Pho My Lien
98-150 Kaonohi St,Ste B213-B, Aiea, HI, 96701
Pho My Lien Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Aiea for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
98-150 Kaonohi St,Ste B213-B
Aiea, HI, 96701 - Phone (808) 488-4900
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Brian H.
Service was great. Loco Moco was filling and tasty. Mahi Mahi great and the Omurice good.
(4)Bernard S.
Fast service and good food!!
(4)Harmony L.
I got the Pho with Mixed Vegetables and WOW the broth had such great flavors!! I thought it may not taste as good because it was only vegetables, but they definitely proved me wrong. Delicous! The reason they lost 1 star was because the service was suppper slow. They didn't tend to us at all; we kept having to seek them out whether it was to order or to get the check that it got a little frustrating. But other than that, the pho was delicious.
(4)Val D.
After reading the reviews, mine is a bit different. Maybe I have a different taste, but I think my standards are pretty high when it comes to taste: Large pho with 5 different meats - 4 stars - For $9.25, we ordered a large pho with all 5 different meats, and it had a lot of meat, tripe, tendon and beef balls in it. The broth had flavor and they gave the usual amount of vegetables in it, but it was lukewarm. Boiled shrimp summer roll - 3 stars - for $5.75, the summer roll was mostly made up of veggies and a shrimp inside. I didn't care for it as much because it was mostly lettuce and had a bitter taste to it. The peanut sauce blended well with the summer roll. Rice Vermicelli with two choices - 4 stars - For $11.50, we chose the bbq shrimp and crispy spring roll. Says bbq, but the shrimp was spicy, and the spring roll was the usual. After reading one post about the waiter being creepy, I agree, one of the waiters that took our order does look creepy, and didn't seem to understand or speak english, but he minded his own business. The lady was nice and thanked us for ordering from them. Overall, I liked the pho here, the parking is sometimes stiff because of Makino Chaya and other restaurants, but we could find one.
(4)J S.
Pho! Like traditional ramen it starts with and ends with by the broth! The broth here taste like beef base mixed with the unsifted broth of beef bones and cheap meat. The steak was cut in slivers and chunky. Raw steak should be served chilled and sliced thin right before serving. Maybe last year 201they would have been Hawaii's best. But not this year! Please improve pho my lien!
(2)Misty P.
I'm on my quest to find the best pho on the island, and also in my area. Sad to say, but this isn't it. The parking can be crowded during peak lunch hour. The soup was kind of watery with no big beef flavor. The noodles were cooked perfect. The thing that impressed me was the veggies were very fresh. Probably the nicest looking basil I've seen. I got the rare steak, tripe and meatballs. The meat portions were decent. The other thing that sucks is the service. I came in at 1255. I got a menu at 105pm then the waiter took my order five minutes later. The food came out fast once he did take my order. The guy kept slamming and throwing things on my table such as the menu, utensils and slammed my iced coffee down. What a grouch. Weird thing is after you pay, he smiles and says thank you. I wouldn't bother to go out of my way to eat here again. Maybe I'm spoiled since I had real pho in Vietnam. It's just mediocre.
(3)Nick E.
Our go-to pho place. Not nearly as crowded as Cuu Long, and the soup base is not as watered down. The tofu pho is particularly flavorful for tofu pho. Prices are quite reasonable. Get the salty lemonade for a nice treat. Parking can be a little bit of a hassle.
(4)Bill M.
Very good pho. Deep and savory taste, almost buttery. Service was accommodating, bringing an extra sauce I requested with the summer rolls. Prices are decent and food was pretty quick. All around a good spot to stop by.
(4)Junior M.
Absolutely love this place.never seems to fail me.me and my girlfriend always choose this spot when we are craving for pho. The workers are always nice and friendly no matter if busy or slow.Anyone who hasn't tried pho or had a bad experience before I would totally recommend this place good atmosphere great food and best workers.
(5)Sweetie P.
My bf & I eat out frequently & like to try different places but I rarely write reviews unless something really rocks my world or disappoints me to tears. I'm not into pho. I am into vermicelli noodles with spring rolls and bbq pork. When I lived in town a friend took me to the place in the Chinese Cultural Center and said it was the best. Whenever I could, I'd go to Balle in the Kam SC b/c they have real chicken thigh in their bbq chicken sandwich and my staple vermicelii w/...was good. The nearest place to where I lived was Pho 777 which had an even better french roll than Balle and my staple was good too. Now I live in Aiea so... Last night, I ordered take out from this place because it being Father's day, the parking lot was packed. I was blown away by THE FLAVOR of EVERYTHING...the sauce for the vermicelli, the spring rolls, the bbq pork & the pork in the won tons that I had for appetizer. The bbq pork was nice cuts of lean pork and the portions of noodles and pork were verrrrry generous. The texture of the noodles were the best I've ever had, not too soft, too hard, or sticky but perfection! Also, even though it was wrapped up in take out, the spring rolls were still nice and crispy by the time I finally got home and ate. The lettuce and cucumbers were crispy and like everything else fresh and delicious. The food was so beautiful, I wanted to take a pic but could not stop eating. My bf thought it was a little pricey b/c for my plate, his shrimp fried rice and the won tons (12), the total was about $32 BUT IDC. I would rather pay the price for absolutely GREAT FOOD that I loooooove, than pay a mediocre price for mediocre food. It was worth every penny...of my bf's money. TY sweetheart ;) & to the gifted and talented chef of this place for that wonderful dinner.
(5)Luis R.
Pho is about the broth. If you have good broth you have good pho. This location does not have the best broth I have tasted. It is the nearest Pho restaurant to my job so a colleague and I decided to stop by. Service is slow here and the place wasn't even packed. The spring rolls came out warm; more on the cold side. I could swear they were cooked a while ago and had been left sitting there hoping for somebody to order them. That sucker was me. They lacked flavor and were a bit chewy. We ordered Rare beef pho. It was O.K. Came out with all the fixings. Overall this place needs a makeover of both the decor and the taste but the pho is not horrible and due to the fact that it is nearby and I can swing by for lunch I am willing to lower my standards for the convenience.
(3)Kat V.
I ordered pho bowl and pork bbq with egg rolls plate. Then we still hungry. So we asked if we can ordered a side of 2 egg rolls and a cup of rice bowl. Guess what they said No. What the wrong? ! If you don't believe me, try to order the same thing? Order a side of 2 egg rolls and a cup of rice. Omg lmao, they don't know how to take order off the menu
(1)Grace L.
Still on that search to find a good Pho replacement while Pho Tri is doing renovations... It was raining so instead of getting Wendys before a movie like we planned, my bf and I decided to get something warmer. Of course, most of the pho places were closed already so we stopped into Pho My Lien, which is open till 10. The restaurant was completely empty at 9:30 PM but they said they could still serve us. I ordered steak and tendon (my usual) and my boyfriend got steak and brisket. Since I'm not exactly a pho connoisseur, I'm not entirely sure how different each restaurant is from another. The broth was decent and characteristic of pho, exactly what I was expecting. They gave enough basil and bean sprouts for the two of us. The tables were clean and the man was prompt in giving us water and our menus. I wouldn't say they were super friendly or outgoing but it was no problem. We weren't sitting around to lounge or talk story and we just wanted to grab a quick bite before a movie so I wasn't complaining. I'm still on the search for the perfect tendon consistency, something most similar to pho tri. I'm failing miserably. Although the consistency of the tendon here is chewy, it had kind of weird smell/lingering taste to it. Almost as if it needed to be cleaned more or soaked in something? The restaurant isn't super fancy but it was clean enough. The one stall co-ed bathroom was well maintained and clean as well. I wouldn't come here expecting a 5 star meal and experience but if you're looking for a late night pho place I think it satisfies.
(3)Ryan L.
The reviews really boast the appeal of this place. When I got in service was friendly and the staff seemed welcoming. I ordered the coconut drink and my wife orders the salty lemon drink and spring rolls to start off. We wait about 15 minutes to get our spring rolls (no drink). The spring rolls were fresh that's about it. The inside was filled with 80% noodles, don't waste your time ordering it. We had to ask for extra plates and our drinks again since our waiter apparently forgot. Shortly after we get our plates and no drinks. Our waiter was about to refill our water and got distracted when I inquired about the drinks. Overseeing the other customer they had their orders wrong, someone ordered vegetarian pho and got all meat. Some customers have been waiting outside the entire time we were dining and someone walks in with a party of two and just sat down. Pho was okay, not the best. Save your money and time and go somewhere else. The crew was friendly that's about it.
(1)Roxy W.
Location: They are located next to Makino Chaya on the top floor of Westridge Shopping Center. Parking is limited on the top floor and the parking spaces are small. Food: We ordered the spring roll, summer roll, papaya salad, large pho and a rice plate with pork chop and chicken. The food was okay. The summer roll was fresh and the spring roll was piping hot. The large pho had a lot of noodles and meat and it fed 3 adults and a child. Service: The service was okay. They didn't give us enough plates and bowls. Our utensils and napkins were placed in the middle of the table with the plates and bowls. Our water was periodically refilled. The workers didn't seem as friendly. They did the job with a stern face. Price: The price is average when you compare it to other Vietnamese restaurant. The large pho is $8.50 and is a great price for the serving size. Three adults and a child cost less than $50 including tip. Overall, I would most likely be back in the future.
(3)Azadeh K.
If you know me, I'm pretty open minded on trying new places even if I'm stuck on where I feel has the best pho. It's Father's Day, so my wife & I decided (well more like she decided) where she wanted to have lunch before we met up with her parents to celebrate Fathers Day with them. So we decided to eat here since my wife irritably was craving pho (even if we ate it a couple days ago!) located near Pearlridge and next door to Makino's we were lucky enough to get a parking lot right in front of this restaurant. We entered & there was only 1 other family waiting on they're food & no worker to be found. We decided to just sit and wait to be served...after 10 min our server comes out and hands us a menu to look at and water (she was extremely sweet btw, and asked us if we were ready to order). My wife & I do our usual for appetizer, an order of summer rolls (for me) and an order of spring rolls (for my wife) I could not decide yet on my entree (b/c I am such an indecisive person) ou server informed us that she would get our appetizers out and take our main entree order then, which I gladly agreed, knowing it would give me more time to stare blankly at the menu (haha). Our appetizers arrived shortly after several minutes and I noticed right away that the peanut sauce was at the right consistency (and it tasted delicious as well), so I figured the summer rolls will be tasty as well, unfortunately it was not my favorite at all. I ended up getting pieces of the wrapper where it seemed to have gone stale to the point where it felt as if I was gnawing on plastic! It was horrible! I ended up spitting the last bite of summer roll in my napkin (yes I kept on eating b/c I was starving! ugh). By now, I am pretty irritable and want out, but I thought I would give this place another try and order they're pho as my main entree. My wife decided to get a large rare steak pho, and I decided to get the same. Okay, here is reason why I gave this place another 2 stars, they're pho was really good! I mean, maybe too much noodles for my taste, but they had enough meat in there to satisfy anyone. The broth was pretty good as well, I usually put that red paste sauce (but theirs was tooo spicy for my liking so I only put in a little) and even with a little spice flavor the broth was really good in my opinion, just wish the summer rolls did not turn me off /= but at some places things happen. They refilled water constantly which was a plus, and made sure that whatever we needed such as napkins or a fork was attended to right away. Oh! & my wife informed me that they're spring rolls were the best she had so far, so that's a plus! would definitely come back to eat they rare steak pho again, probably not the summer rolls though, sorry...but not so sorry. But overall it was a-okay to my liking (= Happy pho eating Yelpers!
(3)Tif-funny T.
Meh, it's alright. I only ate here again cause the other half was craving crispy spring rolls and pho 5-0 was closed. The spring rolls didn't come with as much vegetables as I was expecting and some of the vegetables were already browning.
(2)Craig S.
Went in because of a picture in the Sunday "Dining Out" section. Really wanted the vegetables. But see picture to see what we got. Very disappointed. But it did taste good. Wonton portions were generous. $9.00.
(3)Noreen O.
Hubby and I tried this place after searching on yelp while in the area, driving around looking for a good place for a nice hot bowl of pho. There were quite a few people in there, which I took as a positive sign since there are so many places to eat at Westridge. We got the half order of spring rolls. Two fairly small rolls, but they were crispy and tasty so no complaints from me regarding the size. I got the regular pho with beef brisket. The broth was really flavorful with lots of green onions and Chinese parsley. The size of the bowl is deceiving because it looks small, but it had lots of noodles and turned out to be a lot for $8. And the brisket? Loved it! Hubby had the regular with tendon, meatballs and tripe. His favorite was the meatball. And for a big guy, even he got full with the regular portion. As for service, they were fast, efficient, and friendly. We will definitely return to try some of their other dishes.
(4)Derrick S.
Staff is very friendly! Which is the one of the most important factors of any restaurant - food can be amazing, but bad service and unfriendly atmosphere sets everything off the wrong foot. The owners of the place are genuinely nice every time I come! Huge plus! Welcoming large open space unlike many of the pho places which are small and have that musty feeling. Great location and interior! Their pho is really good! Maybe my favorite place to go to in the Aiea/PearlCity area. Huge Fan!
(5)Lyla D.
We had another "family night" with our nieces and nephew...this time, we weren't caught off-guard with additional guests. We ended up eating around 7:30PM because we waited for our nephew to finish work. Also, he suggested this place because it's closer to his workplace. Pho My Lien is family-owned and you can somehow "feel" the family closeness and pride in the business. The restaurant is clean, has plenty of seating and has a bar. In the dining area, there are two double door refrigerators; one is full of non-alcoholic beverages and the other has raw food products. Maybe they didn't have enough kitchen space, but, I think it was detracted from my dining experience. Service is sort of slow, but maybe it was because I was hungry and feeling impatient. But, otherwise, the service was friendly, attentive and efficient. Let's talk about the food...well, this review is ONLY for their #11 Pho, large-size with 5 of the listed meats (meatballs, beef tripe, tendon, brisket and paper-thin slices of steak). I admit it...we weren't very adventurous, just hungry so we all ordered the same thing. For $8.50, this large bowl of pho was HUGE and steaming hot with a good sized portion of perfectly cooked rice noodles that seemed like it provided endless slurping. All of the meat (no raw meat served on the side) was in the bowl of flavorful meat/fish sauce broth. In my thoughts, I compared the flavor of the broth to my "gold standard" Hale Vietnam...it's close, but, seemed more watered-down. However, the flavor STILL hit the spot for us since we were craving pho. The veggie condiments were washed, fresh and chilled. All of the chilie sauces (Sriacha, peppers in oil and chile oil) on all tables were filled and refilled promptly. As other diners came and left, service remained attentive even while the waiter cleared and cleaned the tables. We plan to return to savor more from this neighborhood restaurant, with or with our nieces and nephew!
(4)Lisa H.
Roomie and I are regulars here. So much so that the lady remembers our orders and even knew who we were over the phone once just by what we were asking for! She is so sweet. Even the guy, who a lot of people characterize as "rude" or cold, remembers our names and says hi whenever we visit. (Just give him the benefit of the doubt, guys!) Summer rolls are delicious and tightly wrapped (loose ones are a huge pet peeve of mine!) Pho is also super reasonably priced and very tasty to boot. Always comes with an abundance of herbs. Have not been disappointed yet! Honestly, we frequent this place so much that we have a hard time patronizing any other pho establishment. Definitely worth a try; just keep in mind it's a really basic pho place, so don't expect anything fancy!
(5)Maureen P.
We ordered spring rolls, rice noodles with BBQ shrimp & Thai tea. The spring rolls are fresh, served with a small amount of rice noodles, mint, & dipping sauce. The rice noodles & shrimp were good. The sauce was spicy. However, the shrimp should have been cooked about a minute less. It also had bean sprouts, daikon salad with carrots, lettuce & peanuts. Also, comes with a sweet fish sauce. The Thai tea was canned, but served with a glass of ice. Still tasty, regardless. Waitress was kind & helpful. Food is cooked fresh. Prices are mid-range. Next time we visit, we'll try the curry.
(4)Candy C.
I have ordered take out from them several times, no mess ups in the order. Your order will be ready in 10 min, only issue is finding parking.
(4)Ashley N.
I've been to a few Pho establishments, and this one was subpar. The restaurant is not very private or intimate, in fact I did not like the interior all too much. This isn't a place I would bring someone for a first date or a romantic evening, but for a pho-run, this place isn't too bad. My boyfriend and I weren't greeted, but a man simply held out the menus and pointed at our seats. We already knew what we were going to get, since we both always get the same things. We ordered the rare steak pho, and we were good to go. Their pricing is also very cheap for what you get. Our order came out correct, and we were also served very fast. Both of the bowls we got were pretty good. It was flavorful, and it did it's job. All in all, the restaurant itself is not very appealing, but the pho they serve is pretty good. I wouldn't come here all the time, but once in a while when I'm not exactly sure what I'm in the mood for, and I'm strapped for cash... Perhaps I'll stop by again.
(3)Iris C.
My boyfriend and I loves this joint! The older gentleman doesn't have much to say but always delivers our food in a timely manner. The younger dude is always on it, he remembers our order every time we come in. I've had many bad pho experiences in the past. I've had hair and plastic in one of them , not to mention any names AHEM* (cuu long) Pho my lien always satisfies my pho cravings, the broth always has me coming back at least 3 times a month. Oh yea, I make the trek all the way from the boonies of ewa beach just for some good pho.
(5)Racquel T.
I'm really picky with food places especially pho. I love this pho place the broth is good and they give more meat compare to other pho places in the area. I also like this place because it's not as crowded (well every time we go) and they close at 10!
(5)Loki N.
This is my favorite place in the entire universe and if I could live here, it would have already happened. First of all, let me just say that I go to many different places to try out pho and so far, nothing compares to this place. I would say I eat pho about once but up to 3 or 4 times a week (yes, I know- I'm crazy). There are times when I'm fully stocked on groceries and I'll still end up at Pho My Lien. To start off, the broth here is amazing. Its rich. It tastes very fresh and... i don't know, meaty? Its delicious. Most times I eat my pho without any flavoring (sirracha, plum sauce, whatever) because its just that good. The price works for me. I pay about $20 (that includes a decent tip) for 2 adults and one baby. A little extra if we go for spring or summer rolls. Atmosphere works for me. I personally find the staff charming. I also notice they have very loyal customers. You don't get fiercely loyal customers for being "just okay." From what I've gathered eating here, there is an older woman with short hair and an older gentleman with a mustache and I think they're like the owners or something. The man doesn't talk very much. When I first started coming here I felt like he could work on his customer service skill a teensy bit lol, but as I started coming here more often, I found that he was completely charming in his own special way! One time, I came without my husband, and he was like, totally freaking out because he thought we were all moving (we're technically a military family, but my husband in the reserves)! So yes, the guy doesn't have much to say, but he does pay attention and he remembers the people who come more than once. The woman is amazing and she loves babies :3. They have two young workers, a boy and a girl. Both of them are very awkward and new, so be easy on them lol. All in all, the pho is prime. The workers have clearly captured my heart. There are many return customers. 5 stars. Oh and there is military discount! :)
(5)Shirelle D.
Im not coming again. The food was ok same with the place. I order summer rolls and I they are not the best too much salad in it. And the vermicelli with chicken, the chicken was dry, there are better places for me to eat Vietnamese food.
(3)Glenn F.
Sometimes it takes forever to get a menu, and sometimes you'll wait awhile for the food to arrive. I ordered the rice chicken plate and it came in minutes. Did they just nuked it in the microwave? It was barely warm when I got it. By that time I was turned off, because in my mind something wasn't right. The tomatoes were green, pale in color and almost tasteless. The low quality type you can get yourself at the market for cheap. It figures why it comes withe the sweetened fish sauce. This place could be a little more consistent. I come here because the family like Pho, but because of the bad experience I'll taking this place off my favorite list.
(3)Jared H.
Some of the best pho in the area. Clean, fast and cheap. The summer and spring rolls are great, but the dipping sauce that is served is a bit of a disappointment.
(4)Bruno D.
This place is everything I enjoy in a family owned restaurant and then some :) Admittedly, I come here once a week, sometimes twice a week. Sometimes less. But they always say hi, the younger gentlemen is very nice and always knows my order. He must see so many others a week, so I'm thoroughly impressed. I always get the pork summer rolls and a large pho with brisket. Always consistent, never different. I've noticed a lack of mint in the rolls lately, which is good because I don't care for it anyways. Thanks! Place is usually full, so it must make others bellies happy too One other thing...random, but the bottles of sriracha are always full. Ever been to to a regular restaurant and the ketchup bottle is empty? No such thing here Keep up the good work all!
(5)Sunny S.
Plus: -bigger place than other pho place -cleaner dining area than other pho place -fast service -delicious soup -not too busy Minus: -small serving of soup -the staff are not that nice -restroom is gross
(3)Keil L.
One of the best phó in honolulu. spring rolls are always served hot and crispy. Not a fan of their rice plates.. Crispy noodles are OK too.. Salted Lemonade is a must try.. The servers/owners are very nice. We eat here 3-4x a month. Restroom needs cleaning :) Have military discount :)
(5)Markham R.
After my first time here 10 years ago, I stopped to try them again. And I am definitely a fan now. The soup was very tasty, much better than that first time. The spring rolls were delicious. Their calamari was a little on the salty side for my taste. Overall a very good experience.
(4)Kolohe A.
It took us 53 mins to get our food. All we had was two bowls of pho and spring rolls. When we got our food the portions were very small. Do not order the French coffee! It's $3.50 for a very tiny cup of folgers with cream and sugar. Not impressed at all with this restaurant. Save your money and go to cu'u long in pearl Kai. Much better quality food with very fast service.
(1)Andrew L.
If you order ANYTHING but pho you will wait, oh yes you will. I resisted putting a review up for months because the food is pretty darn good, however my experiences with the service has ranges from spotty to downright crappy. The first time i ordered egg noodles and wanted the soup on the side, that literally means put the soup in a separate bowl, yes bring 2 bowls to the table, one with the noodles and seafood, and one with the soup in it. This proved so incredibly complicated for the restaurant that i never got my lunch, 35 min later after seeing everyone else be served i walked out. The other day i walked in when it was empty and ordered a stir fry, i left and came back 10 min later, the restaurant had 6 tables full and as i waited another 20 min EVERYONE got their food but me. i complained that how could they [prepare food for an entire restaurant and not complete my take out order. The muttered explanation r was that stir fry is harder to cook than noodles. so my order was pushed to the back of the line, NEVER RETURNING HERE AGAIN, fool me once.... it doesnt matter how good and cheap the food is, poor service will lose you customers, you just lost one, i caution that word of mouth spreads when you make a customer feel unimportant, or simply piss them off, just remember, there are MANY OTHER choices for food places.
(1)John C.
I went here on a Saturday and it was about 30% full. The three of us ordered different phos. I had a chicken noodle bowl and it was pretty good. I've eaten at a lot of pho restaurants but I can't really distinguish differences but I do know that I wasn't extremely thirsty afterwards so there probably wasn't MSG. It felt like healthy pho. Service was good. We received our orders very fast.
(4)Jason M.
pho was ok... pretty basic, but good. we also go the chkn vermacelli... that was good, but my only complaint is the portions are really smalll... maybe im a fatty and like big portions... anyways, not the best pho in town, but most likely going back.
(3)Jefferson B.
Broth is on point..lots of meat and tendon.. Great service always courteous and smiling..thanks tommy
(5)Traci H.
This place is located on the second level of Westridge, so go up the ramp that leads to the back 2nd level of this strip mall. You can usually always find parking here, but if Makino's is busy, then it might be a little tough. As far a food goes, I usually get the spring rolls where ever I go, and the ones here are not bad. I like Hale Vietnam's better. The next thing I ordered was a medium bowl of pho - rare steak only, meat outside. I have to say I like the rare steak they have here, it's quite tender! The soup is good, but I wish that it was more hot. Most pho places that I go to the broth is piping hot, and I like it that way. It was hard to have my rare steak cook towards the end of my meal. Maybe I'll have to get the meat inside next time. Overall, it's a pretty good pho place, nothing special, but a good place to go if you've got cravings near pearlridge. The prices are decent, and parking is usually pretty ample. I'll probably come back again, but not in a hurry. (Belated) YELP REVIEW CHALLENGE #25/31
(3)Maricor C.
This place doesn't have the best broth I've ever had, but it's good. Definitely a fan and will go back to this place when I'm looking for my Pho fix on the west side of the island. PROS: 1) The place is very clean! The AC temp is also on point. When you're eating pho, you definitely DON'T want to be all sweaty (at least I don't like to be). I like to enjoy my pho without having to wipe my forehead so many times...how distracting! I definitely had time to enjoy my pho without wiping my forehead here at Pho My Lien! 2) The broth is clear and not oily. Some places have really oily broth and that is a big turnoff. This place has a very tasty, mellow broth that is soothing and compliments the condiments well. 3) Generous noodle to broth ratio! I actually ordered extra broth since I had a lot of noodles left after sipping on the broth too much! Haha. 4) The broth was just the right temperature when our bowls arrived at our table. I hate it when the broth is just a tad off in temperature. It throws off the whole experience! 5) Price is great! Not too expensive. CONS: 1) Located in Westridge, the parking is a hit or miss. It really depends on what time you go because parking can be a big hassle. 2) I think the bowl could have been a little bigger to incorporate more broth. Nonetheless, i just ordered some extra for a cheap price. Overall, this place is a good place to satisfy any pho craving. Still not at the top of my list, but nonetheless, good!
(4)Clarissa M.
We tried the vermicelli noodles with fried egg rolls and BBQ chicken and broccoli with tofu which includes a side of white rice. No brown rice offered here. Seating here is usually available and rarely a wait. They are quick to serve you and the food is tasty. The sauce in the broccoli with tofu had the right amount of garlic and sweetness. The egg rolls were quite tasty too. Overall this place served as a quick fix to a Vietnamese food craving.
(4)Ed L.
First time coming to Pho My Lien after my experience with Cuu Long in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center. Yes, Cuu Long is good, but they've become so popular, I just had to be a good Yelper and try new places to satisfy my hunger for Pho. I can say that I am pho junkie and it definitely shows. The only problem with Pho would be the price. Along with the summer rolls I normally get, the tab comes out to $15 per session. Not complaining about it, but I just need my Pho one way or another. Located in the Westridge Shopping Center, Pho My Lien was actually upstairs, rather than downstairs than I had originally thought. There was oodles of parking when I got here. Probably because everyone was in Pearlridge and not up here in Westridge. Probably that changes, especially with Makino Chaya almost next door to Pho My Lien. I checked in here on Yelp and saw that this place was averaging 4 stars and I thought I should check this place out. The restaurant itself was very stylish and larger than I had expected, not like most Vietnamese restaurants I normally frequent to. It was very clean and immaculate. There was a few diners when I stepped into this place and I felt like this was the place to get my Pho on. One of the servers greeted me as I stepped in the door and I saw an empty table near the wall, so I took it. Within minutes, I was served with a glass of ice water and a menu. The choice was clear at this point. The ambiance was good. There was music that was streaming from a place in the restaurant I could not pinpoint. Thought that set the mood that helped me devour the Pho that was soon to come. I ordered the large Pho with rare steak, well done flank, and meatballs. I thought of getting extra side of noodles, but maybe I will save that for a different day. I also got an order of the summer rolls. The service was good. Very attentive and they refilled my water 3x, once while I was drinking it and I had to put it down for the server to refill it. Thought that was a bit awkward, but what can you do? I do believe that this is one of the better Pho houses on Oahu, as far as overall experience, but there are more places to be tried and I am just getting started. The Pho itself was good, but not stellar. I had the jalepenos and the lemon wedges to keep it spicy and sweet at the same time, along with the vegetables simmering in the delicious broth. The broth was clear and tasty, but not over powering. Sometimes, I want my Pho to take control of me, just like how my coffee does. I do like to soak my basil leaves in the hot broth for a few minutes, so it becomes soft and eatable, instead of a hard, sharp contrast that it may be to some eaters of Pho. Letting everything soak for a few minutes helps savor the deliciousness of it all and it helps to enhance the entire experience. I would add that the Pho bowls are deep enough to soak the entire basil leaves entirely in the broth, so it can get soft in a few minutes time. While it wasn't the epic wow Pho I am still searching for, it was one of the better Pho I have had recently. Relatively cheap for the money and I will certainly keep this place in mind if I ever need to come back and try to relive the magic of Pho My Lien all over again. And again. Viva Pho! B-
(3)A.G. P.
I've been to 6 or 7 Pho places, mostly downtown. My Lien is pretty good and they don't skimp on the meat portions. They also allow 5 combinations of meat if you want. 1st time eating here but I'm sure I'll go back, mainly because of location. The best I've had so far is Pho Saigon on Kapiolani Blvd. Try Pho Viet on Moanalua or Pho Five-0 on Kam Hwy and compare.
(4)Myra S.
I think they use the freshest ingredients and they have the best sping roll and I love their Vietnamese chicken salad. The vinegar sauce the use has a sweetness and reminds me of the Japanese namasu style of sauce. I also love their papaya salad, light and refreshing. I always go there and never was disappointed. I will go back again and again....
(4)Steph H.
I usually do not write reviews but this place sucked. The wait time was pretty long. Spring rolls were hard as a rock, skinny as my finger, and there was hair wrapped into the roll. When we called the waiter over to tell him about the hair, (he was a grumpy old man) he squinted as he took a look at the spring roll and said " I don't think so." We pulled on the hair to show him and he just took the plate to the kitchen without even saying sorry. Definitely not coming back to this place. Bad food and bad service. Deserves 0 stars.
(1)Amy D.
Atmosphere is not so warm and friendly as other places we've been, but the food was so satisfying and came out quickly. Veggie plate for pho was generous and my husband and 2 year old loved the spring rolls. I liked that I could order a side of noodles, broth, meat ($2.00 each) so that you can supplement your pho - but in my case I got sides for the kiddo.
(4)Alan K.
Hola! I try to go here every other week. The only thing I've ordered here is large combination Pho which is pretty good. The key thing about Pho is the broth and I've found it consistently flavorful. Sure there are times when it's sub par but still you can put the lemon and other sauces they have on the table. The combination comes with all the different types of meats (i.e. beef balls lol) and the large size generally fills me up all the way till dinner time. The price for the large pho is a little over $8 and the service is ok, nothing special. They fill your water regularly and when you're ready to pay, just go to the counter. The main guy (maybe owner?) there looks grouchy but he's cool. I ate lunch with someone that knew the old guy and he treated us some spring rolls. The only real gripe I have is I wish they would put a napkin box on the table for the times you put a little too much spicy sauce in the pho! Oh and parking is tough during the week if you get there after 12pm...Anytime before that or after 1pm should be ok otherwise you'll have to park on the street or across.
(4)Sierra L.
My friend and I came here when they first opened. We were sitting at the Starbucks next to Bed Bath & Beyond and the owner gave us a coupon for the grand opening. We decided to check it out and I'm so glad we did. We've been regulars ever since. Spring rolls, calamari and a large pho with rare steak. The lady knows our order like the back of her hand. The owner, he's hard to understand but he's super hilarious to talk to. When I bring my daughter he always gives her candy to the point where she'll walk up to the counter and wait because he never misses a beat. The coffee is strong yummy and strong! If you need the stay UP, that's the stuff.
(5)Andrew H.
The service here is not too great. There is a lot of competition in the area and this place just doesn't stack up well against most. They have a limited menu. I ordered the rice place with chicken and pork. For 12$, the portion size was extremely small and not even close to as good as L&L. I was really surprised and won't come back here, too many other options in the area.
(2)Ira J.
On Friday, the Hickam Lunch Gang had a new pledge, Vince, who hoped to secure a place in the gang. We took him to Pho My Lien, where we had a pretty good Vietnamese lunch. He had never had Vietnamese food before or, as we learned, Indian food. This seemed a little strange for someone who has lived in Hawaii for several years. But hey, if being strange would disallow someone into the Hickam Lunch Gang, we'd instantly lose most of our membership. We were all enjoying our meals, Spicy Lemongrass Chicken for me and Pho for the others, when we noticed a sizable cockroach taking a slow stroll across the dining room floor. My reaction was to pretend like I didn't see it. Bill was doing the same, until it walked right past him. Then, he casually reached out his foot and stepped on it. That's when Vince, the new guy, leapt into action! He got up from his meal, and scooped up the recently smashed cockroach in his napkin and walked it over to the counter. There he handed it to a member of the staff who oddly looked pleased to have it. Vince came back to table, sat down and continued to eat. When we expressed our shock and puzzlement at what he had just done, he calmly explained, "Nobody wanted to look at that. People are eating in here." Well said Vince, and welcome to the Hickam Lunch Gang! Are you up for some Indian food next week?
(3)Mei-Lan C.
ordered the rice plate with bbq chicken , bbq shrimp and pork chops ( 11.95 $ ) and pho with shrimps & squid ( 7.95 $ ) food took a little while to come out , portion size was ok , but i was missing the special seasoning on the meat . just tasted like any regular bbq meat .
(3)Leigh N.
The food is great! Generous bowls of pho with flavorful broth. No complaints about the food, everything I've tried was good! The male owner is grumpy grumpy grumpy. On a Friday night, had the misfortune to enter the restaurant at 9:55PM, thought they closed at 11PM (they close at 10) since most restaurants around there close around that time. The owner barked at us, "Two?!?!?" Then he muttered as he sat us, "next time come early!" Another time went when it was super busy. He sat this couple and then us. The couple ordered drinks when he asked "anything to drink?" and proceeded to forget about their drink. When the lady reminded him, he grumped and muttered under his breath. If you want great Vietnamese food, go here but be prepared to put up with poor service if that one male server is working. Rating would be four-stars if service was on par.
(3)Tyler G.
Our family eats here every week. They have the best Pho on the island. Service is very fast and friendly. Prices are great.
(5)Karen T.
The #11 Pho combination of 5 different types of meats was not enticing as well as tasty. You could smell the fish sauce in this. The food arrived timely but with little veggies for two . They charge for extra veggies .Service is bad. There were two patrons there eating. We waited 10 minutes to be served with water and then returned with the menu. After being served, the waitress was no where to be found . Had to look for her for more water . I would not go back there nor recommend to anyone.
(1)Seth B.
I first patronized Pho My Lien by buying a bowl of their hot sour soup for a special someone that had a cold. Keep in mind that this is one of few (if not the only) Vietnamese restaurants that are open past 9PM in the Aiea-Pearl City area on a weekday (they're open until 10PM daily except for Sundays). Though I've only done takeout with them, their restaurant appears spacious, clean, and well kept. The front manager who I always speak to on the phone for my take-out orders is pretty friendly and helpful in recommending dishes to me. They also accept all credit cards, even American Express - can't remember the last time a Vietnamese/Pho joint on Oahu accepted my AMEX card, so kudos to them for not being a credit card snob. I think I'll try their dine-in sometime in the future, but for now, the quality of food and the reasonable prices keep me coming back for takeout dinner.
(5)Cher J.
The wonton with egg noodles was my fave! (until I found a little roach in my soup. Gross!) I told the guy who always serves us (my coworkers & I would lunch here every week as we work in the shopping center) & he comp'd our lunch. Thank you Pho My Lien, but never again :(
(1)Sierra F.
"Are you pho-real?!" That was my bf's and my sentiment in the beginning stages of our dinner. I was craving pho on a Sunday night, so I read some reviews and thought we'd give this place a go. I can't say I regret it, but I also can't say I'll go back again. I personally, am a stickler for good... Well, decent service, but if that's not your style, you may really like it here! I liked their broth and appreciated the explanation the younger server gave to us on how he likes to use the sauces on the table (I usually ask at every pho place to get inside scoops... Learn something new every time!) So back to service... We walked in, seated ourselves, and after a couple of minutes of not being acknowledged I walked over to the counter to pick up menus for us. There were about 3 other couples/families there and a very slow night at 7pm, so I expected a little more attention. Anywho, I locked eyes with the manager (with the best "I'm hungry!" look in my eyes,) and not long after, he marched over and took our orders with a grunt. He came back to drop off a stack of napkins,plates and utensils with a thump in the center of our table on his way to attend to other guests. Yikes! This was when I turned to my bf and warned him that that must be the "grumpy grumpy grumpy" male owner I read about in a previous yelp review. We ate our pho in tense silence (there was an argument a table over about a miscommunication in a guests order, and the chef made sure to come over and tell them that it was their fault(the guests) that they brought out pho instead of a veggie stir fry.) drama makes for good entertainment at least!! So, all in all, 3 stars for great pho, but going out to eat (even for pho) should be enjoyable, and good service shouldn't be a "plus."
(3)Angela M.
Dear Pho My Lien, While wandering the halls of Pearlridge my family was suddenly struck with an intense craving for pho (okay, I was struck but as the matriarch I stand for the whole family unit). As we were unsure if our usual spot was open and could not look it up as our phones are extremely unintelligent, we took a risk and drove across the street to you. You were empty. Completely empty. In fact, your seats were stacked on the tables and you looked very much closed, but your shining open sign and hours of operation assured us that we would be welcome into your doors, and we were. Your staff was very nice and put effort into accommodating our children. We were even invited to put our waters on the counter next to honorable Buddha to prevent one of our three small people from toppling a cup. Our close proximity to the deity also resulted in my daughter loudly coveting a banana from Buddha's plate, but fortunately no one seemed to notice my sacrilegious offspring. Your food takes an inordinately long time to prepare. Perhaps you are unaccustomed to customers at 4pm on a Sunday and did not have any ingredients ready, perhaps you had to pick the vegetables for my summer rolls from a garden out back. I'm not sure, but it was definitely the slowest Vietnamese service we've ever experienced and, as I mentioned, we were the only patrons in your establishment. Your attentiveness was also sporadic and at least twice my husband had to go to the kitchen with a request. You should not leave customers alone in the restaurant so much, someone may steal your waving cats. Or eat one of Buddha's bananas. Still, we enjoyed our food. The pho was not the best but edible, the BBQ pork summer rolls with requested peanut sauce were incredible, and my 2 year old ate 18 beef balls, officially setting her new record. I had to order two side orders of beef balls, and I very much appreciate your availability of $2 meat side orders. When, towards the end of the meal, my dear son flipped his bowl of broth onto my lap I felt horribly guilty as though his clumsiness was a reflection of my poor parenting skills. But your people were understanding and helped us clean up, and I was also able to discover that your bathroom is quite clean. Very good. As I have not yet encountered another pho restaurant with tasty summer roll options versus the typical slice of dry pork and half shrimp, we will definitely be back. We will bring our own banana. Thanks, Angela
(3)Ryan I.
This is one of the better pho places in the Aiea area. I have tried some of their other dishes (egg noodle soup, bun, egg rolls, etc.), but I keep gravitating back to the pho. Their summer rolls are also good. Bonus points for not falling apart when eaten. Great place for lunch when you're looking for a change from the usual plate lunch.
(3)Emi H.
Not sure how Pho My Lien is averaging four stars but it just doesn't compare to the other pho joints my BF and I frequent in town. We were doing some shopping at Pearlridge and found Pho My Lien on my trusty Yelp app. If you're curious about where this restaurant is located, it's in the Westridge shopping center right next door to Kam Drive-Inn, a few doors down from Makino Chaya. We ordered the chicken pho and rare beef pho and I have to say that it was nothing remarkable. It was pho at an average level and the broth didn't really have any umph to it. The service was extremely slow and maybe they were having an off day? It seemed as though they were a bit scattered and didn't have any one person waiting tables. If you're just looking for a quick fix then Pho My Lien will probably do but if you're searching for a soul shifting pho experience, you're not going to find it here.
(2)Helen K.
This is by far one of the great places for Pho... The broth is very tasty! Service is OK although they could be a little more friendlier!
(5)Elijah D.
Being a resident of San Jose I've grown to love Pho as my favorite dish outside of home. My first experience in Hawaii of it was not too great, the Pho was just average, especially on Bay Area standards. The Pho was not salty enough and didn't have enough taste even after loading it with soy and Siracha. The service was very good though as refills and checkins by the waiter were frequent. The price is decent though and the proximity to JBPHH will keep me coming, I will update when I try it again,
(3)Mina T.
Clean and delicious :) I usually went to eat pho at preal kai, but they are always busy and sometimes I do not like waiting there. I happened to stumble upon this new place, well not so new anymore. But they are still pretty new, so the inside is clean and spacious. Pho prices are usually about the same. What I like to do with my boyfriend is to order a large pho and add on some extra noodle so that we can share :) It's just the right amount of food for us, but sometimes we do run down on the soup, but do not worry cuz you can order side of extra soup too :P
(4)Rod U.
Yes! A great pho restaurant close to home. The pho is very good. The use of fish sauce to the broth adds a whole new dimension to the flavor. In addition, they have the absolute best tendon that I have ever had. The flavor is so clean and texture so soft; its like eating rice candy (it melts in your mouth)! The spring rolls are very good. They come with the usual dipping sauce, fresh mint, and lettuce leaves. I made my own wrap with all the ingredients, it was excellent (sorry if that's not the way to eat them or if I ate the garnish but hey, it all looked so good). The restaurant itself is large, contemporary, and very clean. Service is friendly and efficient. Prices are what you would expect in Hawaii.
(4)Sara P.
Pros: - clean - fast, friendly service - convenient location, lots of parking - great sizes Cons: - none! Food: - crispy spring rolls: fresh fresh fresh! 4 rolls and lots of veggies - regular pho w/ steak: suuuuper yummy broth; lots of meat; very fresh basil, lemon, sprouts - large combination pho: huge, tasty broth
(3)Dee M.
Cheaper than other places. Soup is good and tasty. Friendly service but when its packed, be prepared to wait. There is only one person that takes orders/serves.
(4)kristine f.
My boyfriend and I went to get some pho here. We were so excited our opened another pho stop, we definitely needed one. To our dismay, service was extremely slow, but the gentlemen working the floor was nice so it was close to impossible for us to get upset. We ordered our usual, medium Pho Tai for myself, large pho combination and fried spring rolls. The rolls took some time to come out and when they were brought out you could tell they were twice fried. Our pho came out about 20 minutes later and was cold. My meat couldn't cook because the broth was only luke warm. They were nice enough to comp us 15% for the inconvenience. And you pho-natics know that pho restaurants just don't do that and many don't even talk to you much. We definitely will be be back to give this place another shot, especially after seeing all the Yelp reviews. :)
(3)Mark M.
This'll be my last review for now.. we're going to Vegas in a little while! It was a sad day for me when Pho Mai closed down at Westridge Shopping Center. I loved the service, the taste, and the consistency that they provided with every bowl and every plate. So you can understand why I was so stoked to hear of the new Vietnamese place called Pho My Lien opening in the same spot that Pho Mai occupied all those years ago. I swear, walking in there tonight... it felt like Pho Mai never left. The layout of the tables and the placement of the cashier station and bar are exactly the same. It was pretty eerie to tell you the truth. I wanted to see how the taste here compared so I ordered a regular bowl of pho with the rare steak, shrimp summer rolls and my gf ordered the vegetable pho. The summer rolls were nice. They were very fresh and refreshing and they tasted very good. Some of the best summer rolls thus far. And the pho? It was amazing. The soup was nice and clean with a very strong flavor and I liked that. The noodles were cooked just right with a generous amount of rare steak tossed in the bowl with a lot of onions. In my opinion, this is the best pho in Aiea. Actually this is the best bowl of pho I've had in recent memory. It isn't cheap however with a regular bowl costing you $7 and a large bowl priced at $8. It's so damn good though. And it's right across the street from my apartment so that's a huge plus in my book. I'll be returning soon. Probably after we come back from Vegas. They have an extensive menu and there are lots of entrees I'd love to try. They have about six different types of summer rolls and I've never seen that many offered before. Highly recommended.
(4)Dee K.
Just tried the pork/shrimp wonton soup with rice noodles. Very delish. Once again great service.
(5)Cathy T.
After seeing the reviews on Yelp I was really excited to check this place out. I wasn't blown away or anything and... there's much better pho just 15 min away in town. I had a regular bowl with rare steak, beef balls, and tendon. I agree with Rod U.'s review that the tendon is very nice. The soup wasn't as flavorful and well developed as I would have liked. The spring rolls were pretty standard, although a little pricey. (at least they were piping hot) and the calamari was very lightly breaded and also pretty good. I will say that the service was outstanding. We (a party of 3) showed up 30 min before closing and they were attentive and let us stay almost 40 min after they "closed". The even split our check three ways for us.
(2)Richard C.
Wow! This was the first time my wife and I ate here and the food was awesome! The Large Combination Pho had a very generous portion and the soup was great. My wife enjoyed the BBQ Beef Plate and said it was very tasty. We also had an order of Beef Summer Rolls - wow, the rolls were bigger than other Vietnamese restaurants we have eaten at and they were so ono! To top it all off, we both ordered the Thai Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk...again, excellent! Our first impression of this restaurant was that we were certainly glad that we found this great place and we plan on returning again!
(5)Aimee C.
Thank you Yelpers! On a rainy, thundery day, I was craving warm soup and pho came to mind. Unfortunately, the place we went to first was closed...boo! But FORTUNATELY, Yelp came to the rescue! Looked it up and tada! the result was Pho My Lien right next to Makino Chaya & Tony Roma's in Aiea. Park upstairs - there are lots of spaces! The restaurant staff is on it and very friendly. The restaurant was big, clean, well-lit and very welcoming. The Pho?! Delicious! I'm not a big eater, so I didn't get any appetizers or anything but pho. Perfect broth, just enough noodles, and lots of meat. It comes with all the fixins and I was filled just enough. Priced just right...Couldn't ask for a better pho experience! Can't wait to go back!
(5)Jonah Mae R.
The pho here is really good! I've been to a lot of pho places and this one by far has great broth. I ordered the regular pho with rare steak and beef balls, it was really yummy! Their spring rolls were great to!
(4)Julynn T.
Couldn't really find a legit pho place on the west side. This place comes pretty close. I like the broth.. It doesn't taste 'instant' made but rather slow cooked- as how pho should be. I would say a 7/10 for a pho place.
(4)Kylie D.
Summer roll is interesting and very good. The pho is good, the broth is really good. But the best thing I've had here is the green papaya salad!! It's so dang good. So refreshing and light! Perfectly seasoned!
(4)Lori K.
Service is slow!! My second time here. Gave it another try since I loved the wontons in their egg noodle soup. Last visit, they forgot our calamari order, this time, they gave us the wrong type of summer roll. And sadly, they were out of wontons for the egg noodle soup. The broth on both occassions was very bland. I litterally used about half of the soy sauce bottle and a lot of siracha sauce just to add some kind of taste. Both times I went for lunch...maybe dinner time is better??
(2)Trish P.
did we come here on an off night? this place gets a 4 star total, but i really can't understand why..... opting to eat here with my "kauai crew", i was hoping to find a decent pho place in the pearl city/aiea area..... instead, we got this. i ordered the smaller sized pho with beef balls, tendon and flank steak. when the pho came out, the broth was not very hot.... it was tepid at best. the flavor was very bland. i had to use LOTS of chili sauce to make something that was "edible". i also ordered the crispy spring rolls which were actually decent, thus the two star rating. if i was just rating the pho alone, that would probably result in a half star only....... also, the waiter was being a creeper the whole time. we had a group of 5 girls, and he was ogling us the entire time we were there, in addition to eavesdropping on our conversations.... not my idea of good service.
(2)Elle B.
I will never eat here again. I had been here before and had ok experiences, but this last visit was the worst. They forgot an order of pho, and when we asked where it was the server argued with us saying that we never ordered it and then walked away with an attitude. This particular guy also looked sloppy and stoned. He may have been the owner. My bowl of pho was only filled half way with broth and when I asked them to fill it like the other bowls they charged me $2.00. And now I have food poisoning.
(1)Malia H.
Since I've heard this place opened, I've been wanting to try this place. The ironic thing is the location was originally Pho Mai, then a Filipino restaurant and now back to a pho place. Pho My Lien is located in Westridge on the second floor next to Makino Chaya. I did not get to dine in yet but ordered takeout. I wasn't sure what to order so I did a walk in takeout order. The order would take 15 minutes the guy said and it did. I went around 5pm and it was empty. I'm guessing that they're still fairly new and not everyone knows they're there yet. I felt awkward since they were cleaning so I went and waited in my car for my food. The place is ok sized for a pho place with around 10 tables. I kept thinking about Pho Mai when I walked in to order and get my food since it was almost the same setup. The place is very clean which is important to me. I know they say that some of the best pho places are hole in the walls but ambiance is a first impression to my palate. They have photos in their menu like most Vietnamese restaurants which is good. The menu is pretty basic with the basic Vietnamese items like pho, green papaya salad and other various dishes with different choices of meats. I ordered a spring roll and summer roll combo since I saw a photo outside. I do love both and thought this was great way to try both. The photo had 2 spring rolls and a summer roll cut in half with lettuce cucumbers, mint and two sauces. When I got home, I was sad to see that they were stingy with the lettuce and cucumber. I only had one slice of cucumber and lettuce (see photo). Also I've had vermicelli come with my spring rolls at other places and wish they added some to their spring roll accessories. The spring rolls were very good and the sauce was good too, not too vinegary. They didn't give me a lot of sauce but I ha just enough. The summer rolls were good. It had the usual...shrimp, lettuce, bean sprouts and mint. The peanut sauce was really good. It was a lot chunkier than most places I have been too. It had chopped peanuts and garlic that was not too overpowering. I also wanted to order a regular pho. But the odd thing is the man who took my order said only large. I wasn't sure if it's because I wanted beef steak and beef balls and that's why I could only order a large. I looked at the menu again after was confused. The menu did say regular $6.95 and large $7.95. And you could choose up to five from the choices: rare slices of steak, well done beef flank, beef soft tendon, beef tripe, beef balls. It was only a $1 difference but I was confused. The pho soup was still piping hot when I got home almost an hour later since I still ha a couple of errands. The pho did not have much cilantro and onions which I didn't like. I like my pho full of stuff. Another thing is that I think I got well done beech flank instead of rare beef. I forgot to order meat separate which I usually do. The meat was well done and kind of fatty which made me think it was the wrong meat. I expected thin round pieces of meat. The beef balls were like everywhere else. The pho wasn't bad. I'm no pho expert though since the soup generally tastes the same to me everywhere. And I got the bag of condiments typical of all pho places full of bean sprouts, basil, mint, lemon wedge, chili peppers, hot sauce, spicy fish sauce and plum sauce. Overall, I was pretty satisfied. Plus I know they newly opened, even though I heard they are not a brand new restaurant but transplanted from downtown since they lost their lease. Hopefully next time no meat mix up and I can get a regular pho or I'll ask why is it on the menu. Also maybe after reading my review, they'll consider vermicelli served with spring rolls! Definitely want to come back and try dining in and may edit/update review. ^_^*~
(4)Christian R.
The real deal! Tasty pho and at a good price. Military discount as a added bonus. Found my Pho place of choice on this side of the island!
(5)William E.
This place is not quite as good as Cuu Long or Pho Five-O, IMHO, or that one downtown in Chinatown that I can never remember the name (it's Pho Huong Lan, one of the best Pho shops on Oahu). In fact, of these four places, this is the only one I've spotted a roach on the ground (so far). It didn't ruin my experience since roaches are a fact of life in Hawaii. It stayed out of my food, at least. It's a convenient location and there's most always parking available (located on the upside of Pearl Ridge West, between Tony Roma's and Makino Chaiya). There's never been a long line to wait in the times I've been here. If you're in a large group, I'd choose this place over the others simply because of comfort and easy seating. The few times I've been here I've always ordered noodle with beef ball. It's worked well for me!
(3)Jujulik A.
This is probably my favorite Pho place on the island. The broth is just great and has the right kick. The meat and tripe is generous and I like the fact that they offer two sizes because I would be wasting food with the bigger bowl. I did try another Pho place in downtown next to the huge Walmart/Sam's Club (don't remember the name) and the broth tasted watered down and they only served 1 big bowl sizes. What a waste. I have no complaints about this place.
(5)Lisa G.
First I had to figure out the restaurant was upstairs, then I couldn't figure out how to get to it. Take the elevator up to 2, Pho My Lien is on the other side of Tony Romas. I ordered the Meatball Pho, the meatballs were tasty, however the broth was not rich, not savory- thin, like it was stretched or maybe not simmered long enough....... Will I go back? Probably not, only because there are so many other places to try.
(1)Maria R.
This place was bad, the service was bad. I had to get my own menu and there was four people in the restaurant. I wanted additional egg roll pcs, but they said I couldn't order that. Never going back to this place.
(1)Shelly i.
Finally a pho my future hubs and I can agree on. Pho My Lien is the second place in Aiea that we tried and so far, it's the best. We visited the nearly empty restaurant around 2 pm on a Sunday. Service took a little longer than I'm used to when getting pho and I would have been really annoyed if I was super hungry but lucky for them the pregnant lady rage wasn't out in force. We ordered summer rolls and beef pho. The summer rolls were cool and refreshing and the peanut sauce had more shoyu than peanut, which I personally like. The beef slices were soft and seemed to be good quality. And I loved the broth and chili sauce. The only reason I'm giving this place four stars instead of five is the weird egg like gray balls I found on the underside of the Thai basil. Ick. Lesson here is check your food when other people are preparing it or you might end up with an alien or an insect chewing its way out of your stomach. But hey, good pho is worth it, right?
(4)Sara T.
Food: 4 stars I ordered the regular-sized Pho with rare steak ($6.95). The large was a dollar or so more and was significantly bigger (but I knew I couldn't eat it all and didn't want to take home leftovers). The pho soup was tasty with lots of flavor. The meat was good too, but I did notice it was a little more fatty than the perfect, red, fatless slices they serve at Hale Vietnam. We also shared two kinds of summer rolls (shrimp and beef). I don't eat shrimp, but the beef summer rolls were delicious - the beef was tender and well seasoned, and the peanut dipping sauce was nice too. Service: 4.5 stars Very attentive and not pushy. Also patient when we couldn't quite figure out what some of the menu items were due to the language barrier. Water was kept full and we were asked how we were doing twice during the meal (which, in my book, is just the right amount). Value: 5 stars Cheaper than Hale Vietnam and I would say the ingredients were almost on par. Plus, for those who don't want to trek into town, this is a really convenient spot. Ambiance: 4 stars Clean and not cramped (as many small Asian restaurants tend to be). All in all, a solid 4 stars. I would definitely come back if I had a pho craving.
(4)Annie L.
Good pho out of town is pretty hard to find. Fortunately or unfortunately, my boyfriend had the runs for 2 days and was afraid to put anything in his poor tummy. After picking up some poop pills from Down To Earth, we happened to look across the street and saw Pho My Lien. My pooped out boyfriend expressed his desire for pho so we jaywalked across the street to find a very clean and cozy restaurant. At around noon, the place was filled at a nice pace, with about 5 other tables with great smelling food on their table. We got an order of spring rolls and a large combination pho with the meat on the outside. The broth was clear and tasty....not too salty and not too sweet, YUM! They are extremely generous with the portions, and even sharing our bowl, I barely finished my noodles. Spring rolls were kind of tiny but delicious nevertheless. Service was good and quick, and my water was never empty. To be honest, this is not the best bowl of pho that I've had, but it really measures up considering that not many decent vietnamese restaurants exist outside of town. If I'm ever in the area and need a good bowl of herby goodness, I will definitely visit Pho My Lien again.
(4)Dean H.
How in the WORLD did I miss this place? Yes, we were getting tired of the our "usual" pho place and decided to check this place out after doing the "where do you want to eat song and dance"... Got a large beef combination pho and a shrimp wun tun mien. As many say, it has a different flavor, which to me = a very CLEAN tasting broth. In comparison with others that are very herbal or "beefy", I was happy to enjoy it and savor the clean taste. The tendon was soft, the brisket was fatty (I like), the tripe was cut well and clean, there was 3 halves of beef ball (a lot in a combo), and the rare steak was good. I wasn't too impressed with how much was in there but it was just enough. Some place just pack in too much and that is not good either. Quality over quantity to me. My other said that the shrimp wun tun mien was pretty good too. I have no idea why she ordered that in a pho place but then again she has said she was pho-ed out. Bathrooms were clean and located inside the restaurant. The parking was aok on a Friday night. The service was quick and friendly. The bill came out to about 20 dollars with tax/tip so it was pretty reasonable. I will be sure to be back to this place. Another rare WEST side exclusive...
(4)Steph V.
I always getting Pho to go from this place. They nomally give you all white meat with the chicken Pho. The noodles are always good and its normally ready as soon as i get there for lunch. I haven't tried anything else there cause i just love there pho.
(4)Kai B.
To My Annoying Roommate, Why can't I remember last night?? I am definitely paying for it with this hangover...I need some pho to cure it... I know people say pho is "amazing"...and I guess I'm one of those people, cause that warm taste broth...MUY DELICIOSO!!!! The thinly sliced meat provides good protein, and the broth is not overpowering in flavor like other soups. But if you're not really a pho person, they have other stuff too. I'm not quite sure what AZ got when I went with him, but it was Pork and Beef on top rice noodles and lettuce with bean sprouts. It was really tasty. I like it here mainly cause it's light, a good change from all that greasy fast food I ate last night...ughhhh. The lady that works there is nice too, and service is really fast. It's been pretty empty every time that I've gone there, but I think it's cause people just don't really know bout it (or care for vietnamese food). Works out good for me though, cause there's never a wait. :D BTW, I blame you for this hangover... Yours Truly, kaibemi buks
(5)Amanda S.
I really like it here. The service is nice, lots of parking, and the food is great. They give larger serving here than other pho places I've been to. Get the vermicelli with bbq beef and spring rolls! Mmmmm
(5)Lisa W.
One star for the spring rolls one star for the summer rolls. The pho sucked
(2)Brian K.
This place moved from Ala Moana Blvd near the Hilton Hawaiian Village, so a buch of my co-workers told me to try this place. So I did. The pho is good and there's nothing I can complain about it. Actually, when it comes to pho, they all taste very similar to me, so don't trust my judgement. BUT...in my opinion, their spring rolls are the best on the island. Their prices are standard and parking is usually easy to find (just don't go during peak dinner hours because Makino Chaya customers are a plenty).
(4)Hazel F.
This is my favorite place to eat pho so far in the Aiea area! I personally love Seafood Pho! The soup base is bomb! Summer rolls a dope too! I am picky about my pho, not an expert, but if the soup has flavor in itself, before putting your condiments in it, then it's good pho! This place has it! If you're ever around the Aiea area, best place yet!
(5)Helen K.
Probably one of the few pho places that doesn't leave me drinking a gallon of water an hour later. Cuu Long down the street tastes great, but it leaves me thirsty for a long time (MSG).
(4)Jennifer K.
YUM! This is one of my favorite Pho places as of yesterday. My sister had asked if I wanted to try it out with her, and at first I thought she was talking about the filipino restaurant nearby there, and so I was not a happy camper, but after looking up the reviews on Yelp, I decided it was worth a try. The noodles are nice and chewy. Which is a big, BIG PLUS, on my end because there is nothing I hate more than grabbing a big pile of noodles and then having them break halfway up to my mouth! :( so these noodles did not disappoint. My sister said they are just like the noodles at Pho One which is her most favorite pho place (which i must try soon ^-^). The soup was good, the place was clean, I really couldn't complain about anything except that the regular was too small. Next time I am definitely getting the large pho :)
(4)Junicris M.
Food is good, but they're lacking in service. They should hire a part time server for dinner. Love this place if you are here before a rush.
(3)Money M.
This pho rocks! I'm from The Bay in Cali and I'm not really diggin pho out there my wife and I go all the time and I always order something else and I eat off of hers and I am not feelin it at all... So I finally eat pho in hawaii that I actually like I'm not sayin its the best I'm just sayin that in my opinion it got me feenin for it... All the pho I have eaten before it wasn't awful it just didn't make me ever say I gotta have it. This place is very clean the produce is fresh and the bbq pork was sooo damn good the way they cut it thinly it almost tasted like beef... The tomatoes were so fresh and so clean I killed it all and I never eat all my salad... Who would've thought that a pho spot in Oahu would keep it real and stick to their roots... I say that because at this location they do not strive for tourists for business although any business is good business they are in an area where they need the locals to keep them above water... This restaurant is very clean and the AC is blasting cold the service is great and Tommy the owner is awesome... A few more important things I forgot to mention the tendons is very tender and the rare steak is thin and very tender also and you'll never get that meat where its feels like your chewin on rubber...
(5)Gerald P.
Pricey/customer service was below average. Food was good.
(3)Dara F.
This is the best Vietnamese restaurant on this side of the island! Everything we've ate was delish! My favorites are the grilled shrimp and spring rolls with noodles and the won ton soup! The spring rolls and won ton dumplings are homemade everyday.
(4)Jesse R.
I thought this place was really good!! I think the pho in all these Vietnamese restaurants are pretty much the same but the meat and rice plates are different. I decided to get the pork chops and chicken, this was really good. The chops were moist and the chicken was really tasty, not to mention my special mix of sauce of those bad boys that made it nice!!!!!!!
(4)Prescott C.
The best pho place this side of the island. Real flavorful soup, great consistency in the noodles, and great amount of meat in the pho. The only downside is the service can be slow. But other than that, its sooooo good!!
(4)Don N.
Had dinner on a Saturday evening, restaurant was not crowded and got a table right away. The ambiance was no frills but place it self was very clean with lots of open space. Started off with the standard order of spring rolls. Meaty filling had a nice garlic flavor, outside shell was crispy and not oily but did not taste like it was right from fryer. Next we had the lemon beef salad. Sauce was right on, tangy vinegar that finishes sweet. The beef, lettuce, thinly sliced onions, fresh herbs, and slightly green tomatoes. At first hesitant about the half ripe tomatoes but it worked will with the tangy sauce. Finished with a BBQ beef bun bowl. Standard vermicelli noodles, lettuce, sprouts and peanuts but the beef stood out. Hadn't realized we had ordered two beef dishes but the flavor and texture of the BBQ beef contrasted nicely with the Lemon beef salad. BBQ beef was thinly sliced and grilled perfectly with the edges starting to crisp which added great texture and flavor. Will be returning to try their Pho next tine.
(4)Ryan M.
Service is prompt and the food comes out quickly! If you like a good broth, this place has it. It's clear, smooth, and most importantly, a good taste. They could put a little more meat, but that means they would have to raise prices. I do have to say, what you pay for and what you get is good! It's a cheaper then pho-five O and both have similar broth flavors. If you're in the area, try it!
(4)Kanoe K.
So I'm not what one would call a Pho expert ... but I like to think I know good food when I eat it, and this is some GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD food!! I was introduced to this place by a friend who is a pho-natic and I've been addicted ever since! In the beginning there weren't a lot of people at this restaurant, but I've noticed it's increase in popularity (I'm assuming because of the Midweek article others have mentioned) and I'm happy because I don't want this place to disappear anytime soon! So far I've only had the regular Pho w/ well done flank, and the spring and summer rolls. Everything has been sooooo good. There are more menu options that look equally as tasty, but I find it hard to stray from food I KNOW is good! As others have said the service is a little slow, but I think it's because there's more quality in the food ... something I'd gladly wait for!! Also, a friend and I ended up staying for 2 1/2 hours last night and we never felt rushed or pushed to leave ... even though it started to get a little busy. They even kept giving us water refills while we sat there. FINAL VERDICT: A nice comfortable place to get some really tasty Pho!! Take a group of friends and check it out!!
(5)J K.
I would definitely come back here again. The restaurant had many tables and it was empty when I was there. Restaurant looked very clean. The Pho was EXCELLENT. Broth tasted fantastic. I ordered my usual Large Pho Tai. I felt the Large sized bowl wasn't really Large and was more of like a Medium. It was very home style, felt like grandma bringing out dinner to me. They only have two sizes Regular and Large at $6.95 and $7.95, respectively. I have a good taste for good broth and this one didn't have that weird "bug flavor taste" (I don't know how else to describe it?!) in it that usually you get a hint of usually at dirty Pho places. I normally finish all my meat first but this time my Pho was loaded with meat that I ate all my noodles and still had some meat left. They brought out my Chopstick, Napkin, Mini Plate to me as it's not available on the table.
(4)Chevis C.
I have been eating at this place since 2004 when they were Located in Waikiki. I didn't eat at the Waikiki location since 2009 and finally found them in pearl city 2011. Their whole menu is awesome. The couple who owns the restaurant is pretty cool, they actually remembered me when I ate at this new location. I love the chicken curry, has lots of flavor and is soo good. The lemon grass beef is the best I had so far. Spring rolls is the best I have tasted. I notice they always us fresh vegetables. Instead of iceberg lettuce some other restaurants use they use romaine. I also love the sweet n sour drink, it reminds me of eating a lemon peel. The coconut juice is really good, tried to find it outside but couldn't find it. I guess I tried almost everything on their menu and I had no complaints everything was great. I always crave to go back.
(5)Sharilyn K.
I must admit I'm a Pho junkie, and having said that I'll admit I have a go-to place that I was weary to try anywhere else. After craving Pho & not wanting to drive to Ewa, the hubs & I decided to play some "yelp roulette" and see if this place was worth 4 stars. Well, it's okay, not the best, but def not the worst. The spring rolls are good, summer rolls are too, I like the presentation of the summer rolls the best (now if only I could make them at home just as fancy!). The Pho was hot and steamy and the veggies fresh, the broth wasn't as seasoned as I thought it should be, kinda bland actually....but I sauced it up & made it work! Never seen it really busy there and pretty clean inside. Haven't checked the restroom so can't comment on it, but Pho My Lien has cheap eats and reasonably quick service, so check it out if you are ever in the area!
(3)Tiffany S.
They give lots of Noodles in the Pho and the Lumpia is extra crispy. Yum
(4)Daniel R.
My mom really wanted to try this pretty new Pho place out in Aiea, across from the new Bed Bath & Beyond. She read an article in MidWeek about it and started to really crave pho! They had a very alluring photograph of a special they had for 2 summer rolls and 2 spring rolls for $4.95, so we went! Inside is very clean and open, surprisingly nobody was there but I guess because it was the beginning of lunch time. We were worried the food wasn't good but people started to trickle in, even a few people came in reading the article from MidWeek. You have to know about the actual special to get it because it's not shown on the menu. We didn't know that so we just got 4 summer rolls, and both of us got the rare steak pho. My mom was so curious about the special and asked the waiter if there really was a special, and there was, haha, so my mom still hungry wanted to get the special. The pho came out and it was really good. The broth was quite delicious and you can tell the broth hasn't been sitting around for a while, unlike other pho places I've visited, they make it ahead of time and just heat it up later. The summer & spring rolls were delicious! Especially the spring rolls, probably the best I've had! I can't wait to go back soon and try other things, the pork chops looked good so I'll have to try that next time I'm back! The only downside is that the pho portions aren't as LARGE as other places but the quality of the food makes up for it.
(4)wesley t.
Good pho is easy to find. Great pho is hard to find. Pho My Lien by far was t.he worst pho I ever had. The broth lacked richness and flavor so much so that I added soy sauce to my pho. It didn't taste bad, it was just flavorless. I went there twice and now I won't return.
(1)Danny H.
I read about this place in the MidWeek as well and was craving pho so I decided to go. The place was clean and our waiter was nice but the service was so SLOW! I ordered an iced coffee and by the time I came out, I was done eating. Mid way through my meal, I had thought that they had forgotten but the waiter said it was brewing...10 minutes later it came out. I've been drinking french coffee for a long time and I know it takes awhile to drip but this was a bit too long. The pho was alright but you can get better pho and quicker at any other pho place.
(2)Genny L.
The food is tasty and can be rated 4 stars; however, my review is solely on the bad service I'd received from the male owner the other day. Don't come here during the lunch hour and dinner hour, esp to order take out because it gets really busy and you're ignored by him until he's ready to ask for your order! After waiting close to 20 min, I went to the counter where he was filling glasses of ice water to check if my take outs were ready, which they still weren't, he ignored me during the entire time. So , I decided to leave the restaurant and not wait any longer and be treated so disrespectfully. Thank goodness I didn't pay for my order yet, otherwise, I would be stuck waiting for God how long! Generally, I am very patient; however, more than 20 min to wait for your order is unreasonable. Being ignored by a server in a restaurant is unacceptable and down right rude! Don't advertise your restaurant if you can"t welcome your customers nicely and be respectful. People don't have to patronize your establishment, so consider yourself lucky that they do!
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