An Noodles & Pho

After Khaosan Thai and Pho Akaushi closed in Santa Ana, new restaurants quickly moved in to take their places – so quickly that the old names can still be seen behind their replacements’ signage. Quickly following the February 2025 opening of the first An Noodles & Pho in La Mirada (LA County), this second location took over Khaosan Thai’s space in May, introducing a larger and more value-focused Vietnamese menu than Pho Akaushi’s.

An isn’t just a place for pho and spring rolls: it also offers garlic noodles, cool vermicelli noodles (bun), banh mi sandwiches, steamed or fried rice dishes, and cafe-quality iced coffee and tea drinks. Protein choices tend to be limited – various grades and cuts of beef and chicken are available across all of the carbs, with pork, bulgogi, shrimp, and/or salmon options for some of them. The only banh mi options ($7-8) are two types of pork or bulgogi beef; rice dishes cover all the protein bases, with zero vegetarian options besides the coffees, teas, and a cucumber lemonade.

The single biggest advantage An has right now is pricing. Sweetened iced tea and water are free and help-yourself; other drinks are $4 or $5, and each of the pho soups is $14 to $18 – most on the lower end – with unlimited noodle refills, plus a buy-one-get-one-for-$1 deal. Shockingly, the 20-hour beef broth used in the pho is really very good, as was the quality of all the meat variations in the $18 hour special, and the chicken thigh in one of An’s two $14 chicken pho bowls; the initial quantities of protein, vegetables, and herbs were all more than acceptable, with the ability to order as many portions of noodles as you desire. We wouldn’t call any of these items “best of class” locally, but they represented excellent value for their prices.