Pho Dakao

–I came here some time for good phở ga. but the service is very bad, the owner need to stop his attitude and listening more, the food are just ok but the vegetarians” rau phở «is terrible. There were some insect «helicopter boozzzing «around the tables and the restroom is too dirty, too dark, the hand-​soap is mix-​up with water !!! So cheap. It was not sanitary at all. They need to improve more to better service to Customer. Specially for the owner .He need to listen to better service and respect Customer. Let see later! ²⁄₂₀₁₆.

I stumbled upon this place after trying to get phở at Phở Kim Quys but they were closed early and I am happy to have found it! I would say Phở Dakao is just as good of phở as Phở Kim Quy with better service. The phở is a bit different and reminds me of phở in Hanoi. They use fresh noodles and their broth is quite good but not as hearty as Phở Kim Quy. Definitely would recommend!

came here looking for a delicious bowl of Phở ga! it was a good bowl of chicken noodle soup, but definitely not the best Ive had in LA… but maybe the best in OC area.
located in a residential area, this place stands out like a sore thumb. plenty of parking all around it.
soup was light and flavorful. chicken was yummy and did not have much fat on it. loaded with green onion and onion slices. dip chicken into their ginger sauce and ahhh… satisfaction. rice noodles are the flat wide ones.
after you are done, walk up to cashier to pay. very simple and yummy.

This place has very good phở ga, and it was one of two places in Bolsa that I usually order from, but no more. Last night I ordered a couple of phở ga favorite as usual, when I got home and prepared to eat, it was apparent that the only chicken meat in both of our bowls were chicken wings. Four pieces in each serving equated to two wings. I understand that some people like the more eclectic parts of the chicken, and I don’t mind having it with at least some parts of the chicken with a little bit more meat, perhaps the thigh, legs, etc… Nope, both bowls were all wings, all two of them in each. To me, it was just blatant cost saving on the part of the restaurant on a quiet night. I will no longer frequent this business. Caveat emptor.

Love coming here when I am craving for «Phở Ga» (Chicken Phở). They serve fresh tender chicken — dark or white meat & all the innards (if you like them). Their special is the Phở Ga Kho (Dried Phở) which I don’t know if anywhere else makes them. The restaurant is small and shabby, but the Phở is what brings me here. So if you like the whole in the wall place, this is literally a whole in the wall.

I eat here when I go out for Café. pretty chill, i like the outside patio they have it is so breezy, i usually always order the Phở Ga here, the chicken here is always fresh, and clean, they give a very good portion for the price. the herbs are fresh. the broth is good,
A+ rating, will eat here again. I also eat at Phở Dakao at Asian Garden Mall, also good quality.

I always make a stop here whenever I’m in town. The place could definitely use a facelift, but that doesn’t deter me from coming! Love the dry chicken phở (phở ga kho). Food is cheap and service is basic.
On my recent visit I encountered a spider crawling across the table but I squashed it like a boss and continued about my business. No big deal, but not exactly what I wanna see when eating lunch.

The place looks poor.
The food is just ok.
Service is just ok
Tried the phở gà khô here and it is just ok.

1^st, they put A LOT of MSG! The broth is as sweet as sugar.
2^nd, I ordered a small bowl, my friend ordered a large bowl, we both got the same portion, except the large bowl has more broth.
3^rd, our bowl of phở, large or small, both got 5 small pieces of chicken in it. REALLY??? we thought maybe the chicken is expensive there, but saw in the Vietnamese market that a whole free range chicken only cost 8.50. That is extremely cheap compare to where I am at. We pay $ 15 for our chicken, and our bowl of phở here has plenty of chickens in it.
4^th, can’t eat phở without rau hue, ngo gai, and gia’. They gave us enough for a baby bowl of phở.
I would never come back and don’t recommend anyone to come here either!

This is a little gem in Little Saigon. There’s a bit of vibe of the authentic Vietnamese restaurant. For first timer, there might be a bit of intimidation. But it shouldn’t be. It’s a great experience.
Parking is pretty lax. I’m surprised that this restaurant is not busy at all.
Phở is pretty much their forte. However, if you want to try something new, try the Dry Phở Ga (Soupless Chicken Phở). It’s the dish to behold.
Definitely will come back again and again.

BEST PHO GA/​CHICKEN IN OC. Stop searching and just come to PHO DAKAO.
Being an OC resident for 10+ years and eating at numerous phở restaurants, Phở Dakao, is definitely the BEST by far — at least for phở ga.
The restaurant is kinda run-​down, and the parking lot may look skeptical — don’t be discouraged. This place is different. Small restaurant with about 10 tables. The chicken is served on a separate plate with a side of dipping sauce. The broth is tasty and light. AND, I love the noodles, it reminds me of fettuccini. It’s a little bit thicker than the usual thin noodles, which makes a huge difference. The service is fast and very efficient. This is my all-​time fav spot and I’m sure it’ll be yours too. Give this small business a TRY!

Ordered the phở ga. I would definitely return! The broth tastes clean and light – not fatty or heavy. The dipping sauce (ginger, fish sauce, peppers) for the chicken is delicious.
Service was fine. The man got our orders relatively soon after being seated, and the food came out impressively fast.
This doesn’t top my boyfriend’s mom’s phở, but I wouldn’t hesitate coming here for a quick phở fix.

Eating with the family, and my mom asked for some extra bean sprouts.
The reply, in rough translation: «It is what it is, just eat what you have!»
Doesn’t matter how good the phở is, there are plenty of other good places to go to, and that type of service and attitude is unacceptable.

don’t come here if you just want regular phở (like phở tai), they’re known for their chicken phở! Sometimes I get scared to eat phở in restaurants cause I always end up drinking 3 glasses of water… Because of all the msg they put in. BUT NOT HERE! I mean, I’m sure they do, but I feel like this place has a lot of good flavors in their chicken phở and it’s pretty healthy too. The soup base is kind of sweet and flavorful? It’s like, when you cook something for a long time and the sweetness from meat comes out? The chicken phở comes with the thick phở noodles and really tender juicy chicken. It’s not the shredded chicken, but it’s more like chopped chicken? And the price is unbeatable too! Be sure to put siracha in the phở for extra heat. Their fish sauce is pretty good too (to dip the chicken).

I went here for the first time to try their Phở Ga. I usually order the Phở Ga at Banh Mi & Che Cali in Fountain Valley where the Phở Ga is 50% off. Well, the Phở Ga at Phở Dakao wasn’t 50% off but it was at least twice as good. It was a very good bowl of Phở Ga. The dipping sauce it comes with was so flavorful. That was the big difference… the soup at Phở Dakao was sooooo much more full of flavor compared to the one at Banh Mi & Che Cali.
The only thing I’d have to say negatively about Phở Dakao is that their bathrooms are gross! Worse than a gas station bathroom. Also, the table in the dining area where I was sitting smelled like wet dog.

Chicken Phở
When I was a little my parents used to purchase live, free range, chickens, and butcher them in our pristinely landscaped, suburban, backyard. I am surprised to report that I was not repulsed into vegetarianism by the sight of blood squirting wildly from a squirming chickens neck as it was attempting to be neatly bled over a bucket. Instead, I was a curious child and would stick my finger up the dead chicken’s butt’s to feel for the hard shell of unhatched eggs. Yup, that’s what I did as a kid. Fond childhood memories.
When my parents butchered the chickens I found that they contained many developing eggs inside of them. There were clumps of yolks in different stages of growth. The whites weren’t developed in these yolk clusters.
I was happy to encounter the premature yolks here at Phở Dakao. They are served in the highly recommended chicken phở alongside chicken gizzards and liver. It’s an old school experience that all phở lovers should seek out. The restaurant could use an upgrade and cleanliness could be improved, but I guess that keeps it old school as well.

I am definitely a fan of their chicken phở aka phở ga! Get this, this dish is definitely their forte! Trust me, I was born and grew up in Vietnam ;) Seriously, this spots receives great reviews from viet Unilocalers and not so great from… non viet Unilocalers hahaha. We know our phở, and the authenticity of this place is viet-​approved.
My bf and I visit this spot usually after a night of *couch* etoh consumption. Always does the trick heh heh.
PARKING: tiny tiny lot in a seemingly residential area. Pay attention or you might get lost.
SERVICE: non existence asian service, eh we’re here for the phở. BUT I gotta warn ya, the restaurant’s facility needs some serious TLC. The restaurant is very old-​dated with old and sticky tables and chairs. The floor is so greasy I almost slipped the last time i was here (hence the subtraction of 1 star)
THE PHO:
–comes with fresh and tasty chicken (comes hainan style on the side too), I like mine in the soup
–soft noodles (phở tuoi) my favorite, it is the proper and traditional noodles for chicken phở ;)
–fair prices, after taxes is about 8 dollars a large bowl (dark meat and the mystery organs items hahahah)
Overall, I will continue to come here whenever my craving desires!

I’m sorry, I came here today for Phở Ga after reading it had the best in the OC and that was not the case. Like my first visit here the restaurant smelled of mold and mildew. The environment of this restaurant is so run down. It just gives you an ugly feeling being here.
I got my phở ga and it wasnt all that. I’ve had better. Left an odd after taste in my mouth. I’ve given this place 2 tries and thats it for me. Wont be coming back. Not sure what everyone sees in it.

Meh to me. I didn’t pick a winner out of all my selections on Unilocal to have our Orange County Vietnamese lunch on our annual Cali trip.
I wasn’t grossed out by the place, as many said it is dirty. It seemed fine.
The phở ga though and the beef phở were pretty bad. Flavorless broth and flavorless chicken. My guy said his beef phở was ‘alright’. Noodles were rather overcooked and there were a ton of them.
Portion-​wise: most gigantic bowl of phở and amount of noodles on the planet.
Cheap, fast and more than fills you up! I just need more flava!

After teaching yesterday, I was craving Phở. So, I turned to Unilocal and Phở Dakao caught my eye. Especially with the 4 star average.
I should have taken the hint that something might not be right because there wasn’t one single customer in the place when I arrived. But, I trusted …
Now, the broth was good and piping hot. As you can see from the pics, tons of meat. The problem was the noodles. It was a clump of noodles that when I tried to separate, just shredded into bits and pieces. I ended up having to use the soup spoon like a shovel. That bugged me but the worst was yet to come.
While riding home (motorcycle), I hadn’t even made it halfway before whatever was bad in the Phở hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought I might have to stop however, I was able to hold down things down and in.
Thanks Phở Dakao … at least I’ll drop a few pounds after my recovery.