Pho Ben

7.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  9     

Great value, friendly service and we always leave with full bellies and a smile on our face! The kids are well catered for with the extensive menu as are the vegetarians. Staff have always been happy to alter dishes and are very helpful when let know of allergies. Obviously there will be better restaurants around but if you are looking for a fast, casual meal at a very reasonable price the Pho Ben is the place!

Jan 21, 2012 

5.8 Average

Food  5      Ambience  3      Service  6      Value  9     

Use to come here all the time when I lived in the area! The serving sizes have dramatically changed, very disappointed. Especially the bean sprouts and vietnamese basil used, the portion is exceedingly small. Nonetheless the bowl of pho was quite nice, not the best i've had but still reasonable. I would recommend this place for people who want a cheap, fulfilling lunch. But I won't be particularly coming out to parramata for this place.

Oct 12, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  9     

I love Pho Ben, I eat there quite regularly, it's good value, great tasting and the staff are very nice too. Can't go wrong for a quick bite.

Sep 27, 2011 

5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  5      Service  4      Value  7     

I normally have vermicelli with bbq pork at this place. I maybe a little bias because I am viet myself. But there food was not as good as it use to be when they were on the other side of parramatta. I had pho recently here too and it was no where near my expectation. I feel that the ingredient they use are not as fresh as it should be. flavours are ok.

Service is nothing more.. nothing less. Would I go back? only if I have no other option.

Mar 30, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  6      Service  10      Value  10     

I love coming here for pho! Best fill up when you are looking for something big or something to warm you up on a cold day. The staff practically know us as regulars and know what we order each time. They are helpful, fast on their feet and turn over time of the food is brilliant. This is probably the best pho I have had (but I haven't gone out too far since all the other places I have been are terrible and when I want pho, I want good pho!

So I keep going back to Pho Ben). They always seem to have the right number of tables and you never have to wait even when they are packed up. I would recommend staying away during the busy period though as they tend to skimp on the meat or the soup is alot more watery. Other than that, can't wait to go back!

Mar 24, 2011 

6 Average

Food  7      Ambience  5      Service  7      Value  5     

I pop in here for Pho occasionally and they do a acceptable bowl despite not being Vietnamese (all the staff and cooks are Chinese). Food always comes out super fast, and staff are friendly and efficient. They're rather popular with the work lunch crowd but due to the tight seating, I recommend getting there before or after lunch to not feel crowded in. They're so tight for space none of the tables have room to hold chilli sauce, hoisin sauce, serviettes etc as you normally expect at a casual asian restaurant.

I've noticed recently they've been stingy with serving sizes and the side salad plate for Pho (which consists of basil leaves and bean sprouts) has gotten shockingly small. To be honest it was always small but it was hard to believe they could get any stingier.

Any other Vietnamese Pho restaurant would give diners a large plate overflowing with basil and bean sprouts. I got what amounted to a small handful of bean sprouts (which are so inexpensive, come on) and one small sprig of basil. I was so shocked I counted and the sprig had 6 baby size basil leaves. These baby leaves were so small, all 6 of them amounted to about 2 normal sized basil leaves. When I asked the waitress for more basil, she said that would cost extra which I accepted and I was given one extra sprig of similar dwarf sized basil leaves.

In spite of this, I would still recommend them for a quick bowl of Pho if you're in the Parramatta area. They're not the greatest in Sydney but it's acceptable.

And one last thing, if you order takeaway Pho to eat later, make sure they give you the soup stock in a separate take away container. If you don't say anything, they'll give you the whole noodle soup together in a takeaway bowl which means your noodles turn to mush.

Feb 07, 2011 

5.8 Average

Food  6      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  6     

Popped in for a quick lunch, despite the best efforts of the staff who once they saw the pram tried to persuade me not to come in. Had the spring roll & grilled pork with noodle salad, Ok but the portion of the noodles was on the small side. Served quickly, tables were very close together but that's the type of place it is.

Oct 24, 2010 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  1      Ambience  4      Service  1      Value  1     

I live nearby and always thought it would be good to try this place as I love pho. Dropped in for dinner and ordered pho and a chicken laksa. The pho was ok but just average, much better at the other authentic viet restaurants in parra. The laksa though was terrible. Seemed like they just added spoonfuls of sambal paste to coconut milk, all spice but no flavour.

The table next to us had also ordered a laksa and when they noticed we had it, the guy leant across and said that he never complains about food but it was the worst laksa he's had. I've had worse (attempted home cooking) but we got his point. We complained to the waiter and asked if we could get another dish but he promised the chef could fix it (after going back and forth a few times). It came back as just coconut milk with no chilli. Inedible.

The staff were not overly helpful nor concerned, despite only having a mouthful of the laksa they insisted we pay for the whole thing. Will not eat there again.

Jun 26, 2010 

5.5 Average

Food  7      Ambience  2      Service  7      Value  6     

My friend and I have been frequenting this restaurant on almost a weekly basis over the last 6 months or so and up until recently have been really happy with the great food and speedy service. The ambience is average but fine for a quick meal, however, larger tables would make eating much easier!

However, over the past month or so we have noticed some new staff, not as attentive. Not long ago our unopened drink was spilt which we were made to pay for, and were not offered another one. Further, our last few visits have seen a definite decrease in portion sizes, which has been disappointing for an otherwise consistent and enjoyable experience.

Dec 10, 2009 

9.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  10     

The food is authentic and they always have room for us. It's definitely a great venue. It's cheap and the food is tasty too.

Nov 24, 2009