Right off I have to say that if you're looking for fantastic Vietnamese at a good price, this is the place to go. Forget all your "pho reals" and "pho sizzlings" or the other "pho no. [insert number]s"--Pho No. 1 is the real deal.

Admittedly it's location isn't ideal (kinda far for all your FC-ers) but it's not bad either. You can get there via line 10 or it's a nice 20-30 minute walk from LouShanGuan on Line 2.

Walking into the restaurant, you would NEVER think it was Vietnamese. In fact, being from New England, it felt more like a nice country diner or soup kitchen back home. The place is decorated with wicker, porcelain plates, and those stuffed animals you get at a home goods store back in the US. Maybe it's the French influence? I don't know. However, the decorations are nice because it feels more homey (minus the plastic picnic table clothes you'd find at some food eating contest).

The service was great although they were quite busy. We were seated right away. They have seating for big parties and can split up tables for smaller ones, too. I sat facing the window where the food comes out of the kitchen and I have to say the kitchen looked quite clean, the chefs were all well dressed in uniforms and chef's hats. They also had a bar where they make different drinks, etc...looked like a tiki-hut.

The menu is quite extensive and seemed more like a fusion of Vietnamese and Chinese food, which might be to cater to the Chinese crowd. They only had 1 page of pho, which was slightly disappointing but read on and you'll see that it's not really that big a deal. We ended up ordering a pho (it was about 38RMB, smaller version of the really expensive one, which had tons of meat in it), shrimps with candied walnuts, vietnamese spring rolls, and a the steamed perch.

1. Vietnamese Spring Rolls: The best I've had in Shanghai or the States by far! The portion is pretty large and it's perfect for two to share. The rolls are long rather than thick, but this meant the rolls were tastier because there was just enough of each ingredient inside. The sauce was also awesome...not sure what it was--not the typical sweet or hot sauce provided.

2. Pho: my boyfriend ordered this. At first it looked like he got gipped on noodles but once he stirred in the bean sprouts, we realized there was actually a lot of food. I had some of the broth and it was divine--fresh and not oily.

3. Shrimps and candied walnuts: I have no words for this dish. It was perfection. I have never had better. First off, the shrimp were the same size as the walnuts (halves...literally halves...usually comes in quarters) and cooked perfectly. They weren't dry or undercooked. I don't know how they did it. Then the walnuts...holy mother! They had a perfectly candied shell covered in sesame but they weren't soggy inside as they tend to get when cooked with other items. Totally worth it.

4. Steamed Perch: Now, in the photo, this dish looked pretty bland but I was craving fish. To be honest, the fish was smaller than I expected (probably could serve 2 but no more) but it was so delicious! Let me explain--they half the fish and serve it in lime broth with some other sour / spicey items. It all comes in a dish that looks like a fish on top of a small burner so that it's still cooking as you're eating. If you're smart, you'll wait for the broth to heat up a bit before diving in (unlike me) because the infusion of the broth and limes is really surprisingly good.

The fish was tender and I ate the whole thing by myself (again, not a big fish by any means). The broth is good enough to slurp on its own. Note that the fish does take longer to cook so make sure you order something else if you're wicked hungry!

We didn't get dessert because we were so stuffed with what we had already eaten. It's too bad because the desserts have their own menu...I was sooo tempted!

I did notice that a lot of the other customers were getting the pinapple rice (served inside a pineapple) and also the stir-fry green beans, like what you'd find at a Sichuan restaurant. I didn't want to get those dishes because...I mean, how much better could they possibly be? I'd rather try something new. HOWEVER, I do have to say that everything that came out of the kitchen looked really f-ing good so next time I go, which should be sometime this week, I'll order at least one of these dishes ON TOP OF the perch!

Oh, and the bathrooms are clean and the sink in the lady's room is pretty nice. Just a little add-in for those clean freaks.

Overall, fantastic food, good service, clean spot. Definitely going in my "regulars" list!