Gao Restaurant

I stopped by because I was craving pho on a rainy day, and it was perfect. The hostess/server lady was incredibly friendly, and the pho had a rich, deep broth with generous portions. The Vietnamese coffee was so good too. It was also a great spot for dining alone. I’d definitely come back again!🫶

We stopped into Gao for a quick bite after shopping at Microcenter (love that it’s right next door!) and were in the mood for some good banh mis. We were seated right away and our server was super friendly. The inside has very minimal decor, super simple setup, but honestly, that’s usually how you know the food’s going to be good. I ordered a Thai tea which was delicious. We had our hearts set on the beef banh mi, but were told they didn’t have beef, unsure if it was just an inventory issue or if they’ve taken it off the menu altogether. We went with the pork banh mi instead, and it was absolutely worth it, great flavor, fresh bread, and just the right portion. That said, there were a couple of small sanitary things that gave us pause (my husband’s water glass wasn’t very clean and had g

All the critical ingredients ranging from old-school pho shop decor, pho pictures on menu, beef soup saturating the air, to a sundry of high-expectation pictures loaded on Yelp and GoogleMap, is setting up Gao to possibly be a great pho restaurant offering deep-flavored pho boals. Long story short, the pho broth was not clear, was murky, overall bowl and ingredients didn't compare well to other pho places we go. The other item, bun bo hue (spicy beef noodle soup), is not flavorful with stale-tasting beef broth & cube cut pieces of beef that ad zero marbling or fat making the beef dry to the chew. Additionally, both the siracha and hoisin sauces are refilled in their custom decor containers but the siracha sauce tasted watered down. We were hungry so we also ordered summer rolls and a b

Having been to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I would like to say that I am infinitely impressed with GAO. Firstly, not many Vietnamese restaurants here serve crepes. Other than in Vietnam, the last time we had a crepe was in Montreal's Chinatown area. The spring roll was so crispy! And plenty of accompanying veggies/herbs. These guys make sure you are full! GAO's crepe had that delicate crispiness, while being stuffed with goodness. The flavor is satisfyingly light and delicious. I had the Bun Bo Hue (another thing hard to find, but hidden as "Spicy Beef Pho" at other restaurants). GAO was accommodating to my 'no noodles' request (due to bariatric surgery). And their tendon was perfectly chopped and plentiful. I love the melting chewiness of tendon. I also love spiciness and GAO staff prov

It had been several years since my last visit, and I was eager to indulge in some Pho. I decided to try the Viet Special Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, which resembled Bun Bo Hue. The dish was generously topped with chili oil and had a flavorful initial taste. However, as I continued eating, I noticed a tingly and slightly numbing sensation that I attributed to a higher-than-expected amount of MSG, which isn't quite my preference. The Shrimp Egg Rolls were decent, but they didn't stand out. The service was satisfactory, although I found some language barriers with the server that made communication challenging. The restaurant's atmosphere was spacious and clean, but I believe there’s potential for further enhancement to create a more inviting ambiance.