First things first: while I have had Vietnamese cuisine before, I had never actually had a bowl of Pho. I broke by Pho virginity last night with Linh.
It was pretty much was I expected: a delicious broth with several pieces of rare beef slices (I can do without balls, tripe or tendon--it takes a drink or two before I can get more adventurous with eating animals parts) and those thin rice noodles. I don't like raw onion (grossest thing in the universe) so that was hard to deal with. But overall it was good. I could eat those noodles all day long.
Again, I can't comment on the broth in terms of sweetness or savoriness, amount of beef/noodle to broth ratio, etc. It seemed right and was exactly what I anticipated. I can't imagine any Pho fan being disappointed here.
I also tried these shrimp rice cake things. They were OK--about the right amount of "foreignness" for me . $5 got you a whole plate which was way too much for one person--only order these if you are able to share with others.
As for the restaurant?
Service was swift and efficient--although not really warm. (But what do you expect for a $7 bowl of soup? I think the lack of warmth makes for a more authentic experience). We were not rushed at all and took a long time.
Value was great. $12 for my two items. There is no way I could ever make this for myself at home.
Ambiance was so-so. Clean and well lit, not too cramped, but the acoustics were horrible. I could barely hear my date at times. Bathroom was clean.
Bottom line?
Very recommended if you can walk here. I would not come out for this place as I assume it offers nothing that you cannot find elsewhere in the city. But if I lived in the area, I would dine here on a regular basis, no doubt about that.