Here is a mega-review of a massively hyped trio of products that you’ve probably seen ads for on social media: Pholicious Beef, Chicken, and Vegetarian Phở Bowls You may have also seen this trio of products appear on Shark Tank, where they scored a well-deserved deal with Kevin O’Leary. Are these bowl worth the hype? Read on, or watch the video above.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 190: Pholicious Beef, Chicken, and Vegetarian Phở Bowls Mega-ReviewPholicious positions itself very differently from most instant phở brands. These bowls are made in the US, which allows them to use real beef and chicken in their broths rather than relying on artificial flavoring. To my knowledge, there are only one or two other instant phở manufacturers that have actual meat extract in the broth. That distinction alone puts them in a very small category within the instant phở space, but they also have another ace up their sleeve: a fresh spice packet that gets steeped with the noodles. The downside to this premium instant experience, of course, is price. These bowls usually cost around $5 each depending on the multi-pack configuration you buy, which is a big ask compared to the $2 instant pho packs you’ll find at Asian markets. The question this review sets out to answer is whether the quality justifies that cost.
Pholicious Beef Phở
When most people think of phở, this is the version that comes to mind. Beef phở is the benchmark or the flagship of any instant phở manufacturer, so if this bowl isn’t good, there’s very little hope for the other two the flavors. This is the variety Pholicious seems to focus on most heavily in its marketing, so my expectations are pretty high.
Sodium for the entire bowl comes in at 1700mg. Inside, you can immediately see where the cost is going. There is a bundle of medium-gauge flat rice noodles, a cloth spice packet filled with whole aromatics like star anise, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, and coriander, a proprietary powdered spice blend featuring garlic and other powdered spices, a beef bouillon mix containing actual beef tallow, garnish packets with cilantro and green onions, plus hoisin sauce and sriracha manufactured by Lee Kum Kee. Chopsticks are included as well. Everything except the hoisin sauce is gluten-free.
The cooking process is microwave-only. The cloth spice packet is added whole and left sealed, allowing it to steep like a tea bag. The aroma during cooking is immediately recognizable as phở, with warm spices and cinnamon leading the way.
Noodles:
These are medium-gauge flat rice noodles with a firm but pliable texture. They are not mushy and retain a nice bite, though some clumping is unavoidable with rice noodles. Overall quality is very solid.
• 8/10
Spiciness:
Without sriracha, there is no heat at all. With the included sriracha packet mixed in, the spice level remains mild and approachable.
• 2.5/10
Overall:
I’m impressed! This is the closest instant phở I’ve had to something you’d recognize from a restaurant. The broth is fragrant, layered, and clearly built from quality ingredients. The cloth spice packet is a genuinely smart addition, and the combination of spices, garlic, and savory beef depth works extremely well. It is missing the long-simmered richness you get from a restaurant broth, but that gap is smaller than with any other instant phở I’ve tried. The portion size is generous, the garnish packets are solid, and the quality is obvious. The price is high, but if we’re focusing just on flavor and quality, this product is well ahead of other instant phở.
• 9/10
Pholicious Chicken Phở
Chicken phở may be less common than beef phở, but it is still very much a traditional and respected style. This bowl follows the same format as the beef version, swapping the meat broth base while keeping the rest of the structure intact.
Sodium is identical to the beef bowl at 1700mg. Inside, the components are largely the same: flat rice noodles, a cloth spice packet, a powdered spice blend, garnish packets, hoisin, and sriracha. The difference is the chicken bouillon base, which replaces beef tallow with chicken.
Noodles:
Identical noodles to the beef bowl, with the same strengths and minor clumping.
• 8/10
Spiciness:
Once again, spice depends entirely on the addition of sriracha. Without it, there is no heat. With it, the spice remains mild.
• 2.5/10
Overall:
The chicken broth brings out the spice blend in a noticeably different way. The same herbs and aromatics feel lighter and slightly brighter against the chicken base, creating a familiar but distinct experience compared to the beef version. If you prefer chicken phở at restaurants, this delivers exactly what you would hope for. The quality is on par with the beef bowl, and the decision between the two really comes down to personal preference rather than execution. This is delicious.
• 9/10
Pholicious Vegetarian Phở
Vegetarian phở might seem like an oxymoron, but in the instant noodle world, meat-free phở broths account for 90% of the phở products you see at your Asian market here in the USA. Check the ingredients if you don’t believe me. This bowl has the same types of packets as the others, with one important difference in how the broth is constructed.
Sodium for the vegetarian bowl is notably lower at 1300mg. The packaging I got when I bought this bowl is slightly older than the beef and chicken bowls, but the contents appear consistent aside from the bouillon format. Instead of powder, this version includes a vegetable bouillon cube. The same cloth spice packet and garnish components are present.
Noodles:
The same rice noodles as the other bowls.
• 8/10
Spiciness:
No heat without sriracha. Mild heat with the full packet added.
• 2.5/10
Overall:
This bowl tastes closer to an artificial chicken broth than a pure vegetable stock, with the spice blend leaning sweeter and less savory than the beef and chicken versions. The lack of fat makes a noticeable difference in richness, and the licorice-forward spices come through more strongly here. It is still a good bowl, and easily one of the better vegetarian instant phở options available, but it does not reach the same level as the other two. If you are not vegetarian, the beef or chicken bowls are the better choice. If you are vegetarian, while this is good, I don’t think it justifies its price tag quite as much when Mama makes some excellent vegetarian phở.
• 8/10
Across all three bowls, the quality is consistent, not to mention surprising considering the state of most instant phở products. While none of these can fully replicate a long-simmered restaurant broth, the beef and chicken versions come impressively close. The price is undeniably high, but the ingredients, portion size, and execution justify it more than most premium instant noodle products. If you are curious about instant phở done right, this lineup is worth looking.
