Ha Long Pho Noodle House

Visiting my Mommy Dearest and she wanted to take her to run some errands and eat Pho. Since we are in Kalihi we decided to visit Ha Long Pho Noodle House which is located in the Waiakamilo Shopping Center in Kalihi. Their combination Pho is great and packed with beefy flavor and spices not overpowering. Their summer roll was ok and seemed like it wasn't freshly made. But Mommy Dearest said it's okay, good to take out and eat later. Go check them out and support small businesses. Fast, casual, and friendly service. The food is good and the service is attentive.

Ha Long Pho is one of my "go to" stops when I'm home...and as always, the ono grindz did not disappoint!!! Summer Rolls: Very large!!! I don't remember them being as full as they were today...not sure if it was a mistake, or a new recipe. As I remember it was so fresh filled with crispy veggies!!! Definitely a 10/10!!! Seafood Pho: When it's an option, I always order seafood Pho! For those of you who know how to eat Pho, you know that beef broth is a must, no matter what style Pho you order. Most places I have to ask for beef broth as it often comes with a vegetable broth...but here, it automatically comes with beef broth. And the seafood was not chewy. I would have loved to see some other seafood represented (it only had fishcake balls and shrimp) but it didn't take away from the healt

We came to have dinner but noticed several things that changed our minds. The place has about 15 tables but half hasn't been cleaned. We only saw 1 employee taking orders and 1 at the register. Aside from the entire restaurant looking dingy, the restrooms typically will tell you how clean or dirty the kitchen is and we discovered the restrooms were filthy. After seeing this, we decided to walk out.

Unfortunately, Ha Long seems to be suffering through the same staffing shortages and inflation plaguing many businesses nowdays. My experience here wasn't what i was expecting. The broth was great, but for the price of a large I expected a bit more noodles and meat. Also, I prefer at least two sprigs of basil with that size of an order. There was just a short wait to get seated, but many of the empty tables needed cleaning and busing. The kicker was having to sip my broth from the bowl since all of the spoons were being cleaned. The staff was working hard, but probably just overextended. Hopefully Ha Long can improve and live up to their previously earned great reviews.

The food was good for the price. If you want pho in an old school dinner type experience, this is the place. Definitely a place for locals by locals. I live here but still got looks like I was a tourist. I will definitely go back to try other dishes and to get pho again.