Kobe Bistro - Westminster

This place checks off so many requirements for a pho place, plus a bonus one I never knew I needed: Great pho High quality meat Super reasonable price Open late Takes cc mobile payment Bonus feature is they have nhau food like scallops, abalone, so huyet. So my pho-hating wife can still join me and get the seafood stuff that she likes.Menu is diverse, and I definitely want to try the rice dishes. But so worth the visit. Finally found our new go-to spot.

The pho was decent. The meat was tender and the noodles were pretty tasty. They did mess up the order because we asked for the flat noodle and they gave us the skinny noodles. The amount of noodles was less than usual and I wish they gave a larger portion. The broth was good and flavorful, but not as amazing as some of the pho broth that we've had at other local shops. They gave us the veggie additives which are sprouts, cilantro, but no basil and they only gave us one small plate of veggies to share.The decor is ok except that we got seated next to a foggy aquarium that didn't have anything in it. It was a bit odd. The chairs are metal so they are somewhat uncomfortable and the table is small. There are other areas in the restaurant with better seating, but there is only one booth. The part that was inconvenient is that their credit card machine was down so they only accepted cash, zelle or Venmo. The restaurant is in a outdoor plaza right next to a karaoke bar, but the parking is plentiful. I'd say it's a decent spot to go for lunch or a late night snack.

As I waited for my order, I lost my appetite when I saw a cockroach at the table in front of me. Overall, this restaurant is dirty. There's lots of dirty plates on the tables, unclean table and sticky floors. Also, the empty fish tank stinks. I should have known by the dirty smelly fish tank with no fish to be a warning sign. The waiter looked at me when he brought out my order. He thought I had a peanut allergy by the look on my face. I told him that I saw a cockroach on nearby table. He told me that they walk in by themselves from the outside. Seriously??? They should be no insects inside a restaurant. He went to the other table and couldn't find it. I really was not hungry anymore knowing the low health standards. I had to get my food to go and leave immediately. It is cash only. I had to pay by Zelle and was offered a small discount.I don't think they are up to health and safety standards. I'm not going to return. I ate my food in the car. The pho both was decent and the abalone was overcooked and over torched. I will not return. I can't even get my money back.

One of the best beef pho in OC!Pho Kobe Wagyu Got this for $16 and opted it with fresh noodles for $2 more. The beef slices didn't seem to be high marble level wagyu (or else it would have costed a lot more), but they still were a tad nicer and tenderer than the regular stuff (not sure if it was worth the upgrade though). What really made this pho delicious was the broth one of the best in Orange County (a place full of pho shops). At other places, I usually have to order a small bowl of liquid fat (taken out from making the pho) to add back in the bone marrow goodness due to how much they dilute, but here, the broth was cloudy and bold; only found better when it's homemade. I sample the bowl before adding any hoisin sauce, and it was surprisingly flavorful enough to eat just like that... but still added the sauce, and it became amazing. There was also a beef shank included, sitting in the bowl; too bad it didn't seem like wagyu.

Arrived at 10:50 am. Decided to wait till 11:15 am to go to the restaurant because they don't open until 11 am. Upon arriving at the door, I was confused because all the chairs were still up on the tables. The staff (prob the owner) said for me and my mom to just come in. He put down some of the chairs for us to sit. After looking at the menu for a bit, he came to take our order. My mom wanted to order bo la lot (beef wrapped in betel leaf), but he said none of the staff were present, so he had no chef to make it. The only items avail were PHo. Um...ok lol so my mom ended up with Pho Chin Gau Bo Vien. I was hesitating on whether to get the Pandan porridge or Pho, but since he mentioned there was only pho so I got Pho Tai Chin Bo Vien.The broth here was super hot!!! Like steaming hot lol it stayed hot throughout. It wasn't even in a stone bowl/pot. I would say pho was an 8/10. It would have been an excellent bowl if Tai (beef) wasn't so dry. The portion was a bit small. Also, if you prefer pho tuoi (flat rice noodle), it was $2 more.The review is for the pho and service only. I gave this place 5 stars because of the professionalism of the staff/boss.Place was short staffed, prob due to heavy rain or news of the tropical storm. The guy apologized for not having all the stuff from the menu. Also, he felt bad that there were no bean sprouts. He didn't have to give us a discount. Things like that happen here and there. I thought it was a nice gesture. Good business owners understand that a small discount to compensate for certain things is not a big deal. I would like to come back one day to try the other items.