down. Check come out $ 60.
P. s. I should have read Unilocal review before going in.

Echoing other thoughts on this place. I had the Bun Bo Hue and summer roll so this review is focused on these items.
Bun Bo Hue typically is a spicy, potentially tomato-​red, lemongrassy broth with spaghetti-​like noodles. Done traditionally, it will have congealed blood cubes with some nice pieces of meat.
What I got was chewy, congealed noodles (either over or under), not enough beef shreds to «be traditional», oily and not spicy enough broth.
The prices have to come down between 3 and 5 dollars to be considered anything close to a fair value.
The summer rolls were fine. Mint was nice. The sauces were a peanuty version (not the darker kind with hoisin) that was vaguely seitan-​like, and then a vinegary version (with little to no fish sauce).
Not sure if I should have tried the Phở, but then again not sure if I will.
I dined alone, and not sure I would bring friends or a group here.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the service though! Very pleasant.
I’m afraid this place might not be able to stick around unless they go towards more legitimate interpretations of real Phở.

Summary: Westernized, but spot on. Nice atmosphere. Good for groups.
The décor: The décor is typical Hell’s Kitchen gentrified with tables that have montages of images and articles from Vietnam. It’s quiet in here and you can have a good conversation.
The service: I found service to be quite attentive and helpful. They staff appeared to work as a team and were quite friendly.
The food: So here’s the issue. If you’re expecting a typical Asian bowl of Phở, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. This is fusion Phở, catering toward non-​Asians and Asians who can suspend reality enough to think about something called Phở that isn’t phở. I can definitely see that a lot of the angry folks here had probs in this regard. Possibly a bigger problem is the name of the place, though changing it at this point might confuse the Unilocal system of reviews. Phở 66 sounds too much like all the dive-​y Phở places you find downtown.
It’s gentrified non-​Asian phở and in this regard it gets high marks. I got the Phở Deluxe and split it with a friend. It was large enough to do this. The soup was heavily meaty. I know one person suggested it was bland. That is going to happen due to lack of salt. For me it was perfectly salted, but for others they might have a problem. For those that have a problem, though, this is how you fix that. Step 1, get the waiter’s attention. Step 2, ask for salt. Step 3, salt to taste. Step 4, enjoy your bowl of noodles.
Now… for the Asian folks, you might be thinking…“How does a bowl of phở ever price to $ 21?” The answer to this question is why I’m giving them the fourth star. Unlike many Phở places that use filler soup base additives, msg, or otherwise, Phở 66 uses lean cut beef. If you look at the broth there is nearly no oil in it and it doesn’t have that tell-​tale glisten indicating msg was used. Given the heartiness of the broth (both taste and texture), you can tell that this soup was made with a proper beef/​oxtail stock.
I was surprised that someone mentioned they were not using Phở noodles. Mine did have Phở noodles and came with the typical accouterments. I did have to ask for Sirachi, but it came rather quickly. As for the meat, I think they did something quite unique. The meatballs were real meatballs, not the weird Asian ones. The beef was a fat-​less flank. There was also steak (Skirt steak?) that was lightly terriaki and quite delicious.
The other dish we tried was the grilled chicken. I found it a bit bland for Asian tastes, but likely perfectly cooked and executed for non-​Asian tastes.
Overall a worthy bowl of noodles and a nice addition to the neighborhood.

Nice staff, food vibe and fresh food with several vegetarian options. If only the dishes had more flavor.
I ordered the tofu summer rolls, which were very fresh tasting but the dipping sauces they came with lacked depth. The peanut sauce tasted especially bland.
The small vegetarian phở verte was a good sized serving of fresh vegetables and noodles. But again, the broth had no depth and lacked salt big time. And why not add tofu as a protein? The lemonade was a great finish.
Overall an ok place for vegetarian options. But be prepared to ask for tofu, salt and other seasonings to make up for what the kitchen won’t do itself.

I read about this place in NY Mag and was pretty excited to try their vegetarian phở soup. The soup arrived piping hot and full of fresh, green veggies, which was great, but it was very much lacking protein. Who wants a hot bowl of water and greens? When the server asked me how I liked the soup, I explained to her that the flavor was good but it was really lacking protein and I was surprised that it didn’t have tofu. She said that she thinks the cooks may be able to make it with tofu so I could get that the next time. Hmmm… I wonder why she didn’t offer to bring me some on this visit.
A few minutes later another server (I think he was my «official» server) came by and asked how the food was. I also explained to him that I felt it was lacking protein and I was worried that I’d be hungry again in a couple hours (which I was!). He said he understood and said the cooks could make the dish with tofu but then he didn’t offer to bring any tofu.
A few minutes later another guy (not sure who he was) came and asked me how my soup was. Same story. He suggested I order some tofu next time I come in. Well, there won’t be a next time because I can’t understand why 3 separate people would hear my complaint about the soup but not do anything about it. Also, while the service was friendly, one of the servers seemed absolutely over the top trying to agree with me and be friendly and nice so it came off really fake. I won’t be dining here again.

Firecracker chicken with sticky rice is great, my friend and I both enjoyed it. Thai beef salad was devoured and so was shrimp pad Thai. Bottle of wine among four of us was excellent, and there’s pretty good selection for the price. All in all I can’t complain, Phở 66 really hit the spot. Good food and fast, courteous service.

Got back from a month long trip to Asia and after a weeks, I was ready for some good Phở.
We started with the lettuce wraps and shrimp summer rolls. Everything was very fresh and the peanut sauce was to die for… even asked for some more, it was lighter in color and taste then traditional peanut sauces.
From the Small Tastes section of the menu, we had the watermelon with ginger chile, very light and great on the pallet for in between courses.
Also tried the Vietnamese pickles which were great.
I had the Phở Ga which they happily made with white meat for me. Others had the Phở deluxe with 5 styles of beef and Bun Bo Hue (beef shank and pork shoulder), My Phở was different than traditional Phở Ga; the soup is brown and has a hint of cinnamon. As they say it was …“mmm. Mmm, good“
Friendly staff and great service, when we got there they were full, but they got us wine and cocktails while we waited. David, our waiter explained all the dishes. Liked the open kitchen right as you walk in. The owner was in the kitchen and a hands on entrepreneur .
Check this great new addition to the neighborhood .
It is «Phở-​tastic»

Not good and overpriced.
On a cold and snowy night, my friend thought a nice, hot, and hearty bowl of phở would really hit the spot. This didn’t do it.
Food: I got the chicken phở. Tasted like soy sauce water. Boiled slices of chicken breast was really dry. Didn’t taste much chicken. No hoisin sauce or other sauces.
My friend got the beef phở. Also tasted like soy sauce water. This was $ 15, the most I’ve ever spent on phở, and the worst I’ve ever had.
The special bowl of beef phở was $ 21. Way too much for phở, and it’s missing the parts I like: the tendons, tripe, etc.
Atmosphere: they have an Indian/​Buddhist décor. Kind of a disconnect with Vietnamese phở. The bathroom was clean. The employees wear tshirts that say «Spicy food for hot people.» Phở isn’t exactly always/​usually spicy though.
Service: they were friendly. The place wasn’t busy so they came by frequently.

If there was a half star, they wouldn’t get it. Maybe a ¼ star due to the fact that they graciously took back the food I didn’t like. The funny thing is, when I brought my issues to the attention of my waiter/​waitress and compared it to another restaurant in the neighborhood (which i didn’t know the name of), they knew just the one I was talking about and quietly agreed.
This place, with all the anticipation, let me down. Not only was it overpriced but the staff seemed like they only had one day of training. So, if anyone ever decides to go there after reading this, just keep in mind that the noodles are al dente. I’ve never had al dente phở. So that turned me waaay off (¼ star off).
I hope you enjoy your experience because I sure as hell didn’t.
Oh! and their Vietnamese coffee was full of coffee grinds.

I was very excited to try this new Phở spot in HK.
What a disappointment. I LOVE phở. The service is great! The interior decorations are… Weird? And the phở was terrible. I can’t speak for anything else on the menu but the phở. It was oily, with weird shredded beef… They say «same same but not the same» which is definitely a way to describe the phở, unfortunately it’s just not good.

I love Phở… so I was excited to hear about this place opening in the area. Since Chapas is sub-​par I was hoping and praying this place would be better. I need my phở when I’m hungover.
We went on opening night so I will ignore the service issues (an hour and a half to get phở??) First the soup — it tastes like beef broth out of a box without salt added. I love phở but know nothing about what goes in it besides beef, star anise and salt. This soup did not have ingredients #2 or 3. The noodles — mushy flat noodles that fell apart before it got to my mouth. I saw people holding the bowl to their face to eat (pretty sure it wasn’t cuz it was so tasty). Ugh… I’m getting depressed just thinking about this meal. Let me stop. I could go on forever…
Final verdict, worst phở I’ve ever had. Please just get your lazy ass to Chinatown and eat phở there. Even Pho32 is better than this. At least you leave satisfied and not angry.
PS — for what it’s worth I heard a blond chick next to us say — mmm this is delicious! –_–

By far, the worst phở ever. It tastes nothing like it should at a high price and sub-​par service (good thing is they give a good portion of meat, more-​so than noodles). Check out the image. Yellow raw bean sprouts? Ew. How old were they?
Did not know it was opening night, we were just walking by and wanted some phở. But an opening night with half the menu gone and no special deals? Wow. Do you know how many people walked in and left?
It was also cold in there. Would’ve kept my jacket on if it wasn’t so bulky (many did). At least the restrooms are clean. Space is super tight!
Def would never ever ever come here again. Never had such a disappointment eating somewhere…

I was SO excited to see that a Phở place was opening close to my apt so I came on opening night. I really wanted to love this place and I was starving so I would have been happy with anything somewhat decent but it wasn’t even close to decent.
Deluxe Phở (w meat cooked 5 ways) — I cannot believe this was $ 21. There were so many things wrong w it. First of all, the noodles are not Vietnamese phở noodles, they are Chinese noodles and mushy. The broth had no flavor, not even salt, but it did have a strong strange bitterness to it. The grilled meat was super rubbery, the braised meat didn’t taste like anything, the raw meat wasn’t memorable. The meatballs was the only halfway edible part. Overall, it was just so terrible and I had to stop eating it. It’s unfortunate if this place is someone’s first experience w phở because afterwards I wouldn’t be surprised if they are never open to trying phở anywhere again.
Shrimp summer roll — the taste was ok and I loved the fact that there was mango in it but about 80% of the whole roll were vermicelli noodles, which is kind of lame when you’re paying $ 8 for two rolls.
Regardless of the price, this place is just terrible. I walked away highly disappointing and slightly nauseous.

Phở fail? Not quite? But Phở-​tastic? Not really either.
So I stayed true to my word and got here on opening night. Again, we were happy to see that there was a new option in HK — so we made a point of coming here. You can see from the copious amount of photos that I added that it was pretty full and the food on the surface looked pretty decent. But take it all with a grain of salt.
Since it was opening night, we expected some hiccups. We were seated fairly fast, but honestly the hostess at the front seemed a bit distracted. My impression was multi-​tasking was not a forte. But we were seated once we got her attention.
The service here was fairly uneven all night. Again, it’s opening night, so I’m not going to bomb them with a 1-​star review. It’s like starting a new TV show — the team wont’ be operating in sync until they get used to the system. Nonetheless, we did face a hiccup or two that was annoying. The waiter (who was friendly) took our order, but for some reason our ticket wasn’t picked up or printed. That led to a decent wait for a bowl of bun bo hue, phở bo and summer rolls. Luckily they were able to notice before we had to get someone’s attention.
At first I wasn’t too excited when I saw them pull our summer rolls from a fridge and see someone just cut it in half and serve it to us. But fortunately the taste of the summer roll was decent. Maybe it would have been better if it was freshly made (for instance — even in a tiny hole in the wall like Bahn Mi Zon — they made our incredible summer rolls fresh). For 8 bucks a pop, you’d at least expect something fresh, but oh well. At least it didn’t taste bad. The ingredients were decent.
As for the noodles — I was disappointed. If you had real authentic bun bo hue, you’ll notice that the signature part of the noodle is the broth. It’s all about a rich, savory feel with a decent kick to it. From my experience, a solid BBH resembles an excellent Chinese-​style beef noodle. The beef is important — but in the end it’s all about the richness of the broth. Here, it lacked that essence. The broth was somewhat bland, which was surprising considering how rich it looked to the eye. Check out the photos, and you’ll see what I mean. But the taste was extremely underwhelming — to say the least. I was also pretty hungry — so I went for the $ 16 dollar large option. The bowl was huge — but just barely half the bowl was full when the food was served to me. To me, they should have given slightly more noodles (and broth) to make the dish worth the price. Just to put it into context — by the time I ate all the noodles and beef/​pork — there was barely any soup left in the bowl (and I didn’t even drink any soup up to that point).
The phở bo was also underwhelming. I was sorely disappointed that the broth featured little or no flavor. Again, this is a signature part of good phở and I was surprised they didn’t deliver on that front as well. The soul of phở is about how the soup blends perfectly with the texture of the rice noodles and melt in your mouth beef that is cooked within that broth. Here they deliver all those aspects on the surface but the end effect of the phở failed to generate any real enthusiasm. Ugly analogy here — there was no party in my mouth in any respect. I had to soak in some serious siriracha sauce in the broth just to give it some kind of flavor. To me that is sacrilege when it comes to phở etiquette, but it had to be done.
The one redeeming aspect of the meal was that in both cases the beef they used here was very tender and well cooked. They definitely didn’t skimp on the meat, which made the high price of the meal somewhat less annoying. Again — you won’t pay Chinatown prices here in the middle of HK/​Theater District crowds — but at the very least you want to walk out of here feeling relatively full — which could be a challenge if you come here hungry.
As for the crowd — it was opening night so there were clearly a lot of curious folks looking to check this place out. God knows if they walked away happy or not, but at the very least there was a pretty steady stream of traffic. Kudos to the host in the restaurant who played traffic cop and made sure orders were being communicated and delivered. Much of the restaurant staff, while friendly, seemed utterly confused and lost. At times, some folks seemed frazzled and busy, while others seemed to loiter around the joint. Hopefully they will work out the kinks on this front.
So bottom line — Is this better than the authentic Viet food you find in Falls Church, VA? No way.
Is this better than the faux-​phở/​viet stuff that is run by all sorts of Chinese folks in the city? Quality-​wise the ingredients seem better, but taste-​wise I can’t really say they are superior at this early stage. But for starters, at least don’t let people catch you pulling summer rolls out of the fridge!