Restaurant? In a sense. It’s not the best word I’d use to describe the atmosphere at Simply Pho You on Vermont (just off Wilshire Center–Fit things it’s a hilarious name) in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Tucked in a strip mall on a crowded corner that gets loads of foot traffic, there isn’t any space for outdoor seating. While the inside also lacks square footage, management has loaded family-style tables with plenty of seating. No over the-top-decorations, no attractive hostess at an over-sized station, no wasted space. They just want to serve you food, and I love it. Efficiency bursts out of the kitchen with one of the hardest working wait staffs I have ever seen. The food is well worth the small price you have to pay. Restaurant? Again, not quite. I’d imagine this is what a Vietnamese block party feels like and I have few complaints.
Atmosphere: So what if it’s not Tao in New York. I can’t hold anything against what they’re trying to accomplish. They focus on feeding people efficiently, not decorating. They could do without the one television that stands out like a sore thumb, but I’m not an interior designer. It’s busy but not loud, small but not tight.
Service: My water was never empty. We were in and out within thirty minutes. Sure, they weren’t the most engaging, but they were professional. I wouldn’t necessarily want my spring rolls with my main course but it didn’t impact the taste of the food (and I eat fast) so that’s just a small deduction. Nevertheless, I will say this once…
I have NEVER seen a staff in a food service facility work so hard in my entire life. Every single person. As you can see from the picture below, our waitress walked by us so fast to serve someone else that she created a wind which blew over our receipt.
Food: It tastes healthy. It tastes fresh. It tastes like you should eat it when you’re sick. The flavor profiles were not outstanding. There wasn’t a large range of any acidity, saltiness, sweetness, etc that really stood out. Still, it all was enjoyable on the palate, went down smooth, made us feel good and most important, was an incredible value. Again, I couldn’t really ask for more at that price.
Simply put, we will be going back often. I wish we discovered this home away from home sooner. You walk in, get served, eat a healthy meal, pay a nominal fee, and walk out the door. All within thirty minutes (even with a FULL house) if that suits your needs. This definitely gets one big Hungry & Fit dumbbell and chopstick!
Looks great. Pho is one of my personal favorites. I can also recommend Pho Hoa on Castro Street in Mountain View, CA. Small, no frills place, but excellent food.
As for the name – it reminds me of a Tonight Show “Headlines” bit where Jay showed a photo of the “Pho King Way” restaurant. You can guess where it went from there.
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