Secrets Pho Noodle - Durham

I was excited to hear that you had opened a new location, so I drove to your restaurant only to discover that it was closed.

I was raised in Little Saigon, CA, so moving away from really good Vietnamese food was something I had to anticipate. I've been looking out for decent Vietnamese food since moving in and this definitely does the trick. Is it the best pho I've ever had? No. Did it hit the spot for days I'm feeling homesick? Absolutely. I ordered the deluxe pho which would be the equivalent to a pho dac biet. It didn't have all the bells and whistles of a traditional pho dac biet, but I had to manage my expectations as the Vietnamese community here is not as large. The broth flavor was delicious but the meat was a little dry and over cooked. Ambience was casual as this place was more like a take-out restaurant than it was dine-in. The service was great! A young man helped me navigate the menu and shared some of his favorites, including chicken pho. I would definitely return if I'm in the mood for some comfort food that is close to me.

The pho was so delicious and hot! The team was very efficient and attentive. I ordered the vegetable pho and the flavors were on point.

I always get chicken pho and it's super light yet filling. You get your noodle fix and some protein. My nutritionist would be proud.

After consulting with the kitchen, I was told that the pho could be made both vegan and gluten free. Unfortunately all other vegan options relied on using regular(wheat based) soy sauce as a replacement for fish sauce. I appreciate that they went through the trouble of trying to find an option for me, rather than just telling me no. While this was my only option at this restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! Typically, I find veggie pho to be bland, but this one was very flavorful. They used lots of spices to upgrade the broth from a basic vegetable stock. The veggies added to the soup were also fresh and crisp tender. They also gave me sriracha to add an additional kick, if needed. I would definitely come here again.