Pho 628

I loved this place but went there today and found it closed– looks like permanently.

Nothing has ever gone wrong here (touch woooood!) for a dinner date, quick lunch and even when i feel «Oh-I-don’t-want-to-cook» sometimes. I have been here so many times I’ve stopped counting. The food is very enjoyable. what makes it a 5 star for me is that fact that the waitresses are very attentive. I don’t really like to drink anything apart from water, so I’ve noticed they just appear out of nowhere and BOOOM! THEY’D REFILL. you needn’t have to call for them etc. its very nice of them.
Also, my first impression was that, when they notice youve ordered one of the exotic type from the menu, they would kindly advice you what’s the best way to eat your meal and what sauce or sides (the ones included) would go well with it in order to enjoy your meal :) again very nice.
I would recommend you try the special PHO. It truly defines what a noodle soup should be like. :)

As other reviewers have noted, this restaurant has had a few changes in ownership in the past year, but with the fierce competition with several similar cuisines in a small area, Vietnamese food was a perfect choice to balance out the Korean and Chinese restaurants. You can get a glimpse of the kitchen and the cooking from just standing outside and nosily peering in. like I did, until I was welcomed in by the waitress.
I went with my friend on a Thursday evening at around 9pm, probably missing the peak period, but if you do have a choice try and seat yourselves away from the bamboo wall thing, which is by the toilets. Not only is there a draft, but an awful. you get the picture !
Onto the menu; all the classics from banh mi, summer rolls to bunh classics and phở. We ordered the prawn and pork summer roll as a starter. The summer roll itself was wrapped in delicate rice paper, with the right amount of herbs and vermicelli noodles, but the main ingredients were lacking. The prawns definitely added the right colour and appearance, but often seen in restaurants, the prawns were sliced in half, taking away from the slight crunch and texture. On top of this, the pork was dry and lacking in flavour. The peanut sauce was slightly too sweet, so top up with some spicy siracha sauce to balance it out.
The salt and pepper squid was good, and would be one to definitely order. The batter was crispy and the squid was cooked well. It can be quite garlicky, so watch out !
For main we shared the bo luc lac, the shaking beef, or beef on salad. The beef was ever so slightly chewy, but some pieces were cooked perfectly. The beef will be medium rare, so if this is not your liking, do let them know beforehand ! — The sauce covering the salad combined with the juices from the beef itself worked really well, and Id be happy to order this as a takeaway when I have a craving for some Kingsland Road style shaking beef.
All in all, some words of advice, try and read out the Vietnamese names of the dishes rather than order them in English. that way, maybe next time I do it, they will be used to it and not give me odd looks. Also if you are a local then do try it out for the main dishes more so than the starters. If you are not local, then either stick to Kingsland Road in East, or West Hampstead’s Ladudu.

I looooove this place! :)
I walked in here and brought a group of my friends without knowing anything about this place and I am SO glad I did! We had a fantastic evening here with delicious food, pretty surroundings, and great service. I started with the chicken corn soup, which was frankly the best I’ve had in London. The chef here really knows how to prepare it so it has the proper consistency, not too thin, not too thick, full of delicious flavour and doesn’t taste of only cornstarch.
The salt and pepper prawn appetiser also really delivered and each morsel was a burst of goodness in my mouth. I have also had it as takeaway, but I think this dish tastes much better freshly made when you are eating in.
As the name suggests, this place knows it’s phở and this felt like my first really good phở in London. The noodles were perfect, not too hard or soft, and the broth was full of exotic flavour but it was balanced well. I can’t always have a big bowl of soup for dinner though, but on this chilly night it was exactly what I needed.
This was also the first time I have ever liked boba tea. Usually, I can’t deal with the tapioca bubbles, but the taro flavoured tea here was light and good.
We also tried the noodles which were nothing special and some other dishes, but the ones I’ve already mentioned are the things that really stood out for me. The staff here were very friendly and helpful and I really appreciated it. When I came for takeaway they really tried hard to make sure my food was packed in the best way to make it easy for me to carry. Little things like that really make you feel good about a place. I will definitely be coming back here!

The restaurant located at the address probably has changed hand three times in the past year, from Japanese, Chinese, to now a Vietnamese restaurant called Phở 628. Quite a cute name, with phở meaning the most classic, ubiquitous Vietnamese rice noodle soup dish. As a local who lives around there and has witnessed the various restaurant incarnations, I must admit I like the current Vietnamese best. The menu is reasonably-​priced, rather extensive, full of authentic Vietnamese dishes. Nothing too fancy but all very warming, homemade cooking style. The menu said the head chef is a Vietnamese local who’s had over 10 years of professional cooking experience. I really like this place, and am glad that I no longer have to travel far to central London or East London (Kingsland Road) for authentic, delicious Vietnamese food!