Service and Experience
At Phonomenal, the service and overall dining experience are shaped by its unique setup and location within the San Pedro Square Market. Here’s what you can expect:
- Kiosk Ordering System: Orders are placed through self-service kiosks, which can be convenient but may lack personal interaction. Some customers find this system efficient, while others miss the traditional ordering experience.
- Fast Pickup: Once your order is ready, it’s quickly handed to you at the pickup window. Most customers report receiving their food within 10-15 minutes, though wait times can vary during peak hours.
- Limited Interaction: Since the ordering process is automated, interaction with staff is minimal until pickup. However, the staff is described as “sweet” and “friendly” when you do interact with them.
- Location and Ambiance: Phonomenal is located inside the San Pedro Square Market, a vibrant food hall with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The open-concept space is great for people-watching and exploring other food options while you wait.
- Wait Times: Some customers mention longer wait times, especially during busy periods. One reviewer waited nearly 40 minutes for a to-go order, so plan accordingly if you’re in a hurry.
- No Table Service: As a food stall within a market, Phonomenal does not offer table service. You’ll need to find your own seating in the shared dining area.
While the service is efficient and the staff is friendly, the experience is more casual and fast-paced due to the food hall setting. It’s a great spot for a quick, tasty meal, but don’t expect a traditional restaurant experience.
Quality and Consistency
At Phonomenal, the quality and consistency of the food receive mixed reviews. While some customers praise the authenticity and freshness of certain dishes, others have raised concerns about portion sizes, ingredient quality, and hygiene issues. Here’s a breakdown:
- Highlights:
- Authentic Flavors: Many customers rave about the rich and flavorful pho broth, describing it as authentic and satisfying.
- Fresh Ingredients: Dishes like the pork banh mi and spring rolls are praised for their fresh vegetables, crispy bread, and well-seasoned meats.
- Popular Dishes: The chicken katsu, shaken beef, and vermicelli bowls are frequently mentioned as standout items.
- Concerns:
- Small Portions of Meat: Several customers have noted that dishes like pho and vermicelli bowls come with disappointingly small amounts of meat, especially given the price.
- Low-Quality Ingredients: Some reviewers have complained about shrimp that wasn’t deveined and beef with excessive fat, which detracted from the overall experience.
- Hygiene Issues: A few customers reported finding hair in their food, raising concerns about food handling practices.
While Phonomenal has its strengths, particularly in the authenticity of its flavors and the freshness of some ingredients, there are areas for improvement, especially in portion sizes and consistency in ingredient quality. Addressing these concerns could enhance the overall dining experience for customers.
Customer Reviews
Review 1: “Overall this place is good and does a lot of business. Orders are done through a kiosk, but keep in mind this place takes PHO-EVER! I waited almost 40 min for my to-go order. Broth was still hot which was nice and the overall flavor was good. The location is inside San Pedro Square Market which gives you other things to do and see while waiting.”
Good food, long wait times, convenient location.
Review 2: “I ordered a pork banh mi and it was delicious! Fresh bread, flavorful meat, fresh veg. Not much service because it’s basically just a kiosk and a pick-up window, but sweet people!”
Delicious food, minimal service, friendly staff.
Review 5: “My friends and I wanted to grab food around downtown SJ, so we stopped by San Pedro square since there’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. I was hoping to get something warm since it was pretty chilly outside! Unfortunately, the pho at this place somewhat missed the mark…I got the chicken pho for $17 and it came with only a few pieces of chicken (half of it was chicken skin) and the broth was pretty watery. I selected ‘dine in’ instead of ‘take out’ option, and although it was in a glass bowl it also came with a plastic spoon and plastic bags for the bean sprouts. For $17, I was expecting bigger portions and way more protein in my pho. At least the service was okay and didn’t take TOO long to get our food!”
Disappointing food quality, small portions, okay service.
Review 10: “I’ve ordered from phenomenal many times. I usually order through a delivery platform but sometimes for pick up. I’m going to be very honest. In the beginning there were generous portions of beef in their beef pho bowls. I love the rich stock and sides they send to garnish like fresh lime, bean sprouts, hoisin sauce, spicy sauce, and cilantro. However, more recently they have cut way back on the meat and it’s disappointing. One of the things I loved about this place is the generosity of portions. Let’s be honest… pho at $16-20 a bowl is not cheap. I genuinely feel more meat needs to be in these bowls. If I were at a restaurant paying that price for beef tacos or some other beef plate… there would be generous portions. I have loved phenomenal but I’m not feeling the same way I did.”
Reduced portion sizes, good broth, disappointing value.
Review 12: “Ordered the vermicelli bowl and I will tell you this. Portions are small, barely any meat, shrimp wasn’t deveined and had the poop chute still on, and worst of all, there was the lady worker’s strand of hair inside… Like please that’s sad and terrible to be paying $20 for a mid tasting bowl, and be insulted with hair which I almost ingested. They need to be wearing food nets or tie up their hair because that shouldn’t be the case. Definitely won’t be coming back as that’s just poor food handling.”
Poor food quality, hygiene issues, small portions.