The Great Saigon Pho Hunt Part 3/11: Pho Phuong

by | Jun 21, 2024 | Hungry Rover

This is the first Bib Gourmand pho place that I tried from the list. I was set to try a different restaurant this day, but was disappointed to see that it was closed. So we had to walk 30 minutes to get to this other restaurant.

 

To date, this has been one of my most frequented shops among all that I have visited, which probably is a testament to this being my de facto favorite in this list. 

It was easy enough to order as they have an English menu. So it wasn’t difficult to point at “one with everything on it.”

Pho Phuong Menu

Ate Jen joined me for this walk, and the path to this restaurant had us going through various eateries around the area that I feel are worth exploring once I’ve finished this mission of trying out the Michelin list.

You can’t miss it, owing to the huge Michelin Bib Gourmand logo on its signboard. I wasn’t able to communicate well with the servers, but they gave me a pretty straightforward menu that made it easy to order.

According to the Michelin Guide, the oxtail is the crowning jewel of this restaurant. For VND 110,000 (Php 258.00), you can get all their available beef parts, including the oxtail, so it was an easy pick for us.

 

Beef cartilage for adventure and special oxtail

While there weren’t adventurous parts of beef in their menu like blood and stuff, they did have other offerings like cartilage, soft inner bones, and testicles. The last one on the list doesn’t sound appetizing, sure, but when you don’t know which one it is, you just eat it.

As per usual, we were given greens, and a variety of condiments was also made available at every table. There was a pack of banh quay, only this one didn’t have a price. I assume they will charge me for it if I took it, but I feel like we will have our fill even without it.

The greens were not as extensive as the others, which I somehow appreciate since I won’t be wasting too much of it.

 

The verdict

The broth of this one had a hint of savory sweetness, but I couldn’t point out where it came from. It blends well with all the flavors inside.

The noodles appear to be hand-cut. They had varying thickness and I almost thought there were two different noodles altogether. Consistency was excellent – just what I have come to expect from local pho.

All the meat was top notch as well. Soft, savory, and no wastage. Even Ate Jen finished everything in her bowl.

If I were to nitpick, they served the pho with coriander together with the usual spring onions. Che doesn’t like it, and while I’m ok with it, I understand how the flavor is strong enough to influence the whole dish.

I’d put this at 5 out of 5. The experience was great, with the ambiance offering you a good mix of what I have experienced in Vietnam so far – a bit chaotic but orderly, messy but actually clean, city but rural because of the riverside feels, and overall, just really good food.

Bib Gourmand well earned for this one.

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