I put my life down that this is the #1 pho in SoCal. I actually want to say all of California too, but it’s been years since I’ve explored San Jose and cannot say too much about their pho as of late. But if so, the best in Cali! Pho 79 Restaurant in Westminister, CA has earned framed badges from Yelp almost, if not every year! The wall is filled with them! (I didn’t have a good chance to check out all the years). 

So what makes this place so good?? What makes this place stand out from all of the other million pho restaurants in the city and state? For starters, their broth is always fresh, flavorful and savory of the meats and bones (not to mention no use of MSG), but it is also for one special menu item. This used to be on their secret menu years ago, but I guess people have caught on and now everyone orders it: ox tail. 

You can’t have good pho without ox tail meat to accompany it. It just doesn’t work that way. It’s like cheating yourself of the potential goodness that ox tail brings to your pho. For just $3.50, you can order a side bowl of ox tail. Extra meat for the table. Tender, soft ox tail meat that just falls right off the bone served in their homemade, rich pho beef broth. Isn’t that just heaven in itself? 

pho dac biet – rice noodle soup with rare, well-cooked beef, tendon and tripe. I always order this because it has the variety of meat I love to eat in pho. And you know what else is awesome about this place? The steak meat? Isn’t overcooked. You can see that it’s still pink. Now that is what I’m talking about! I didn’t even have to order it on the side!! The pho broth was to die for. Just all of the rich flavors overwhelming all the taste buds in your tongue and your mouth, so warm and comforting. 

pho xe lua – 79 super bowl. And if you’re feeling really daring, order this one! It’s the same as above but extra large. This place has extra large option!!! No other pho restaurants have that!! You can’t tell from the picture, but this bowl was huge!! Extra noodles, extra meat, extra broth. More fatty in my tummy mmhmm

xi quach duoi bo – ox tail. Now this is the prize winner I was talking about! Look at that flaky meat! I promise it is more tender and juicy in real life than in the picture. Ox tail goes perfectly well with pho. 

Vietnamese iced coffee. They even have their own brand of coffee! It tastes like the typical  Vietnamese ice coffee in terms of flavor, strength and thickness, but not as sweet as Lee’s Sandwiches. 

che ba mau – 3 color dessert – red bean, mashed mung bean, agar-agar in pandan extract (for the green color), coconut milk. And what a perfect way to end the meal but with some subtle sweetness from a traditional Vietnamese dessert! 

If you think you already got a favorite pho restaurant other than this one or really like the one you go to, give this place a try and I promise you will fall in love and gain a new favorite! Pho 79 is the only pho restaurant I know of that serves ox tail. If you have not tried ox tail with your pho, you are missing out. This place will not disappoint! 🙂