The turnaround time of the pho and the other food is quite fast. It's fun to eat when there is a big crowd and your table is laden with food.

Chilled Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls | Goi Cuon (P185). Vermicelli, Carrots & Daikon, Fresh Herbs

Shrimp Lumpia was good but a bit cold. They put sweet baby tomatoes to give it a different taste profile. The peanut sauces and a sweet Vietnamese patis version are also good but a bit different from the authentic Vietnamese ones.

★ Vegetarian Salads | Goi (P185). Cucumber, Tofu, Vietnamese Herbs, Lime Vinaigrette

This salad was yummy because of the fresh vegetables and sweet lime vinaigrette. It's best eaten as a topping on the kropek but you have to pay for extra kropek.

★ SPECIAL NOODLE SOUP PHO (P365). Our beef pho with angus beef ribeye, braised beef, tendon

We love the PHO. The soup is hot, clear and with an interesting lime taste. I like the soft flavorful pieces of angus beef, and the special pho served with a special meatball combination.

The size is a bit big and you can split the pho on a self-service basis. Good thing you can request an extra bowl of Pho soup!

Saigon Baguette Banh Mi (P325).

Our classic sandwich is served on a crispy baguette with pate, pickled carrots and daikon, shaved cucumber, coriander, Vietnamese meatball, homemade cha lua and shaved ham.

The Banh Mi is interesting with its crispy bread, a flavorful pate in the middle, with toppings of vegetables, meatball and shaved ham. It's something different to try and a complete meal by itself.

Coffee Caramel Flan (P157).

They only have one dessert which is the coffee-flavored leche fan. It's just OK.

I'm not impressed usually with the dessert offerings in the Abaca group of restaurants. It would be nice to have a killer dessert just to complete the dining experience.

Finally, we got a souvenir photo with Chef Jason Hyatt with Aidan and Joshua!

Overall, we love the hip noodle shop vibe complete with the chattering noise and shoulder-to- shoulder environment. It's nice to sit in your own table for added privacy but the counter top has its own interesting view of the chef and the kitchen.

The Vietnamese food is simple with the chef's modern interpretation of the Vietnamese flavors. The quality of the ingredients they use are really good with yummy flavors. We love the Special Pho and Banh Mi. Skip the dessert.