A Vietnamese restaurant serving up steaming bowls of goodness has landed in the Castro Valley Marketplace. And it just so happens it has connections to Le Cheval, the beloved Oakland restaurant that closed after 38 years in 2023.
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Pho 5-10 opened in mid-July on the mezzanine level of the marketplace, in the former spot of bar and restaurant Night Owl. It serves pho, banh mi and other Vietnamese classics, with an emphasis on healthier cooking and vegetarian-friendly cuisine. As the website states: “Each dish is thoughtfully prepared using the freshest ingredients and cooked with minimal oil and sugar, leaning heavily on bright, crisp vegetables.”
That same website also calls Pho 5-10 a “proud offshoot of Le Cheval — an East Bay staple with decades of Vietnamese culinary legacy.” One of the restaurant’s four owners – all self-described BIPOC women – clarified over the phone that “we are very good friends with the people at Le Cheval. We’re like family, but we’re not related.”
The house-special pho looks like it’ll satisfy the soul and belly, 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 other pho options range between $19-$21 and include chicken and vegetarian soups. Diners can also opt to add an additional bowl of broth, which is stewed for 24 hours with herbal spices and charred onion and ginger.
Entrees include rice plates with fresh veggies and pickles and proteins like grilled shrimp and pork chops ($17-$18). These come with a dipping bowl of bone broth and light fish sauce. There are clay pots with various meats, sauteed shiitakes and bell peppers ($19-$21), and stir-fried rice and noodle dishes like lemongrass chicken 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 might want to try a Bay Area favorite, garlic noodles, or perhaps deep-fried chicken wings with garlic or khoai tay chien toi (garlic fries). Other appetizers include spring rolls with grilled beef and banh beo chen, steamed rice cakes with flavorful toppings (shrimp, crunchy pork fat, scallion oil) and a chile-spiked dipping sauce ($12).
The owners are considering adding cocktails to the menu, but for now there is both wine and beer like Asahi and Sonoma’s Bear Republic. During happy hour from 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, a third drink comes free. On the sweeter side are fruit-based sodas and smoothies, Vietnamese egg coffee and a dessert that escaped breakfast: a jade-green coconut-pandan waffle.
Details: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily at 3295 Castro Valley Blvd., Suite 204, Castro Valley; www.pho510.com
