Phở Ao Sen - Oakland

I love that they have their own parking lot, and actually have some cameras surveying the area from inside.The restaurant appears clean and modern, with calm instrumentals playing from the speakers.My husband and I both got their No.2 pho combo with brisket, tripe, tendon, and meatballs), and agreed that their broth was light but tasty. It could 've used some more heating and a good punch of savory umami, but wasn 't heavy, at least. Unfortunately, the warm-but-not-hot temperature meant that some of my beef remained a bit raw for quite some time, which wasn 't great. The standard noodles were a bit hard, without as much of that delightful chew factor I usually crave in pho. : The menu did also have another option- fresh rice noodles for $0.75 more, which might 've been the way to go, instead.Their pho flavors and textures didn 't leave me raring to come back. That said, service was great, I appreciated the clean tables and restrooms, and overall it was still a tasty meal!

They serve good food but I don't like their recent hip style change. It really clashes with their original traditional calm viet atmosphere. Now they play loud club music while I am trying to eat with my family. It's really not appropriate. Put on some calm viet music please. Also food gotten really expensive.Food: 5/5

The inside was definitely a vibe. Jazz music played. Tables were bussed in a timely manner. I ordered a large and the serving was smaller than Pho Mekong, the best pho spot I've had in Oakland so far.They initially tried to avoid giving us both water and tea.They also messed up and charged me incorrectly and then charged me 3% for using a debit card.I wasn't satisfied with service.

Oh boi! You must visit this place to admire the food.....5 star!Parking: Parking was tight and kinda shady with sign all around do no leave valuables in the car

The Vietnamese food is very very good here. Fish sauce marinated fried wings are a must. The broth for the phò is rich and flavorful. I really love this dish they call a coconut concoction. I mix it with some of their housemade chili sauce they only have a available at the table. Not sure if they have it available to go.Sadly, the prices are kind of nuts now. For my family of 4 plus my mother-in-law, I spent about $150. Otherwise, I would have given 5 stars just on how good the food is alone. But I don 't feel like I 'm getting value for my money now. Service is what you would expect from a typical phò spot and they 've recently renovated.Parking: Parking lot can be full when they are busy.