Hannah Pham

There’s something magically healing about a piping-hot bowl of phở. The aromatic combination of charred onion, ginger and phở spices simmered for hours with meat bones will transport you to a place of comfort, warmth and satisfaction. As a Vietnamese person and lifelong phở enthusiast who has sought out the best phở in Vietnam, Australia, Europe, Canada and the U.S., I’m always looking for a heartwarming bowl of phở with a well balanced flavorful broth. When asked to give my list of the best phở in NYC, I jumped at the chance to go pro with my phở eating, so I ate at over 20 phở restaurants in seven days. I have been to most of these restaurants several times before, but it only felt fair to eat at all of them again and without their prior knowledge of this project to ensure accuracy in my phở list. My talented friend Veanne Cao joined me to photograph and share notes.  Some may describe this phở mission as “over delivering on a listicle,” but I think of it more as a delicious public service announcement where I get to live out my phở dreams. RECOMMENDED: See more of the best restaurants in NYC Here are my favorite places to eat phở in NYC.

Mắm is absolutely delicious with unapologetically bold and hard to find Vietnamese dishes like Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm (rice vermicelli with fermented shrimp paste sauce) and stuffed snails with lemongrass and pork. With its nostalgic decor and authentic food, Mắm makes me feel like I’m in Vietnam. Mắm showcases northern style Vietnamese food in a quintessential Vietnamese setting with red and blue plastic stools and metal tables. If you’re lucky, you might find phở on the rotating menu. I ordered the phở with brisket, flank and sirloin and got a side of crispy bánh quẩy (deep fried breadstick) to dip into the phở. The phở broth is light and flavorful on its own, but when you add a dash of garlic vinegar, your taste buds will be transported to another dimension. Slurp the slippery wide flat rice noodles with the broth and various cuts of beef for a very memorable culinary experience.  Time Out Tip: Perfect for adventurous foodies who want a taste of authentic Vietnam in a fun setting.

Phở Gà Vàng specializes in homestyle chicken phở. I got the signature dish, which is the traditional chopped chicken phở that is served with skin and bone. Dip the tender chicken meat into a lime and pepper dipping sauce and enjoy it with the balanced broth, rice noodles, onions, scallion and cilantro. The restaurant also serves a shredded boneless white meat chicken option, which is delightful and easy to eat. The decor is simple, casual and sprinkled with a collection of chicken jokes and puns along the walls. Phở Gà Vàng first opened at the Eden Center, which is a Vietnamese food paradise in Virginia. Luckily, Phở Gà Vang came to NYC in 2024 and immediately became the best place for chicken phở in the city. Time Out Tip: Perfect for anyone who likes chicken and soup.

Bánh is a popular Upper West Side Vietnamese restaurant with an exciting wide range of Vietnamese dishes not often seen in the city. On weekends, you can get bánh cuốn (steamed rice crepes), pâté chaud (savory pastry) and phở cuốn (housemade phở rolls),  I got the Phở Dặc Biệt and enjoyed it with a side of bánh quẩy (deep fried breadstick) to dip into the aromatic broth. The crispy chewy texture of the fried breadstick perfectly soaked up the light and flavorful phở broth. The decor is fun and bright, the staff are friendly and the phở here is fantastic and well balanced. I’m very excited to try their sister restaurant Bánh Anh Em when it opens because it will serve freshly made phở noodles using specially made equipment from Vietnam. In the phở world, this is a very big deal. Time Out Tip: Perfect for nights out in the Upper West Side with the kind of friends who are willing to share a little bit of everything.

Saigon Social caught my attention during its pre-pandemic pop-up days with its modern and delicious take on Vietnamese dishes and I’ve been rooting for the restaurant ever since. With a number of interruptions delaying its brick-and-mortar restaurant opening including gas outages and a global pandemic, Saigon Social and its owner Helen Nguyen has proved to be resilient and much loved by the community. I love the bánh bèo (steamed rice cake with shrimp and mung bean), garlic noodles, bánh mì burger and crispy fried fish with pickled vegetables. If you’re lucky, you’ll find phở on the menu. On the day I visited, the beef phở with ribeye and brisket was the soup of the day and had a deep flavorful broth with wide flat noodles and high quality tender meat. Saigon Social is not just a restaurant, it’s a community with warm and friendly staff. Time Out Tip: Perfect for fun loving people who love food and community. It’s the type of place that will get your mom and aunties dancing in the restaurant to Vietnamese pop songs. Well, mine did anyway.

Sen Saigon is very delicious and very vegan, but don’t let that turn you off. Sen Saigon more than holds its own for vegans and non-vegans alike. As the only vegan Vietnamese eatery in New York City, Sen Saigon reimagines Vietnamese classics with an innovative plant based lens. Every dish I’ve had here packs a punch of satisfying Vietnamese flavors. The phở broth is simmered with fruits and vegetables and topped with soy protein, king mushroom and fried tofu. It’s a cozy narrow eatery with only 16 seats, but is very charming with straw ornaments and flower-shaped hanging lampshades, hanging pothos plants, green decorative window shutters and a small vase of fresh flowers on every table. Sen Saigon has found a regular in me as a non-vegan who occasionally craves Vietnamese flavors without the heaviness of meat. I really love the gỏi ngó sen (lotus salad) and bún Huế (Huế spicy noodle soup).  Time Out Tip: Perfect for vegans and open minded non-vegans.

La Dồng is gorgeous. The interior design is stunning with an array of lanterns, lotus-shaped lampshades, floral wallpaper and a colorful mural of a lady in a Vietnamese straw hat. Everything from the warm lighting to the pretty floor tiles has been tastefully selected. From the owners of Pranakhon and Thai Villa, La Dồng provides a different twist on Vietnamese food. I got the most elevated phở option: Wagyu phở with Miyazaki A5 Wagyu and American Wagyu. The broth is ceremoniously poured out of a metal teapot at the table much to the delight of instagrammers. The texture of the springy wide flat noodles in this fancy phở was very enjoyable. I also tried the dry phở. With a sweet soy sauce, the dry phở doesn’t taste anything like phở, but whatever it is, it’s delicious. Time Out Tip: Perfect for bringing that person who will obsess over how pretty everything is.

This bustling modern East Village restaurant serves Vietnamese homestyle dishes inspired by the family recipes of husband-wife duo Jimmy Ly and Yen Vo. I got The Madame Phở, which is a southern style phở simmered for 24 hours with eye of round, brisket, meatball and topped with cilantro, onions and scallion. Everything from the broth, the meat and the noodles is flavorful and balanced. For the meat lovers, a large bone-in short rib can be added. Madame Vo manages to do it all: classic, modern, trendy, casual and suitable for group dining, dates, solo dining and take out.  Time Out Tip: Perfect for introducing homestyle Vietnamese cuisine to friends, dates and family in a buzzing and modern environment. I also love the nem nướng cuốn (grilled pork rice paper rolls) and sườn kho (braised caramelized spare pork ribs in coconut juice and pineapple).

Hello Saigon in Greenwich Village has been a long time favorite of mine for Vietnamese comfort food. Hello Saigon serves a delicious bowl of southern style phở. The best seller is the Phở Hello Saigon which has eye of round beef, brisket and beef ball.  The broth is clean and well balanced, the meat is tender and the staff treat you like family in a spacious, comfortable and charming setting with fairy lights. Time Out Tip: Perfect for a sudden and unexpected phở craving. One time during a group run, my friend Sam dined here without a shirt and the staff were totally unfazed. It’s that kind of relaxed and delicious neighborhood place.

This buzzing cash-only phở restaurant on MacDougal Street is popular amongst NYU students. College students come here to get a good and affordable bowl of phở to the sounds of chatter and pop music. It’s a quick casual place to boost your spirits. If you’re looking for a place to study or gossip with your phở-loving friend, this is not it. Saigon Shack enforces a $5 minimum spend per person to ensure that every seated person is serious about consumption. I got a hot steaming bowl of classic beef phở and was happily in and out of the restaurant very quickly. Time Out Tip: Perfect for stressed college students in need of a healing bowl of phở and who know how to use cash.

Nha Trang One is another longstanding phở restaurant in the Baxter Street strip of Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown. A family run restaurant since 1992, Nha Trang One serves authentic homestyle Vietnamese dishes. I ordered the Phở Dặc Biệt with beef brisket, eye round and tendon. If you prefer a lighter well balanced broth in a casual no-frills setting, Nha Trang One is for you. It’s also great if you’re on a budget because the phở at Nha Trang One is one of the cheapest in the city. With so many items on the menu to choose from and very affordable prices, Nha Trang One is a solid everyday choice. Time Out Tip: Perfect for anyone looking for a good deal.

This longstanding, casual, no-frills Mott Street institution offers delicious and affordable southern style phở that will satisfy all your phở cravings. With a recipe dating back to 1985, it’s a reliable phở with a light and flavorful broth. Phở Bằng is spacious, affordable and authentic with mom-and-pop shop vibes and an extensive menu. Phở Bằng serves 78 different dishes, including 18 varieties of phở. If that’s too overwhelming, order the #1 (Tái Nạm Gầu Gân Sách) which has fresh eye of round, brisket, tendon and omosa.  Time Out Tip: Perfect for large groups of disorganized friends who desperately need their phở fix.

This snug corner take-out restaurant on the upper west side shoves out your order from a counter near the bustling kitchen in plastic bags packed with plastic containers full of broth, beef, noodles, raw onions and a small baggie of basil leaves, lime wedge and bean sprouts. Don’t be fooled by the aggressive speed and efficiency—Saiguette has friendly staff and a delicious and extensive menu at very affordable prices. Whilst generally known for its tasty bánh mì sandwich, Saiguette also does a great takeout phở that is light and flavorful.  Time Out Tip: Perfect for doers in the Upper West Side who can put together their own phở from different takeout containers without complaint.