Over Presidents’ week break, during my daily Peet’s study session, I noticed a new restaurant sign where Rubio’s once was: Bamboo Pho and Sushi. Instantly, I was excited. I love pho and my life revolves around sushi, so I made it a habit to regularly check the restaurant’s construction progress. The moment their doors opened, I was already sitting down with a menu in hand, ready to order. 

Bamboo Pho and Sushi has two menus: one for pho and another for sushi. I ordered their oxtail pho and sashimi salad. The food arrived quickly; the pho was fragrant and steaming with fresh garnishes on the side. When I first tasted the broth, I was blown away. I didn’t know a cow could taste like that. It was complex and vibrant; it instantly became one of the best pho soups I have ever tasted. The oxtail was the perfect balance of tender and chewy. The savory flavors of the broth and noodles were immaculate paired with their soybean sprouts, mint, and homemade meat sauce. 

I’m usually skeptical about sashimi salads, as there is often too much sauce or the fish is low quality, but this sashimi salad went above and beyond in regards to quality, appearance, and taste. On top of a bed of fresh mixed veggies, the slices of sashimi were laid out beautifully in a circle, with some seaweed salad and fish roe on top. The fish itself was really good quality, with actual sashimi fish slices rather than being random cubes of scrap fish. 

I talked to the owner as well, and he told me about his experiences working in restaurants – he had worked as head chef in multiple restaurants with different cuisines and knew how to cook amazing Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean food. He also expressed his love for cooking, saying that while their pho is $1-$2 more than other stores, it’s because of the quality of ingredients he uses and his time-consuming cooking methods, which contribute to the rich and deep flavors of the broth. He also gave me complimentary ice cream, a great way to end the meal! Overall, I would rate Bamboo Pho and Sushi a 5/5. Every single dish I tried (I went again) – the sushi, yakisoba, pho, sashimi, and tempura – was phenomenal, like a combination of all the best foods I’ve ever eaten were in a single restaurant! I’m already dreaming about the next Pho and Sushi I will have there.