Great little hole in the wall. Very limited seating. I crave their iced Thai tea a lot. The pho isn’t quite as traditional as I’m used to, but this place does have some Lao influence also. Nevertheless, it’s still good and hits the spot for my comfort needs.
My partner and I drove from Boston just to eat here.The restaurant’s name caught my attention because the Lao word zap (sep) means delicious in reference to food and saying it twice in conversation means very delicious/yummy.When I saw what Pho Zap Zap had on their menu I had to check it out. It felt like someone had taken some of my favorite Southeast Asian dishes and turned it into a restaurant. I knew this cook knew what they were doing! And this restaurant is definitely one of those IYKYK kind of place.We ordered eggrolls for an appetizer. They came out freshly fried so it wasn’t greasy.They offer two sizes for pho, small or large. The small was more than enough for me. I could not finish the noodles. The owners boil the beef with bones in until the beef tendon is tender. Beef tendon becomes soft and glutinous after a long period of boiling. This gives traditional pho broth that umami flavor that makes it so good. A lot of restaurants forgo this process because it is time consuming. We opted for the Pho Vientiane and Pho Zap Zap.The broth was aromatic and not too salty. This is good for adding your own sauces/condiments and adjusting it to your preferred taste. At other places, when the broth comes out salty, it’s hard to add additional sauces (like fish sauce which has its own salt) for umami because that would make the broth too salty. They provide a variety of sauces on the table including beef paste! (If you know, you know.)The papaya salad was good. I could tell the papaya was recently cut aka fresh. Be cautious with the spice level you request. It is Asian-level spicy. lol Sorry, no pictures because we got it to go.PRO TIP: We got the Lao sausage to go. Ask them not to slice it up or else the meat will dry out since it was freshly cooked and still hot. Still delicious with some spicy hot pepper.The surprise find was the beef jerky. We ordered it to go so I didn’t know how good it was until we got home. I would have ordered a few more!!! It was thinly cut, sweet, a little nutty and a perfect snack. I think about it every day. Next time, I want to ask the owner to try doing a spicy version of their jerky. Bet it would be ah-maze-ing!Seriously the taste of home that I have been craving. Chef’s kiss!Things to know:There is a parking lot to the left side of the building that is available on weekends. Double-check with the owner before parking. Luckily we had already found street parking.CASH ONLY! No ATM on site.Seating is limited but maybe 8 people together comfortably.Time and effort, quantity of food is way more than what you’re paying for.The dishes are made as you order them. If you’re ordering to-go then order ahead. If you are dining in then know that it takes time to make fresh food. It’s a mom and pop restaurant, not Chipotle.The owners are Lao. Unfortunately, I didn’t ask for the wife’s name, but she is the cook behind all the delicious food. The husband did tell me they’re trying to figure out take-out (streamlining for take-out style restaurant) because that’s what the majority of their customers do.
Okay, so this place, THIS PLACE. Pho Zap Zap has the best pho I have probably ever had. ? It was so good and the staff was friendly. Next time you hunger for pho, GO HERE. You will not regret it.
Came by for lunch with my son we got khao piak sen (Lao chicken noodle soup) and raw beef laap. Friendly Mom & Pop shop with delicious authentic Lao food. Will definitely be back, Yummy!
I went with a few friends and watched as the owners lovingly made everything fresh to order. Everything came out very well cooked, so hot and fresh. We got egg rolls, pad Thai, laad na, and more. I was very impressed with the quality and would go back in a heartbeat.
First time here, ordered takeout. We had the seafood pho which was excellent! Very large portions, plenty to share. Comes with side of hoisin sauce and hot chili sauce so you can adjust the sweet and heat. Also ordered pad see ew, very flavorful! Egg rolls were generously filled and tasted great! Very nice couple running the restaurant :) Cozy dining area if you want to dine in. Looking forward to trying other dishes!
1st visit. Pho was good but very small dining area. They are mostly pickup or delivery. Was very busy. Open four months.
Nice small place my first time there and the food was great! Had raw beef laab, beef tongue & steak. The pho was great too. If your looking for good laos food I definitely recommend!
Nice little place. Remind me of great home cooking! Pho was tasty especially with the HUGE beef bone! Paa Seeweu was GOOD with that chalky smokey taste. Laab is def a Lao style...1 of a kind authentic food. Loving the place...will go back and try all the dishes...
Great spot with great selections! Lao-cuisine centric, but there are plenty of options to please anyone and everyone. I have yet to have something that disappoints and I often crave their food on a weekly basis!