The owner is Doan Tran, who is Vietnamese and has worked in restaurants since he was 20 years old. He grew up in San Jose in a family that owned restaurants, he said in an interview, and has always wanted to open his own.
Tran was not planning to open his first venture in Los Altos but the owner of the previous restaurant at 200 State St., Tour Eiffel Vietnamese Restaurant, happens to be a family friend. He said he fell in love with the small-town, community feel of Los Altos on early visits and decided to take over the space.
Pho Cabin serves typical Vietnamese fare — pho, banh mi, rice plates, spring rolls — but Tran wants to specialize in pho and vermicelli. The restaurant offers eight different kinds of pho, including brisket, rare steak, flank, meatball, seafood, chicken and vegetarian, or diners can create their own pho.
Vermicelli bowls come with different proteins (pork, chicken, prawns, tofu, egg rolls) and lettuce, cucumber, mint, peanuts, fried onions and pickled vegetables.
Specials include a steak stir fry with vermicelli noodles, wonton egg noodle soup, beef stew and bánh xèo, a savory Vietnamese pancake with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts and onions.
Pho Cabin is open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.
