" Try Harder "

Value for money		Suitable for...
The food		.. a date
The service		.. business dinner
The decor		.. with friends

Okay, so you have a pretty cool Taikagn Lu location, a restaurant with plenty of room, and a laid-back bohemian vibe and, a big menu with plenty of photos and good descriptions. Too bad that on my first visit I experience the least good Pho I have eaten in Shanghai, or anywhere that I remember. Isn't that your signature dish? You could try make an effort to get it right but:

1. Very bland soup, with no depth.

2. Tough, flavourless beef.

3. Tripe, brisket and other things clearly thawed and left in the defrosted water to take all flavour away.

I had some spring rolls with prawn and banana, that tasted okay, but they had barely a sliver of prawn inside.

It was a real disappointment! You could tell that noone at the restaurant cared about the food, or much else. The serving the staff spent my whole lunch swapping places at the computer to play Sim City or some video game at the table next to me, and the apparent owners/managers were just smoking in the entrance.

The Vietnamese beer tasted pretty good, but was served in a corroded can that must have been sitting in a damp shed for a few months.

Seriously, make an effort, or clear the space and give someone else a chance.

" Pho And More "

Value for money		Suitable for...
The food		.. a date
The service		.. business dinner
The decor		.. with friends

Besides being smack in the middle of TaiKang road, it's actually got a good section with lots of space (compared to other neighboring restaurants). The standard beef pho is well... standard. BUT their chicken pho is by far the best in Shanghai. Their other flavors such as the seafood or curry flavored pho is good too. Also, they make a gnarly family dishes, not at all Vietnamese but it's good. It's a chill place to go when the weather permits; especially a day after a long night out.