Signature Pho

Pho Vital in the LIC Food Hall. I got it to go. Not my first rodeo. One of the phos available in western Queens. A bit pricey, but the "eat slow" combo came with an appetizer (fried shrimp rolls -- get the normal spring rolls) and a Thai iced tea. The signature pho comes with meatballs, raw sliced beef, brisket, and tripe. Every meat is good, and the tripe a nice touch, though I've had better meatballs. The broth is passable. It's spiced perhaps a bit too heavy, like some other NYC pho broths (though others can be a bit much, likely to mask a weaker broth), but it doesnt particularly stand out. It could stand to be beefier with a more balanced spice. But it does a good job of being an emergency pho. Since I got it to go, the broth came separate from the soup, and was still piping hot when I got home (I think their bags are insulated, a nice touch). No raw onions in the pho, which is a miss. An average bowl of pho, but a bit expensive and slightly disappointing. A good quantity of toppings helps. The sides are better than the pho. Would try the bun bo hue and bun cha in the future, but I've never heard a positive word about the banh mi.