Artography

a week ago

"Pho Table — Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Sta Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 stars) In Bensonhurst, where Vietnamese restaurants tend to operate with quiet confidence rather than spectacle, Pho Table announces its ambitions plainly—most notably through its Vietnamese beef noodle soup, advertised as being simmered for an impressive 23 hours. It’s the kind of claim that invites reverence, signaling depth, patience, and the promise of a broth that lingers long after the bowl is cleared. Regrettably, the reality doesn’t quite rise to the poetry. The pho arrives looking the part, steam curling upward, herbs neatly arranged. Yet the first sip tells a different story. The broth, despite its marathon simmer, lacks the expected richness and aromatic complexity; it reads more like a polite, lightly seasoned clear soup than the deeply beefy, spice-layered elixir that defines great pho. It is clean, yes—but restrained to the point of understatement. The sliced beef skews slightly tough rather than meltingly tender, while the beef balls miss their hallmark springiness, landing soft and muted where they should be bouncy and assertive. There is much here that suggests care. The dining room is comfortable and unfussy, service is attentive without being intrusive, and the restaurant feels firmly rooted as a neighborhood staple rather than a showpiece. But in a city where pho has evolved beyond novelty, intention alone is no longer enough. Pho Table is a place of promise—one that gestures toward excellence but stops just short of delivering it. With a broth that speaks more boldly and textures that feel more considered, it could become a true Bensonhurst favorite. For now, it remains a respectable, if restrained, contender."

Dani

4 weeks ago

"This place is a hidden gem that I just discovered by curiosity. If you want to try real authentic Pho this is the place to go. I was seated right away the server was a young amazing lady who took my order really quick too. There’s two sizes small ($9.99) and large (12.99). I went for the large thinking it wouldn’t be too big but my my my that bowl was huge. I don’t complain though I love me A BIG BOWL OF PHO. I will be coming again."

Ha ZXC

a month ago

"I've been to this restaurant a couple of times, and it was quite difficult to get the waiters’ attention because they seemed more focused on their phones while the food was being prepared. They don’t seem very attentive to customers and only do exactly what is asked without much thought. Once, we didn’t receive any bean sprouts with our noodles. When we asked one of the waiters for a lime, he brought us only limes without noticing that we were also missing the sprouts, chili, and herbs. We felt bad about having to keep asking for things, especially since it was already hard to get their attention. In addition, I ordered a milk tea. Fortunately, I didn’t order it with boba, because the straw I received was actually shorter than the cup itself. I’m not sure if this is the only type of straw the restaurant provides, but it was quite inconvenient and unnecessary in this case. I’m also confused about the stamp promotion. When we asked about it, one of the waiters said it’s one stamp per bowl of noodles. However, even though we ordered three bowls, we only received one stamp. It would be great if the staff could pay more attention and think carefully about what they’re doing. The food here is good, but I wish tips would have resulted in better service. I'm starting to reconsider whether I'd come back."

Jian BL

2 months ago

"I was really hoping for a flavorful and authentic Vietnamese meal, but unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to expectations. The Vietnamese coffee was quite strong, but it lacked that smooth and rich body I expected. It was also supposed to have coconut flavor, but I couldn’t taste any at all — it just felt like a regular strong brew. The pork chop rice was underwhelming. The pork didn’t seem to be marinated enough, so it didn’t have much flavor, and the meat is not that tender. The spring roll that came with the rice was just average in taste. The biggest disappointment was the Vietnamese beef noodle soup. It was promoted as being made with broth simmered for 23 hours, which sounded amazing, but the flavor didn’t match the promise. The soup lacked depth, richness, and complexity — it tasted more like a regular clear broth. The sliced beef was slightly tough, the beef balls weren’t bouncy or chewy enough. Overall, everything looked decent but didn’t deliver on flavor. It wasn’t terrible, but for the price and hype, it felt underwhelming. Hopefully, they can improve the seasoning and make the dishes more flavorful"

Ri D

2 months ago

"Tried this new pho place on 86 street for the first time. The pho portion size is HUGE!! Definitely worth the money! The pho is delicious but the soup is a bit salty and lacks a bit of flavor, other than that the pho beef and noodles were good. I was told that the banh mi and the spring rolls were good. The summer rolls dipped in peanut sauce were delicious as well! We also ordered drinks. I ordered the Thai milk tea which came with boba with less ice and it wasn’t overly sweet I would say. Someone else ordered the brown sugar boba milk tea and asked for a little sweet but it was still very sweet to them. Overall, this is a good pho place! Staff are attentive as well."