Pho Element
2216 S El Camino Real, 94403-1809 - San Mateo
Vietnamese
Verified Dish
Add Missing Dish
Contact Information
📞
Phone:
+1 650-212-1166
🌐 Website:
http://blog.phoelement.com/
📍
Address:
2216 S El Camino Real, San Mateo
📷 Photos (11+)
+3
more photos
more photos
Photo 1 / 11
100%
Google Reviews (8)
Another place to add on the list for easy eats. The staff is very attentive and the food was delicious. The place looks like it’s been more focused on pick ups rather than dine in, because it’s not so organized as how it would have been. But the staff is attentive and food came out fairly quickly. Definitely worth going back to. One thing that needs improvement is their cheesy clams as it was not cheesy enough and would have probably tasted better with cheese that melt rather than Parmesan.
Read more
Google
The imperial rolls here are wrapped in some kind of rice wrap before being deep fried giving them a really nice chewy texture. I've never had imperial rolls like it anywhere else. So good.
What I usually order at Vietnamese places is the pork rice noodle dish that comes with a crispy imperial roll and ask for rice instead of noodles. This way I get all the veggies from the noodle dish (usually crunchy bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, and pickled daikon and carrot). Some places don't give you veggies with the rice dishes or if they do it is only a little. The pork here is really tasty, especially over rice with a ton of fish sauce poured on top!
I also tried the sweet tofu with coconut slush and it was delicious. Very delicate sweetness, nice silken tofu, and a yummy fresh young coconut flavor.
I have only ever gotten takeout from here via UberEATS and the rice dishes travel really well. Good option for takeout.
Read more
Google
Okay. This place is not your average Vietnamese Pho place. It definitely mixes a healthy bit of Chinese, whether it is a fusion or influence, that is yet to be seen. I'm thinking Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant roots.
Either way, the food is fabulous. Authentic flavors representing both countries are evident. The noodles are "flat" pho noodles, typically pulled fresh rather than those sold in dried packets. It's rare to experience these noodles in the Bay Area. There are many pho joints but VERY FEW pull noodles fresh. The result is almost a silky smooth, no need to even chew, style of noodles in hearty broth.
I had the Curry Pho. Again, a unique experience where the curry flavors are derived from both Vietnamese and Chinese roots, but the noodle texture just perfects the entire bite you put in your mouth. The manager recommended this fried tofu which also was really interesting. Very hearty and savory and almost a home-style bend to it.
It is unfortunate that this restaurant is not in a more accessible location. It's right up on El Camino and no where to park. But that won't stop us from coming here again. 5 stars!
Read more
Google
The food was delicious, came to the table quickly, and the staff were super helpful. The pork was grilled to perfection, the Thai tea was delicious, and the pho was flavorful and plentiful (even a small size portion is enough!) Will come again next time I have a stop in SFO.
Google
The northern style pho is quite good, but I personally prefer vermicelli noodles. The broth had a lot of flavor and it wasn’t too salty. Spring rolls were tasty and fresh. The mango coconut slush was yummy as well. It was large for the price point. The condiments on the table were very clean as well. I would come again especially on a cold day
Read more
Google
Here we found a huge disgusting bug in our chicken soup. The manager came over to apologized and promised for a discount, but we ended up paying the full price.
Google
Huge portion, full of flavor, great balance between veggies and meat. They have a lot of seatings with distancing. The food came so fast.
Google
Ordered beef pho to go. The blood of the beef got saturated to the noodles. It tasted disgusting. Such a bummer because I used to come here very frequently :(
Google
📊 Compare with Other Restaurants
| Restaurant | Score | Tripadvisor | Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetzel's Pretzels - Hillsdale #2 | 70% | - | - | 0 |
| All Spice | 88% | 4.6/5 | 4.5/5 | 1,562 |
| Taqueria De Amigos | 76% | 4.1/5 | 3.5/5 | 306 |
| Jamba | 70% | - | - | 0 |
| Central Park Bistro | 82% | 4.4/5 | 4.0/5 | 842 |
| Snowee Yogurt | 70% | 3.0/5 | - | 2 |