Glenda Pho - Food (VIC)

5 /5 Aron Cranenburgh: Dropped in here for a quick lunch with the family. Had the wagyu beef rib Pho, with Xialong Bao. Food was delicious food, with generous portions and the staff were lovely an accommodating. Will definitely be coming back.

1 /5 Sharon Wang: I’ve been coming to Glenda Pho since 2012, back when Glenda was the owner. During those years, customers were always treated with respect and equality. The food was consistent and amazing — especially the pho. The noodles were soft and silky, and the soup had a rich beef-bone flavor that tasted authentic, not like MSG. After the ownership change several years ago, I noticed the pho tasted very different — more like strong MSG flavor — and I stopped coming for quite some time. A few weeks ago, my daughter and I decided to give it another try. Surprisingly, that night was really good. The pho tasted much better, and the two young men working were friendly, smiling, and provided excellent service. I returned a few days later. The same two staff members were still lovely, but the pho didn’t taste as good as the previous visit. I also tried the Hainanese chicken rice, which used to be fantastic during Glenda’s time. Unfortunately, this time the chicken was very tough and the rice lacked the fragrant flavor it should have. My daughter ordered pho again and even she said, “Mum, this tastes so different from last week.” My neighbours joined us — the fried tofu was delicious, but the salmon salad was disappointing. Today I came again for a meeting and ordered pho once more, hoping for consistency. Sadly, it was disappointing again. More concerning was the service. Two male staff members I had not seen before seemed to have a poor attitude. I noticed over 10 tables being served water, but I was not offered any, even though I was seated directly in front of the counter. When I went to pay, I politely asked why others were served water but not me. The staff member avoided eye contact and acted as if he didn’t hear me. Then he casually asked, “How’s everything?” I was honestly speechless. I don’t usually write reviews, but after so many visits, I feel disappointed mainly because this restaurant used to be so good. The inconsistency in food quality and the service experience really need attention. I truly hope management can improve and bring back the standards that made this place special in the first place.

5 /5 Sandie N: I’ve been coming here for years, and I will continue to do so. The food is amazing, the flavour, the smell, the textures… everything. The serving sizes are generous. And the prices are very reasonable.