A Vietnamese restaurant serving up steaming bowls of goodness has landed within the Castro Valley Market. And it simply so occurs it has connections to Le Cheval, the beloved Oakland restaurant that closed after 38 years in 2023.
Pho 5-10 opened in mid-July on the mezzanine stage of {the marketplace}, within the former spot of bar and restaurant Night time Owl. It serves pho, banh mi and different Vietnamese classics, with an emphasis on more healthy cooking and vegetarian-friendly delicacies. As the web site states: “Every dish is thoughtfully ready utilizing the freshest components and cooked with minimal oil and sugar, leaning closely on vivid, crisp greens.”
That very same web site additionally calls Pho 5-10 a “proud offshoot of Le Cheval — an East Bay staple with a long time of Vietnamese culinary legacy.” One of many restaurant’s 4 house owners – all self-described BIPOC girls – clarified over the telephone that “we’re superb pals with the folks at Le Cheval. We’re like household, however we’re not associated.”
The home-special pho appears to be like prefer it’ll fulfill the soul and stomach, plus some. It has Angus prime ribeye, flank steak, brisket, tripe, tendon and meatballs in a “fatty broth,” and is priced accordingly at $30. Most different pho choices vary between $19-$21 and embrace rooster and vegetarian soups. Diners may choose so as to add a further bowl of broth, which is stewed for twenty-four hours with natural spices and charred onion and ginger.
Entrees embrace rice plates with contemporary veggies and pickles and proteins like grilled shrimp and pork chops ($17-$18). These include a dipping bowl of bone broth and light-weight fish sauce. There are clay pots with numerous meats, sauteed shiitakes and bell peppers ($19-$21), and stir-fried rice and noodle dishes like lemongrass rooster and curried tofu ($17-$20).
A decadent-sound house-special banh mi pairs slow-cooked brisket with pickled onions and a “dipping pho au jus” ($16). Garlic-lovers may wish to attempt a Bay Space favourite, garlic noodles, or maybe deep-fried rooster wings with garlic or khoai tay chien toi (garlic fries). Different appetizers embrace spring rolls with grilled beef and banh beo chen, steamed rice muffins with flavorful toppings (shrimp, crunchy pork fats, scallion oil) and a chile-spiked dipping sauce ($12).
The house owners are contemplating including cocktails to the menu, however for now there’s each wine and beer like Asahi and Sonoma’s Bear Republic. Throughout joyful hour from 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, a 3rd drink comes free. On the sweeter facet are fruit-based sodas and smoothies, Vietnamese egg espresso and a dessert that escaped breakfast: a jade-green coconut-pandan waffle.
Particulars: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. every day at 3295 Castro Valley Blvd., Suite 204, Castro Valley; www.pho510.com
