On previous visits, I had gone out of my way to avoid ordering the pho at Yi Shen, but it was a wintry, late December noon, and the wind was blowing in from all directions... I broke down. (Good choice, E.)
I was surprised to find that the broth (basicallyyyy the most important component in pho) was rich, clear & redolent of charred spices & beef bones. It was totally drinkable & it made my noon. I ordered a bowl floated with paper-thin strips of beef and chewy tendon, and topped it off with basil leaves, bean sprouts, lime juice & a dollop of Sriracha. =9 And for a few moments, I was transported back to the small Viet noodle shops I frequented in the Bay.
I'm used to bigger portions & fresher ingredients (the bean sprouts were wilting, and the 'fresh' beef was very likely freezer variety) but Yi Shen's pho will do in a pinch if/when you are in dire need of Asian food in Eugene. Heck, it'll do even if you aren't in dire need of Asian food, THAT'S HOW DECENT IT (the broth) IS.
Other do's and dont's: Do order the stir-fried rice noodle plates, which feature well-cooked veggies & an even, hearty distribution of meat over perfectly chewy noodles. Don't order the rice plates, which feature low quality rice that is simultaneously dry yet greasy. Inspect the roasted pork belly! It can be hit or miss. Sometimes the meat is juicy and the skin has just the right crisp... and sometimes it's roasted ten minutes past redemption.
I like the family that works there, but holy crap they charge a lot for groceries. I suppose a good portion of that serves as a friendliness tax- the uncle (a Vietnamese national who is Cantonese by birth & speaks Chinese, plus a bunch of other languages- someday I'll ask how he ended up in Eugene) is really nice. If you start up a conversation or ask him a grocery question, he'll talk your ear out as he helps you identify & locate what you need.
Bottom Line: *Grudgingly hands over a gold star sticker*
I was on the hunt for a good banh mi sandwich so I thought I would try this place. It was OK but not great. Â The bread was nice and chewy, the pickled toppings were fine. The problem was the meat. I got the pork and it was dry, in fact the whole sandwich was really dry. But the pork had this very strange taste I couldn't quite place, a kind of burnt fish taste, like maybe it has fish-sauce in the marinade and it burned? I don't know but I ate it, but it didn't leave me wanting to come back. The service was nice and fast and the banh mi was inexpensive. I may try again to see if this was just a bad day.
Review Source:Wow. And I thought the Vietnam restaurant was bad.
Note: This review is just for the restaurant.
I ordered the Dac Biet (deluxe). When I order what is supposedly the the top notch pho dish on the menu, I have high expectations. Unfortunately, because this is Eugene, I have to cut my expectations to about two-thirds because apparently people will throw a four star review on any bowl of noodles that claims to be pho.
I have to admit, I had my hopes too high. Someone told me they have really great broth (but the guy was white so that's that). When the pho comes out, I see an astonishing lack of beef. The beef that was there was ridiculously small. I'm not a dog; I don't eat kibbles of meat. And it was just ONE kind of meat. Anyone who's ever been to a real Vietnamese restaurant knows that when you order the Dac Biet, you expect at least three to four different kinds of meat layered on top of the noodles. Oh, and the broth was dark and mediocre.
If that's what the deluxe pho looks like, I would not trust this place.
I am always on the lookout for good Pho (seafood is my favorite). I was pleased that they offer Seafood Pho, but it is nothing to get excited about. The price for Pho (compared to other restaurants) was a little higher AND they charge a fee to use your debit card if you don't spend at least $10. I was by myself so I ended up paying the fee. Do yourself a favor: if you want Pho, go down the street.
Review Source:I'm surprised the rating is as high as it is...Perhaps it is for the quality of the market? (which is mediocre at best - though I'm from a metropolitain area with a high Vietnamese concentration, so I've experienced the good for sure) But the food is certainly not worth what you pay for (which says a lot, considering the prices). Their coffee is good, I'll give them that. But with the amount of experience I've had with standard Viet fare, I can honestly say that these guys don't do it terribly well.
The broth started off okay and was clearly put together and simmered traditionally over the course of a day or so - though it had absolutely no star anise in it (very standard flavour). I don't know WHAT they did but after a couple spoonfuls, you quickly notice a very distinct flavour of MSG and a LOT of salt. Way too much salt. Incorrect noodles were used for basic pho (which is odd, since they sold the proper type) though they were at least cooked well. Hardly any meats, and I had the deluxe. I think there were two pieces of tripe, one piece of tendon, two small slices of beef and two beef balls - the only amount there that's normal is for the beef balls.
My dining partner had the singapore spicy noodles (or some such thing, I remember singapore was in the name) which tasted very strongly of ginger. The image of this dish posted had a sauce on it, which was absent on his dish. His meal was actually incredibly grainy and he couldn't eat much of it because of this.
Not very impressed with the quality of the chopsticks provided (I opened six packs with huge amounts of splinters - very unsafe - before actually giving up, going in to the market, and buying a safe pair ) and I'm stunned by the use of a western spoon with the soup.
I will give them this - the people who worked there were friendly, and their tables were quite pretty, along with the outdoor seating. Their market selection was quite small but covers the absolute basics, so long as you bother to research the spices required for your dishes at home and are ready to do some digging.
Like the Yelp phrase says: "Yay! I'm a fan."
Yi Shen is a lovely family owned Vietnamese market and restaurant which recently moved to a new location on W 11th. The couple that owns it is very sweet, and they're always considerate about our food-related special requests, and my questions about Asian cooking.
My favorite dish is the Spicy Green Beans over noodles, with BBQ pork. If it's not on the special menu board, they will certainly make it for you on request. You can get any level of spiciness, and they've always gotten it just right for me.
Been here before, just never took the time to do a review...
This time I had the Combo Vegetable Soup (Vietnamese style - tapioca noodles). Â Delicious broth, goodly amount of chicken, sliced pork and 4 med shrimp. Â Could have been a bit move vegetables (after all, it was titled "Veg Soup"). Â However, there was mention on the menu that extra veggies were available for an extra fee. Â The dish was good! Â This dish could have been heightened by the addition of a fresh topping - say cilantro & green onion. Â Alas, it was still tasty.
The market is what I consider "adequate". Â A smattering of the usually needed items here, just do not expect a big selection.
The good first:
Friendly owners
Fairly well stocked, but then I was used to CA Bay Area, so I'm picky.
Clean enough.
Now, for my negative review about the pho. I've eaten it at least a dozen times (in the restaurant and take out) and liked it.
Yesterday---- ordered take out pho. When I settled in to eat it----- whoa! Where was all the beef? (I ordered beef and tendon, my usual.)
I 'think' there were two tiny slivers of beef in it, roughly the size of a quarter. If there were more, they were too small to see.
No Viet. basil. None. And just a sprig of cilantro. (If they had run out of basil perhaps a bit more cilantro?) Smaller than usual handful of bean sprouts. I think the same noodles.
Very disappointed in Yi Shen's pho.
Asian market and Vietnamese restaurant under one roof that is a treat for all 5 senses: sight and feel of all the exotic groceries and produce; hearing the sizzle of veggies being tossed in Ming's blazing wok; Â smelling the basil, pork, lemongrass and other ingredients from the neighboring table's entree; and the taste of delicious Vietnamese morsels upon your lips.
I've been coming here for years, when they were back at 11th & Chambers. Glad the business didn't relocate too far. The sweet and friendly owners are always present, working hard and welcoming familiar customers. The grocery store is a little smaller than some, but carries tons of stuff. I have found woks and kitchen knives, furikake seasonings, crazy seasoning sauces not from this continent, and an awesome snack of fried broad beans, which are crunchy, salty, and pretty much awesome with a cold beer.
As for the restaurant; the food is really good, there's a huge variety of menu items, prices are very reasonable, and most entree/rice/noodle dishes are quite generous in terms of portion size. Very casual atmosphere. I appreciate the love and liberal use of a variety of vegetables in their dishes. Several menu items offer your choice of protein, I highly recommend the roast pork or BBQ pork. The roast pork has a wonderfully crispy skin, and adds an awesome texture and flavor to one of my favorites, the spicy green bean over rice. Â As for the BBQ pork, they do a generous portion to-go; ask for the fatty or lean ends and you won't be disappointed, whether eating the cold slices out of the fridge, or chopping them up and adding it to your own stir fry or dim sum.
Can get busy; try coming at off-peak times or calling ahead. Love this place!
I've been here about three times since i've been in eugene. First time, my bf ended up here by accident while looking for a asian grocery store. This place is really unique. They sell hot food like pho but also sell Asian grocery food. Good selection but the store is small, but it is Eugene. Also the people who own this place is awesome!! :)
Review Source:woah. I did not expect the pho to be that good. Â I've only been there once before (which is why I give it 4/5 stars) but it is DEFINITELY worth a second visit. Â the place seems REAL sketch, but in some way it add to the authenticity of the restaurant/store. BTW it is also an asian market so while you wait for the food, you can browse the array of Japanese/chinese/korean/taiwanese/etc food/confectioneries. did i mention the pho is <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbomb.com&s=bb4f996415a9c2f21137e27cfb68f439a48cec2652b53e9b50dd7e766dbe177e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bomb.com?</a>?
Review Source:Mr. Lucy Kat was born and grew up overseas in various Asian countries including Singapore and Thailand. His mother is Asian and cooks great asian food. We come here about once a week to stock up on grocery items that we can't find at Market of Choie or other grocery stores. It's cool that we can have lunch before we shop! Mr. Lucy Kat loves the roasted duck dish, as well as the pho and pad thai and just about every other dish he's ordered. We have actually enjoyed everything we've ordered, and we've had just about everything on the menu at this point. I love the pho broth and noodles on a cold rainy day. The Thai coffee is good, too. Hubby always orders an iced Vietnamese coffee. The kids love the Thai Tea. I think my #1 favorite dish during the summer on a hot day is the cool and refreshing Vietnamese noodle house salad. So simple, so fresh, so yummy! The spring rolls are very good, too.
The place is clean, very casual, doesn't feel trendy or hipster at all (this is a compliment), has good seating, easy parking, and super nice people running the place.
Yep - love this place! I give it all 4our paws!! :)
It has taken me some time to warm up to this place and I don't know why! The owners/staff are so nice! The grocery store has tons of inventory. The food is really really good.
The Pho has great flavor and the herbs are always fresh. The pork fried rice is not as greasy as most fried rice and thus I am able to eat it! haha. It's so good. They bbq pork Bao and young coconut and about 50 other menu items. It really is a great place.
I love eating here and I suggest you go if you've got a craving for Pho!
Lets put it this way, I was obsessed with Banh Mi sandwiches when I first moved here. I had one experience at Yi Shen and haven't gone back since. They aren't bad, they just aren't in any way a good Banh Mi. Very small, uncrusty, covered in marinade and soggy vegetables. Pretty much the antithesis of what it should be. Oh well...
Review Source:Pho. Pho. Pho. You and I have had quite a good relationship and you have been good to me over the years. But now, now I know that I love you.
In Eugene it is actually quite difficult to find a good pho place and that is to be expected especially when there is not a large Asian population not to mention Vietnamese population. I've  scoured Eugene to find a good place to get some good pho, and Yi Shen is actually quite good. Their deluxe beef soup is quite good. I've eaten there twice now and each time was equally as good. Although their soup isn't traditional and some what tastes like it  comes from a box, it is still pretty good for Eugene.
They kind of skimped on the tripe and the tendon (my favorite parts) but they still had large pieces of beef. It was pretty reasonable and was still quite tasty enough. The service was good, but I do wish that they had the large white Asian spoons so that I can put my Hoison Sauce and Sriacha Sauce in it and mix it together.
The market looks small from the front when you first walk in, but it is actually quite large extending to the back portion of the building and even goes around toward the kitchen. They have a large selection of crackers and marinades and I was actually quite impressed. However the one thing that I did look for they did not have. (It was fish sauce, but then again, that is very very specific).
So I gave this place four stars. I WAS going to give this place three stars at first, but the market for this place was actually quite impressive and that is what tipped it off to the four star rating. The market was great and they have large selections, and their pho was quite good. Over all this is one of the best places to go in Eugene for pho if you're not too picky with traditional Vietnamese soup.
Happy Eating.
I go quite frequently to Yi Shen and the owners are super nice to me and always recognize me there now.
If you haven't yet tried the Crispy pork in the Hong Kong noodle dish, do it. I think you have to substitute it but it is so killer. The sliced pork is good but the Crispy is off the wall good.
All the soups are awesome!
Also they sell the tapioca balls for bubble tea which I made at home.
The place is Rad.
I had the Vietnamese noodle special with pork and it was great. Â Full of flavor and the pork was so good I had to get a pound of it sliced to go.
The new store is far more organized and a delight to walk through. Â I bought a flower tea pot for a meer $9. Â I felt as if I had just robbed the place.
The owners are truly friendly and a delight to chat with.
Yi Shen has, by far, the best Vietnamese food in Eugene. Â You can get all of the staples like pho, summer rolls, etc. Â They are also the only place in Eugene I know of that serves banh mi, and their's is great. Â They also have a number of Chinese dishes available.
I have been several times, and the service is always very fast.  At first I mostly went for the pho, but am very glad to have branched out some more.  Their bún thit nuong (vermicelli noodle salad) is excellent, with several different choices for toppings, including pork (bbq or roast), lemongrass tofu, and lemongrass shrimp.  I definitely recommend the lemongrass tofu bún thit nuong for vegetarians.  Their summer rolls, which are available with your choice of vegetarian, shrimp, or pork, are a great appetizer or even as a snack.  Their pho broth is great and you have a good selection of meats to pick from.  Their banh mi is delicious, and at three bucks a sandwich is definitely an amazing deal compared to most sandwich places!  Also worth noting is their beverage selection, which includes various Asian soft drinks and fruit drinks.  You can even get a fresh young coconut, which is a coconut milk drink you sip straight from the shell!
The environment is very casual,with an attached grocery store you can browse while waiting for your food. Â This has become my one-stop shop for Asian grocery items of all kinds. Â They carry a number of items you probably can't find anywhere else in Eugene, and all at a reasonable price.
Yi Shen is an excellent place to stop in and get a quick, filling, and delicious meal. Â They are also great for takeout, and you can be in and out in no time at all. Â Highly recommended for anyone who likes their Asian cuisine to be more on the authentic side, although they have plenty on their menu to satisfy those with more picky appetites.
To be fair I have never had any other Vietnamese food. I eat/make/live/breathe Thai food though, and this is pretty much just the poor man's version of it.
Well so they effed up several parts of the order (pork instead of taro steamed bun, thai iced coffee instead of tea) but at less than $6 per entree I am not complaining. I have never had real pho, only Thai knockoffs (IF YOU HAVEN'T TRIED YENTAFO do so now) but this was bomb and a great first taste. I'm a halfassed vegetarian/pescatarian and i certainly wouldn't recommend it to any strict veggie/vegans. I got the seafood pho with fried fish balls, shrimp, and squid... anything with fish balls is ok by me. Meat eater family loves this place; it's cheap, it's delicious, and it is worth going slightly out the way for. I also get a huge kick out of looking at/thinking about eating all their weird groceries. Preserved mudskipper anyone?
I recently moved from Seattle where pho shops are abound and restaurants try to lure you into their establishment with the promise of free cream puffs. Needless to say, when the rain started here in Eugene, I had to find some pho and fast. Sadly, Yi Shen's pho is just not cutting it for me. I was not impressed by 1) the lack of tasty standard pho condiments like thai basil, 2) the lack of meat in the pho (only 3 half-meatballs? really?), 3) the overall taste. I guess I'll have to keep looking for that perfect bowl of pho...
It seems like yelpers seem to like their rice dishes though so maybe I'll have to give this place another shot.
While the food is good, I can't bring myself to go back to Yi Shen again. Â Why? Â Well, let me tell you about my most memorable memory of this place. Â It was a warm summer day, my friends and I were sitting in the dining area when all the sudden one of my friends squeals and points. Â What's she pointing at? Â A little rodent! Â Yep, a little mouse was running around the dining area then made its way into the kitchen. Â Yes, I said it. Â Some people were freaked out, but most weren't too appalled. Â I was shocked. Â I looked at my lemongrass dish and back at the kitchen door. Â Did I just see a little mouse run into the kitchen that I just got my food from? Â Yes. Â The lady behind the counter said that the rodent just ran in from outside. Â While I'd like to believe that, I can't knock the idea out of my head that little rats and mice are running around in the kitchen. Â And who knows what else? Â
For the most part, I don't care about little creatures. Â Most places probably have some sort of rodent problem, but I prefer not to see it while I eat. Â Maybe rodents and little roaches just mean the food taste good? Â Who knows, I don't think I'll make it to Yi Shen anytime soon, at least not while the other pho place is just down the street.
I showed up just after opening one day with the express purpose of ordering their Singapore Noodle dish. It was excellent. Â The portion was smaller than I had expected but, then again, so was the price.
I got the food to go and it was well packaged. Don't forget to pick up utensils on the way out.
The atmosphere was awesome in that it wasn't very crowded. Â In fact when I showed up I think it was just me and two employees (perhaps owners).
I wanted to wander around in the store while I waited for my food but I wasn't sure how long it was going to take, although thinking back it probably wouldn't have mattered. Â Next time I'm going to wander around the store.
Definitely one of the best little mom and pop joint's around.
They are an Ethnicly Chinese couple from Vietnam (not that uncommon really) who run a great little grocery store and restaurant out in the burgoning sprawl of town. Â I've had some of the the best Asian fare in town there and highly recommend their bbq pork dishes & I wish (though they don't) they still made their steamed buns. Â Overall I love a little gem in the middle of sprawl . Â Chinese food is crap in this town & this as as good as Eugene gets. Â "Well, until I open something that is" Â & that isn't just a boast Chinese is actually my main cuisine.
There seems to be quite a debate about Asian noodles in this town, huh?
I've eaten Yi Shen's noodle soup a couple of times. The broth is good, but the beef pho was just okay. I'd suggest you try a particular special on their grease board - spicy ginger lemongrass chicken noodles. It's an excellent combination of flavors.
I've also tried the Chow Fun (Vietnam's is noticeably better) and a Vietnam-style steamed bun which was quite tasty.
The woman behind the counter is always friendly, and as a bonus, you can pick up some cwazy Asian foods from the grocery that shares the space.
I may be a bit biased because I'm such a whore for Vietnam Restaurant's pho that nothing will probably ever come close. The differences that I see are as follows:
1. Warning: those are not jalapeno slices on your plate - they're Thai chilies. Mistake them at your own peril.
2. I really enjoy eating the broth with the noodles from a deep Chinese spoon topped with chili paste and herbs. The large but flat spoons they give you here make this nearly impossible.
3. They also serve it with cilantro on the side but you have to ask for basil.
4. They're more expensive.
I may have to revise this review if I ever get around to sampling some of those amazing-looking roasted meats they have waiting for you under the heat lamps.
#7 chicken pho is awesome. I also like the spicy basil and tofu or chicken dish and they make a cabbage salad that's wonderful.  Usually the ingredients are fresh and plentiful, the flavors subtle and varied, and  food is not greasy.  A nice grocery and the couple who own the restaurant are so delightful and hardworking and it's really sweet how they remember customers who haven't been for a while.  A delightful neighborhood restaurant.  Inexpensive, unpretentious, tasty, Vietnamese food. Better (to my taste) than the Vietnamese food I've eaten in other cities.
If you have a large group it may take a while to be served as each dish is prepared to order.
Whenever I'm feeling under the weather, I start to crave the spicy ginger lemongrass noodle soup that they serve here. Â The last time I had it, I could have sworn that I felt my body getting stronger with every bite. Â Your results may vary, but give it a try and if nothing else I'm sure you'll agree that it's quite tasty!
Review Source:This place is full on delicious.
We went twice in a day, which (while slightly embarrassing) was only because the food was so damn good we just wanted more. Also, it's cheap!
The pho is delicious and really satisfying, and the fried tofu is really good as well. We'll definitely be back many, many times!
Had a bowl of ginger chicken soup with rice noodles. Â When I eat at a new Thai place I usually order Tom Ga Gai - this Vietnamese soup was like Tom Ga Gai without the coconut. Â However I'm on a wheat-free diet and though I wouldn't expect this kind of food to have wheat in it - it obviously did from the reaction I had. Â I'd have rated it higer except for the unpredictable wheat. Â Next time I'll try one of the non-soup dishes - there was a couple eggplant dishes that sounded good....
For a beverage you can have a whole young coconut with its refreshing coconut-water. Â The meat is thin but soft and creamy. Â
The restaurant opens at eleven a.m. Â Opening a couple hours earlier is the adjacent Yi-Shen Market, selling Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian food.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
