Le Kok

Ga BoBun — placé à une table où il y avait déjà une famille, un long cheveu dans le plat, le poulet pas très bien préparé, un service très «il faut faire tourner les tables», les 3 serveurs ont demandé au moins 4 fois en moins de 10 minutes si «vous avez terminé? » :s dommage… Je comprends pourquoi il n’y avait d’attente à celui la :(

So, one of those great vestiges of French Colonialism is that the Metropole ends up with a population of immigrants from the previous possessions «coming home to roost», so to speak, and as such, you end up with some typically decent fare in Vietnamese, Laotian, Ivorian, Senegalese, Moroccan and Haitian in its national capital. Some of these cuisines are located in sketchy areas (say, St Ouen in the zones) that might not appeal to tourists, but you could find nice examples in the Vingt Arrondissements if you look around — Le Kok is located in the old Quartiers Asie on the 13e.
First of all, Le Kok is not, strictly speaking, the «best» Phở I have ever had — it’s very good, but not the best. I have yet to find the best, and to the palette of a New Yorker like me, it does not taste like the usual. It’s not the South Vietnamese phở style with its heavy Star Anisey/​Cinnamon hit and thinner noodles commonly found in the states, it’s Northern style — lighter on the herbs, thicker noodles and clearer broth (southern style sometimes adds things other than beef in there, sometimes chicken bones and who-​knows-​what-​else). How do I know it’s Northern style? It’s written so next to the entrance to the restaurant (in Chinese, though). This place is run partially by ethnically Chinese immigrants, and the menu has Chinese characters along with Vietnamese and French. I was able to order in Mandarin (I have a working knowledge). In a strictly French tradition, once you order the Phở the establishment would send you a plate of soup bones and briskets from the soup on the house, which is actually quite an innovation, since it gives you some assurance that it is made from scratch from real ingredients, and from a nation of Pot-​Au-​Feu (the classic French dish of boiled beef and vegetables in a flavorful broth), this is quite welcome. The beef is tender fatty and flavorful, and the bones have some marrow inside so you can definitely slurp to your heart’s content. The noodles itself is thicker than the typical Saigon style, but works well with the soup. The normal size Phở is plenty big, and the large is like a Parisian salle de bain for your face. The veggies are there on the table before you order, and it is strictly DIY.
I enjoyed my meal here, and my lady thinks that it is one of the better phở joints that she has visited. You should definitely enjoy savoring Le Kok.

Phở 14 ayant perdu de sa splendeur on teste les voisins restés dans l’ombré jusque là.
Le kok s’impose à nous puisque à deux pas de notre ancien repère à phở ET ouvert un lundi soir alors que beaucoup dans le quartier sont fermés.
Pas de dépaysement surprise on retrouve la même ambiance cantoche chinoise que l’on connait, l’accueil express et autoritaire, sur le coup, nous petit blanc attaché à l’étiquette, sommes toujours un peu choqués de cette attitude nonchalante puis finalement ça nous fait bien marrer, humm oui on aime ça être maltraités !
Relégués dans un coin sur une petite table de 4 déjà occupé par un couple à qui on impose un déménagement express de leurs affaires pour pouvoir s’installer, on s’atèlle à déchiffrer le menu.
1)soupe tonkinoise
2)soupe tonkinoise grande
3)soupe tonkinoise petite
4)soupe tonkinoise
5)soupe tonkinoise
6)soupe tonkinoise
…
Ahah l’humour chinois ! ou alors né serais ce pas un soucis de traduction par hasard? On arrive quand même à comprendre avec la serveuse que la 1) est celle avec les tripes (communément appelée la spéciale) et la 4) la normale juste avec le boeuf cru et cuit. Voila c’est commandé.
Petit défilé de feuilles de menthe, basilic thaï, soja et les sauces qui vont avec, un petit tour de piste et voilà les soupes aussi. Service express, il n’y a plus de place sur notre petite table de 1cm² en loi carrez, nems et assiette de boeuf compris.
Bön à savoir le kok est un des seuls restaurants à phở du quartier à vous servir «l’assiette de boeuf» à l’oeil, il suffit de demander et on vous ramenera sans sourciller un beau morceau de viande à picorer comme on le ferais d’un bol de cacahuètes.
Seuls les vrais connaissent alors shut gardez le pour vous.
A part cela les soupes sont correctes, bien fournies en viandes et nouilles, bouillon plutôt parfumé et à 8,50e pour le grand modèle c’est réglo.

N’ayant pas le temps d’attendre pour aller à Phở 14, j’ai choisi d’aller dans ce restaurant par dépit en me disant que qui sait, peut être le succès de Phở 14 par rapport à ses concurrents n’est qu’un effet de masse… Et bien non.
J’ai donc pris un phở spécial, un euro moins cher que chez Phở 14 certes (8 € 50 cotre 9 € 50) mais bien moins raffiné:
Un bouillon plus fort et moins goûtu
Des lamelles de bœuf grossièrement coupées, couvertes de gras et de nerfs, de plus difficilement mastiquables.
Des blocs de gras dans mon bol… D’accord pour faire le bouillon, mais pas dans l’assiette d’un client.
Un service résolument agressif et pas très agréable, bien que celui de Phở 14 né le soit pas vraiment non plus.
Vu la clientèle, peut être que ce restaurant est plus du goût d’un palais asiatique.
Bref, j’ai senti la différence et la prochaine fois, je né rechignerai pas devant la queue !

Très déçue par leur phở dont le bouillon n’a aucun goût. Même la viande servie en «apero «est meilleure. La carte est très limitée et le service n’est pas des meilleurs. Je né recommande à personne cette adresse.

Phở was absolutely awful. Not sure how this place got such high rankings. The broth was so flat I tried making my own seasoning from the peppers and hot sauces on the table. The broth was lacking that quintessential star anis and cinnamon flavor. I ordered the «Special» or «Diac Biet» phở and the tripe was even too funky for me!
I’d like to say I know a little something about phở since I am Vietnamese and have grown up eating it everywhere. I should have suspected something was «off» when the server handed me a menu in french and it didn’t even mention the word «phở.» I had to ask for a Vietnamese menu in order to order the right things.
It didn’t help that the servers sitting next to us were having their meal — and it was an off-​the-​menu item.
Would not recommend this place for phở in Paris.

Bonne première impression. Pas trop cher pour ce qu’il y a dans les assiettes et/​ou bols. Vietnam food bonjour.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to review this place since I mention it in my other phở reviews. Le Kok has the BEST phở in Paris, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind.
While I was studying abroad I lived in Place d’Italie which is just a very short walk away from Paris’ first Chinese quarter. The way I found this place was that my friends and I were walking around extremely hungry and something about this place just caught our attention. Maybe it was the simplicity of the place, or the fact that the soup just looked very warm and we were freezing outside. Well whatever it was I’m very thankful for because this became one of the places I ate the most often at in Paris. I would even come twice a week sometimes because its cheap, good, and the service is quick!
I have yet to find a place back in the States as good as this. The broth was perfect. It was so rich in flavor. The amount of meat was ridiculous! You would get everything from tripe to brisket but one thing that sets Le Kok from other places are the meatballs. They add so much flavor to the soup! And plus they’re very yummy. The noodles are the best ones I’ve come across. They are cooked to perfection and not too think nor thin.
The service is lighting fast! Within minutes after ordering you look up and there comes a little Vietnamese lady for a big bowl of phở. I would get excited each time I would see someone carrying that bowl of phở to my table.
I’m honesty so sad that I can’t eat regularly at Le Kok but as soon as I’m back in French soil you better believe that I’ll be back at Le Kok. I think I might even cry when I see that bowl of phở coming my way. It was one of Paris’ well kept secret for sure.

Also das Lokal ist schlichtweg genial. Kommen bestellen Essen. Alles schlichte und einfache Speisen bis max. 12EUR.

Première correction (demande envoyée à Unilocal), ce restaurant est comme ses concurrents à proximité (même groupe à priori) vietnamien et non chinoix.
Ensuite pour les plats, quelle déception. Le Bobun est fade, avec son bœuf trop cuit et curieusement odorant. Le Loc lac né s’en sort pas mieux avec sa garniture minimaliste et là aussi un bœuf moyen.
Mais le pire reste le sourire. Peut-​être l’ont ils perdu en voyant la file d’attente interminable chez Pho14 pas loin? Alors oui du coup on peut profiter d’une table à l’extérieur ici.
On se fait jeter les plats et la note la figure. Pas un sourire du début à la fin.
Pas grave, il y a suffisamment de choix à coté pour tester et comparer.

«Le Kok is so delicious!»
Sure, the name may sound obscene to those who aren’t in the Kok Lover’s Club, but let me present the facts to you up front: All it takes is one bowl of their taste bud-​kicking, party-​rocking PHO to get you in. We don’t have t-​shirts, but we have full tummies and happy bank accounts.
«Bank accounts?» you ask? What a strange way to start a Unilocal review! Well, we all know that times are tough and Paris is a parasite on your finances so consider this: I don’t know of ANY other place in Paris you can get a giant, hot, satisfying meal for LESS THAN 10 EURO that leaves you so full, all you want to do is lie in the grass and stare at the passing clouds for five hours. (10 euro is roughly based on a large bowl of phở and sharing a plate of fried spring rolls (nems) with a friend.)
Also, if you Googled «Best Phở in Paris» you will undoubtedly have run into rave reviews of Phở 14 next door. Simply put, Phở 14 talks the talk, but Le Kok walks the walk. Don’t waste your time like I did at Phở 14, where you can phoget about being impressed. In comparison, Le Kok is so much better and is simply underrated by the big name food bloggers and critics.
The service is fast, but expect a sizeable line if you get there once the lunch or dinner rush gets going. I’ve always arrived around noon or 7 pm respectively and have been able to be seated within three minutes. The servers are polite, as long as you don’t dilly dally with your order. For a Paris restaurant, it might feel a bit rushed, but given how fast the food gets to your table and the speed at which you will devour your meal, it’s no surprise that you can be in and out within 30 – 40 minutes.
Now, onto the meal…
Starting off your meal with the pork spring rolls is the best way to go. They always come out piping hot and look like gold nuggets just waiting to be deposited into your mouth. (Are these banking references getting out of hand? My bad.)
Important note: Ordering the spring wills will make you want to compromise and get a small bowl of phở instead of the large, but DON’T. GIVE. IN. You can have your nems and your large bowl of phở. No judgment here.
As for the main attraction…
The broth is simple and the perfect temperature, the meats are perfectly-​cooked, the noodles are the perfect texture, and the garnishes (basil, bean sprouts, lemons, etc.) are all very fresh and presented in ample portions. Every ingredient is there to make your day, so let them. Treat yo’ self. Personally, I like to order the Tonkinoise special because it has everything, but I’m certain that any version of their phở is a hit.
Now that I’ve gotten myself all riled up and hungry writing this review, won’t you go and have a bowl for me?
Yours truly,
Stuck in America

Plat principal, les soupes; mais fraiches et délicieuses; à très petit prix. Au croisement de la rue de Tolbiac et de l’Avenue de Choisy (m° Tolbiac à 100m). Toujours beaucoup de monde entre 12 et 14h; mais après ça se calme.

Im not sure why this place is so underrated. But ill make it very clear because I have come to really love this place.
THIS IS THE BEST PHO IN PARIS.
This was one of the places this year, that I am proud to say I stumbled upon my total accident. Every time I come in I order the same thing. Tonkinoise special. Its very similar to the Phở I am used to in Westminster and Garden grove with just one difference. It has these beef meatballs in them that add so much to the soup. I think the price is 7.30 € for the grande. But it is definitely enough to fill you up.
There are a variety of reasons I come into Le Kok. Its raining outside? Time for Le Kok. Im feeling a little bit under the weather. Le Kok will take care of that. Im feeling a little bit sad about something unexpected in life. Fuck Prozac, Le Kok will get me smiling again. To celebrate a victory, recover from a loss or my favorite reason, just because I havent had it all week. Yes, its Le Kok that beckons to me.
The service is excellent. I never have to wait more that a couple of minutes before Im squeezing as much lemon as I can into my bowl of Phở. I recommend it to everyone, especially my people from southern california, especially the LA and northern Orange County people.
Superb bowl of Phở with great and quick service at a good price.

Je né sais pas s’il arrive à attirer des clients anglais ou américains avec ce nom de resto, mais au moins la bouffe n’est pas dégueulasse du tout.

En entrant dans le resto on a l’impression que ça va être bon vu qu’il y a pas mal de gens qui y mangent. Mais la qualité est décevant et on a une ambiance d’être dans un cafétéria. Le service né pas très aimable et ça donne l’envie de sortir…