Le's Vietnamese Cuisine (hereafter called "Le's") is similar to Muse Thai Bistro in the way that it can't figure out what the name of the restaurant really is. However, unlike Muse Thai Bistro, rabo has some of the backstory:
Back in 1990, a man named Mr. Le purchased an already existing restaurant called Pho Pasteur in the Chinatown section of Boston. He kept the name of the restaurant, but revamped the menu. Everyone went crazy over the pho at this resstaurant, so Mr. Le gradually expanded to three other locations (all also called Pho Pasteur) - in Harvard Square, Allston, and Chestnut Hill. Then (for reasons unknown), he decided that he wanted his own name as part of the restaurant name, so he changed the name of the three expansion restaurants to "Le's Vietnamese Cuisine," but he left the name of the original Chinatown restaurant as "Pho Pasteur."
Needless to say, this restaurant has some of the same issues as Muse Thai Bistro in the fact that their menus still say "Pho Pasteur," and their credit card receipts may still say "Pho Pasteur," and even when their credit card receipts say "Le's Vietnamese Cuisine," it could still post on your credit card statement that the purchase was made at "Pho Pasteur." However, restaurant naming aside, Le's is absolutely phenomenal.
The reason to go to Le's is for the pho. There are many other items on the menu, but really...go for the pho. Pho is a beef noodle soup, which consists of beef broth, rice noodles, sliced onions, and cilantro, and your choice of meat - they have many different combinations of meat to chose from, from rare eye round to (for more adventurous eaters) a mixture of rare eye round, well-done flank, tripe, and tendon. All pho dishes come in either a small, medium, or large size. The pho comes with a side of fresh bean sprouts and basil leaves, along with hoisin sauce and spicy sriracha sauce for you to add to the soup as desired.
The pho at both of the Le's locations reviewed here (Allston and Chestnut Hill locations) is really, really good. The size of the small bowl is enough to satisfy even a medium-sized hunger, and the large bowl is more than enough to satisfy the largest hunger. The soup is simple, as it should be - but you can make it more interesting by ordering a variety of meats, or by adding some spice with the sriracha sauce. What makes the pho even better is the price - around $7-8, depending on the size and type of meats included - which is an incredible price-point for even the stingiest eaters.
We would also highly recommend the fresh rolls, which rabo always orders as an appetizer. The rolls consist of shrimp and pork (although, you can order just shrimp or just pork if desired), with lettuce, carrots, and vermicelli noodles wrapped in rice paper, and served with a peanut dipping sauce. What is nice about this version of fresh rolls is that Le's always provides ample peanut dipping sauce in a larger-sized bowl than most other restaurants, which makes it so much easier to dip the fresh roll into the sauce instead of having to use a spoon to put the sauce onto the roll.
Service and ambiance at Le's varies by location. The Allston location has somewhat spotty service - you are generally seated promptly, but no one ever comes over until about 10 minutes later to take your order. There have been occasions where we ordered beverages (fresh made limeade, which we would also recommend), and the beverages didn't make it to the table until we reminded them that we ordered them...and this was after the pho arrived to the table. That being said, there has never been a true mistake in placing an order - whatever we order is what arrives at the table - it just might be late. If you're not in a rush, then the service at the Allston location should not be an issue. Ambiance at the Allston location also leaves something to be desired - the majority of the restaurant is made up of green vinyl booths which look like they haven't been replaced for many many years. The tables may also be a little sticky, and the restaurant is perpetually filled with college students, most likely due to its location on Brighton Avenue. However, if you're in the area, and you want a good cheap meal, this is the place to go!
The issues with service and ambiance at the Allston location are non-existent at the Chestnut Hill location. Service is prompt and courteous. The tables aren't sticky. The restaurant is surrounded by (fake?) plants nestled on the first floor of the Atrium Mall - a very serene environment. The only issue that rabo had with the Chestnut Hill location was the presentation of the hoisin and sriracha sauces. At the Allston location, these sauces are in squeeze bottles, which makes it very easy to add the sauce to the entire soup, by just squeezing the bottle and making a spiral shape over the bowl. However, at the Chestnut Hill location, the sauces are presented in small plastic containers with covers, so you must spoon the sauce into the soup, and then mix it in with your spoon or chopsticks. We realize that this is a small issue to complain about, but it is one small way that the Chestnut Hill location can improve.
Overall Rating (Le's, Allston): 8 out of 10
Positives: Excellent pho and fresh rolls
Negatives: Service could be more prompt, and decor could be improved.
Overall Rating (Le's, Chestnut Hill): 9 out of 10
Positives: Excellent pho and fresh rolls. Service is prompt and courteous. Great ambiance
Negatives: Put the sauces into squeeze bottles.
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