Okay, I know pho is actually pronounced “fuh” but it’s fun to pretend it rhymes with the name of this new, delicious restaurant in Park Road shopping center.

The first time I tried to go to CO was at 6 PM on a Friday night. The wait was an hour and ten minutes. The hangry person in me was bound to come out if I waited that long to eat so I had to pass. But my craving was still there so we returned for lunch the next day and were promptly seated.

I get hangry a lot so I immediately ordered an appetizer: the fresh summer rolls with shrimp and pork. I’ve never had them with pork so this was an exciting twist. They were very tasty, especially with the burst of mint in every other bite.

I ordered the Beef Pho and my date selected the Vietnamese Ramen. I added jalapenos to my pho because the menu did not state that they were included, but boy did they load me up with jalapenos! I also asked for extra sriracha as they bring a bowl that is half sriracha and half hoisin sauce and I like my food kind of spicy.

We were seated quickly, our appetizer and entrees came out timely and overall the service was great. I sat for a few minutes with an empty water glass after possibly adding too much sriracha to my broth but it wasn’t an unbearable amount of time.

I loved the modern décor inside of the restaurant and they also have a fun outdoor area (which I won’t be using until it’s at least 40 degrees warmer than today!). I’ve long been a fan of one of the most authentic Vietnamese restaurants in Charlotte (Viet Thai Noodle House) but will certainly be back at CO. CO puts a modern twist on the best Asian dishes – and also has fun cocktails. If you haven’t checked it out, or been over to Park Road Shopping Center lately, you should swing by. You won’t be disappointed, pho sure. (See what I did there?)