Mrs A – Hanoi PHO

I’m Vietnamese-​American but also pescatarian so I avoided this place but recently they added seafood and vegetarian options. I was let down.
First of all, I asked if the seafood option was the same as the vegetarian and beef broth and server said yes. No it was not phở.
My lady got phở and about 5 minutes in there was no broth not because she ate only broth. They went cheap, and so my girlfriends phở was the equivalent of phở ap chao. Essentially just phở noodles sautéed. Broth wasn’t rich, didn’t have deep flavor.
Also they had no hoisin or sriracha. Seriously?
If you’re used to Asian food then you’ll be disappointed. If you don’t know the difference then it’ll be adequate.

It was a cold, rainy night… and we were just looking for that warm, savory bite — and this place hit the spot. We ordered 3 Mrs A HANOI PHO. The portion was the perfect size. I loved it. The broth was tasty and the ingredients were fresh. The prices were fair.
We got our food in a good time and the staff was very pleasant. Solid Phở spot! And NO MSG, LOVE THAT.

I’ve tried three other Phở places in SouthBay (and I am sure there plenty more) but MRS A is hands down my favorite. I like to get Phở with rare beef. This is also my go-​to place and meal to help me get over a cold, sore throat, or congestion. It is packed with protein, feels great for your throat, and (if you have the spice tolerance) when you add hot sauce, and/​or the lime they give you, it makes you leak like a faucet and totally clears your sinuses. Be careful though, if you’re not sure how much spice you can handle and you put too much, you can ruin your whole bowl and make it nearly impossible to eat!
Also, if you don’t mind very sweet coffee, I highly recommend getting the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk, hot or cold. If you do, get it at the end of your meal, as it doesn’t go well with soup.
This place doesn’t use any MSG, I did not feel thirsty after eating their food. Try it.

Food — 5 stars
Ambience– 4.5
Speed — 5
Customer Service– 5
Parking — 5
Went here because of the reviews it got. Food was delicious. Better than 99% of phở that I’ve tried across LA. I ordered chicken mushroom, they gave me nice white chicken meat that was nicely shredded. The waiter guy was pleasant. Overall, if I’m in this area I wouldn’t mind coming here for quick, good phở. I didn’t care much for NO MSG but NO MSG is always better.

I was here last week for some Phở and it was yummy! We made a special trip from downtown LA. My husband had the beef and I had the chicken. The broth was delicious as usual and all their meat is so tender and flavorful! Whenever I have Phở somewhere else around my area, it just doesn’t taste right after trying Mrs A’s Phở, and yes NO MSG NO MSG NO MSG. The 30 minute drive to Rolling Hills Plaza is worth it.
I’m back for the 5^th time, but this time I’m here to pick up 7 orders of Phở packaged to go for our ski trip.

Authentic Vietnamese food by authentic Vietnamese people; not a Chinese or Korean imitation or a bastardized distorted fusion of Vietnamese cuisine like you usually see in South Bay area.
After reading the other reviews that questioned the authenticity of this restaurant, we had to try it out for ourselves. I’m Vietnamese from Hanoi and verified this venue is «phở real!» It may surprise you but all most Phở places in the USA are not original, they are Southern style+Chinese+Americanized (Yah you may think they are original but no, it’s like Taco Bell in the USA, original? NO SORRY)
We ordered the Hanoi phở and Mrs A Rolls. The phở was definitely authentic. The rolls were refreshing (btw you will only see this kind of rolls in Hanoi– Vietnam).
The price is higher from your usual Phở. But you get what you pay for, nothing is for everybody. If you check Unilocal and decide to give it a try, you should not complain, they are fully transparent about the price and you don’t have to eat here if you don’t like whatever they offer. My mom and grand ma love this place because of the high quality food.

5 stars for the Phở here! The beef broth is AMAZING — so rich and doesn’t even need any sauce to be added to it (Only put sauce in things you want them all to taste the same and if you want to ruin/​hide their bad tastes). I got the beef Phở ($ 11.99) which came with a generous serving of Angus beef. It only comes in one size but it was more than enough for a meal. The brisket was perfectly tender and fatty.
The place itself is pretty large and there was plenty of seating. The service here is ridiculously nice and attentive. We also got the rolls ($ 5.99) which tasted fresh. My Husband ordered the pork noodle bowl ($ 11.99). It was a solid dish but I would definitely recommend getting the Phở instead.

***IF YOU ARE VEGETARIAN I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE NO5– VEGETARIAN PHO (and just health conscious people in general)!***
The VEGETABLE PHO broth here is insanely rich with a smooth mushroom/​NON GMO Tofu flavor and not your typical MSG-​broth of cancer you get at a lot of Asian restaurants. They use the fresh rice noodle instead of dried noodle like other places (they call it «dried noodle» but it’s actually salt and powder like instant noodle you could get anywhere) And did I just say a vegetable broth is RICH? Phở is really one of those hearty dishes for when you’re sick or need to balance your diet. I had a fever and ate this to get my body going again and it did the job.
I’ve also tried the Mrs A Hanoi BEEF PHO which was also really tasty and non-​fatty/​oily. Again, very flavorful and healthy — I didn’t even need to throw in any sauce (they don’t serve them on the table anyway, who cares?). I would order this regularly.
VIETNAMESE COFFEE: It’s pretty good and pretty standard, but not from mix.
All in all, I think this is a no-​shortcut Vietnamese Restaurant with solid food and healthy options.

If u wanna try PHO, just don’t miss it! Tender beef and noodles goes sooooooo well with the gravy soup The most important of all, it’s at a reasonable price and easy to park ur car!

I decided to get some comfort food so I dropped by for lunch. I arrived at 12pm and there was already a wait list, but I only waited 10 minutes. As I opened the menu, there were only 6 items in the menu! Thanks God, saves me lots of time, and NO MSG, that was the best part. The Phở bowl was on the smaller side, which is perfect because I ordered a roll with it. Everything was tasty and made with a little more of a potent flavor (fish saucy) than your average Viet restaurant. Overall, It was an great Phở bowl with different flavor than other cheap Phở places (coming from a guy who grew up eating Vietnamese food, this can mean a lot).It hit the spot for the time being.
I was glad I came.

Okay, I love this place. The angus meat in the Hanoi Phở makes all the difference, seriously. And don’t even start with the Mrs A rolls, I can eat those all day and be a happy camper.
+Mrs A Hanoi Phở — I want none of that tasteless meat/​aged beef other phở places throw in their bowls
+Decent price, about $ 11.99 for a bowl, same goes for rolls
+Plaza parking is easy.
–Maybe a slightly longer wait sometime for Phở here compared to other Phở places that sling it out quickly. Don’t mind it though, it’s worth it!
Yum… craving it while writing this right now…

Amazing Northern Vietnamese food! I love coming here. There’s generally a wait here, but it’s definitely worth the wait.
— I often get the Mrs A rolls which comes with some fresh veggies inside and the fish sauce is to die for.
— The phở is solid as well, with a delicious, rich broth.
They’re a family run business, and occasionally close on holiday days, but definitely a must go.

I wanna say first that this is not the Phở cuisine you find/​expect in most Phở restaurants in LA.
Let me go straight to the point. The noodle is thick rice noodle like Chinese style, broth is beef-​based similar to the Chinese too. Beef is served mostly cooked. I specifically ordered beef-​on-​the-​side and it came nearly cooked anyway…
No herbs, no mint, nothing. Not even shiracha, they don’t have shiracha.
Taste? I think taste is OK and I believe the noodles are freshly made but it’s not what I expected.
May be I am just a fool who doesn’t know what’s northern phở or southern phở, but for $ 12 with a bowl of noodles, I think that’s pretty damn expensive especially for just lunch. Yeah, the place has a pleasant setting and quick service that might be good for dating, but who wants phở for a date?
I’d put $$$ because it is relatively overpriced for phở that costs $ 7 – 8 across L.A.

This restaurant has an interesting take on Phở. First of all, right on their window they have a big sign, «No MSG.» That gives you an idea about the focus of this establishment; i.e. a more healthy approach to this traditional Asian dish.
Inside, the restaurant presents a slightly upscale atmosphere with nice wood tables and chairs. The tables are well spaced so you can enjoy your meal without feeling too close to the other people dining around you. The service is friendly and efficient.
Though I definitely understand what they are going for in this Phở-​based restaurant, that idea itself leaves a little bit to be desired. For those of us who love Phở, what we seek out is a restaurant based on flavor. As long as the noodles are well prepared, Phở is pretty much Phở but it is the soup base and the way the meat, chicken, or vegetable additives, that accompany the Phở, are prepared that sets it apart. Flavor is the key to Phở. As such, virtually every Phở-​based restaurant provides the customers with a side dish of bean sprouts, sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and Mint which you add to form the favor you desire. This restaurant does not provide that. They only give you sliced limes. In addition, virtually all Phở restaurants give you the option of adding Sriracha and/​or chill paste to your Phở. Again, that is not offered here. So, for those of us who are drawn to a more spicy Phở, this is not the place to go.
This is not to say that the Phở offered here is not good, for it is. It is simply a very specific take on Phở and one that is not shared by virtually all other Phở restaurants. My advice would be that if they are going to prepare an intentionally healthier Phở that they offer a whole wheat based noodle or something like that.
Also, they do not offer the traditional Vietnamese based iced coffee or tea; nor do they serve beer. I feel these drinks are an essential elements to an enjoyable Phở experience.
Overall, the food here is good. You just need to know what to expect before you go here so you won’t be disappointed.

I’m always on a look-​out for great Phở, because I think it’s one of those things which you can find good ones easily, but great ones are hard to come by. So when I find Mrs A on Unilocal,I was excited. I was even more excited to find that it’s close to where I work.
One Friday evening, hubs and I walked in a little before 8pm. We were the only customer. We hesitated a little bit because we thought it might feel awkward being the only ones in there, but our server (didn’t get his name! but he’s the husband of the owner) made us feel comfortable.
We were hungry, so we ordered 2 bowls of Beef Phở (#2), 2 side salads, and a shrimp fried rice.
Beef Phở: I thought it was really good. The broth was super high quality and the noodle was so fresh! It’s definitely a step-​up from the instant noodles many places use. It’s a little expensive ($ 11.99) but you are paying for quality.
Side salad: This was a huge let down. It was just a few pieces of lettuce torn up and some paper thin carrots. That’s it. Way too over priced at $ 2.99.
Shrimp fried rice: This was a OK… It’s a side item so we didn’t expect it to be big, but the portion was too small. I don’t think they make it fresh either, it came too quickly and the rice was a little dry. Again, too over priced at $ 4.99.
I will definitely be back for their Phở, but they need to iron out their side dishes…

Definitely not your average phở joint!
First of all, their menu is pretty limited and there’s only one phở dish on their menu! But… it’s really good! The phở here is Northern Vietnamese style so it’s very different from the typical phở restaurants we are all used to. They don’t give you a plate of limes, cilantro, bean sprouts, etc. to add to your phở. But don’t worry because you won’t need it. The broth is flavorful, beefy, and already delicious without all those added ingredients. It came with a generous amount of beef and still tasted clean and light with lots of scallions! Perfect for a cold day!
Service was great! Our guy was really nice and checked up on us often.
Parking: free in lot. Located in a plaza next to Bevmo.

Mrs. A serves fresh, house-​cooked phở in the North Vietnamese style which, as the owners will assure you, is «completely different» than the Southern «Saigon» style that permeates the US and is familiar to most Americans. The most shocking difference, at least as Mrs. A presents it, is the lack of flavors and garnishes found in the Southern style: no bean sprouts, no lime, no coriander, no jalapeño, but loads and loads of sliced green onion. Also, the noodles were thicker and more substantial: not quite udon-​thick, but certainly not the stringy type you get at most places. I was instantly curious to try Mrs. A, if not solely from my excitement to try this style.
Now that that’s out of the way: different does not always mean better, and I admit that I prefer the style I am accustomed to. Without the extra flavorings, the broth tastes like a consommé soup. It is very homey (picture what your mom would make if you got the flu). While there’s nothing wrong with this, keep in mind the prices here, with tip, make this phở around $ 15, which I found to be a little high for plain comfort food. Still, Mrs. Hanoi has high ratings for a reason, and there are several things it has going for it which both justify the higher prices, and which I believe still make it worth a visit.
First, they use no MSG. Whereas most places whip up their broth in a matter of a few hours, supplementing it with MSG, Mrs. A makes it fresh everyday with all-​natural ingredients, which takes nearly 7 hours (or so I was told). The noodles are also shipped fresh each morning, as opposed to being dry-​stored. Any noodles that aren’t used that day are discarded and replaced with fresh noodles the following day.
Next, the beef served in the phở is high quality and easily the best part of the bowl. It is soft and delicate, and plentiful enough to last till the end.
Thirdly, the staff is awesome. This is a family-​owned establishment, and I enjoyed talking to the host/​waiter, who was kind enough to expound upon the differences and subtleties of his phở. (Not without disparaging nearby soba spot Ichimi-an’s broth-​making method, which I happen to love, however… grr)
ANYWAY, though Mrs. A has a lot going for it, and its intentions are admirable, it boils down to this: I paid $ 15 for a bowl of phở that I enjoyed less than the ones I usually get for half the price. If paying a premium for something that tastes fresher yet plainer sounds appealing to you, come in and make your own judgment.
Also note that there are very few items on the menu. The first time I went, the only main dish they had was the beef phở. I was excited the next time to see they had newly added a beef stew rice dish – but alas, it was disappointing. The meat, sauce, and rice were all just average in taste.

This is NOT your traditional phở that you typically get elsewhere. This is NORTHERN Vietnamese phở! Hence, the broth is a little different and the noodles as well. Their menu is minimal with only 6 items.
The broth is flavorful and the beef is tasty as well. The beef seems to have been soaked in garlic and other seasonings.
However, this place definitely takes advantage of the location! $ 12 bucks for a bowl of phở!!! Only near Palos Verdes lol.
Though the phở was good, I will never ever pay that much for a bowl of phở again in my life.

Phở is one of my favorite foods! I was super excited to see a new phở joint (next to Nijiya Market and BevMo) located in one of my favorite plazas. To my surprise, Mrs. A’s phở is different than what I’m use to. As many mentioned, no bean sprouts, basil leaves, or the usual fixings. This style phở is a different twist.
The meat was light and fresh, not quite thinly sliced, but still tasty. My teeth didn’t have to work so hard to chew. The noodles are thick and flat. My favorite part about this style of phở is the amount of freshly chopped green onions. I ate EVERY piece of the green onion! Broth is flavorful and NOT salty. My experience can be described as a home cooked meal.
Service was FANTASTIC! The waiter came by enough to engage in genuine conversation. Free ice tea with Unilocal check in. The tea was delicious. Sweet tea, but not in an artificial way.
Great ambiance if you want to have conversation and to be able to hear each other! Menu’s super simple, which I prefer because it’s straight and to the point. Price is on the higher side for phở, but I bet rent is also super expensive in this plaza. Best of luck to this new mom & pop shop!

Located in Rolling Hills Plaza near the Bev Mo, is the newly opened Mrs. A — Hanoi Phở! It’s been open for less than two months and so there might not be too many customers who know about this place but I can definitely say it is a place that one must try!
It specializes in Northern Vietnamese cusines which means it’s different from the traditional phở places folks may be used to. Their most popular dish here is the #2 or their version of phở. Northern phở and southern phở have distinct differents. Northern phở has wider noodles while southern phở has thinner noodels. Northern phở is more about the broth, beef and onions. It does not have any bean sprouts and does not have the fish sauce that is commonly seen in southern phở. I’m such a fan that Mrs A is introducing Northern phở to the South Bay. Their version is delcious and the broth is on point. The quality is superb with the fresh noodles and lean Angus beef.
The great quality is not just seen in their phở but in their other dishes as well. I tried their #3, the cube steak and this was equally as impressive. Once again the beef was of the best quality. It was so lean with no trace of fat. You could really tell they work on offering the best qualuty. They don’t skimp on their ingredients but instead have Angus beef that is of the best kind.
Checking into Unilocal,got me a sweet treat of free iced tea. The black iced tea here is really good. It tastes like Thai tea! It’s a perfect match to their delicious dishes. Our waiter was also gracious with giving refills!
I really enjoyed my visit to Mrs. A. I was impressed all around. The overall restaurant is clean and lovely. The service is attentive and courteous. The food and iced tea are phenomenal. It’s their dedication to good quality though that impressed me the most. They even have a «Mrs. A. warranty where if customers are not satisfied with their food or service, they’ll take care of the bill for items your dissatisfied with. I don’t think there’s reason for anyone to ever have to do that because this place is great.