Pho Tau Bay - Minneapolis, MN

The problem with the Twin Cities having so many Vietnamese Restaurants is that its hard to determine which are average, good, or great. I am glad to say so far, Pho Tau Bay is overall the best we have eaten at to date in the Cities.

As mentioned in prior posts, there are two items I always order at Vietnamese restaurants, the Pho and the Cha Gio (Vietnamese egg/spring rolls). Pho Tau Bay comes recommended as serving some of the best Pho in the area. This particular pho, Pho tai nuong ca (spelling? $6.50 large) consisted of sliced beef, flank, and tendon. The broth was clearer, simpler, and not as intense as I would have liked whereas Scrooge Squared thought the broth was better than at other locations. The noodles were thinner than usually served around the Cities. I felt this detracted from the heartiness and comfort that pho should have. In a future post, I will compare the pho here against the pho at other Twin Cities restaurants.

Bun cha gio thit nuong ($7.45) consisted of rice vermicelli, spring roll or cha gio, and pork. Because the spring roll was part of this platter, I had omitted ordering the spring roll as an appetizer. One bite in the cha gio - full flavored and robust- convinced me that I had to order more spring rolls. The pork was nicely grilled but just with a grill taste just a tad too intense for my taste. The combination of cucumbers, carrots, and fish sauce in conjunction with the vermicelli was a light refreshing yet stomach satisfying dish. This was a definite winner and one to reorder.


As mentioned, I was so enamored by the platter above that when this appetizer came I started eating before I taking a photo immediately after the appetizer came to the table. My initial impression was that this was the best of cha gio ($3.25) I had in the Cities but with the second bite, that impression changed. This was due to the skin which is more Chinese egg roll style with a gritty bumpy texture rather than the smooth textured potato chip thin wrap that I'm use to having. It still is better than most other cha gio I've tried but it is different in that it is heavier in pork department and is missing vermicelli in the filling.

The Com tam bi cha ($6.95) consisted of broken rice, grilled pork chop, meat pie, and shredded pork. Again the pork chop was juicy and was grilled nicely but a tad too grilled taste intense much for me. The meat pie was dense and tender with a wonderful soft texture. The shredder pork was a complimentary contrast to the broken rice. Individually the parts were good but the sum total was synergistic good.




The food here felt authentic, not as commercial or westernized for the Midwest palate. There was no "wow" or super standout when it came to the foods but the foods were all well above average. Everything was done right. The atmosphere was a comforting combination of homey and youthful. It felt like a total package and for that reason, it is to date my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the Twin Cities.

Overall Food Rating: 8.7
Scrooge Value Rating: 6.7

2837 Nicollet AVe
Minneapolis, MN
612.874.6030