The Great Saigon Pho Hunt Part 4/11: Pho Minh

by | Sep 13, 2024 | Hungry Rover

Just when I thought I was done with my D1 Pho adventure, I remembered that I still had to come back to the place that was closed last time I was there. To get to this place, you have to go through an alley in the city, but it’s available on Google Maps. 

You needed to find the right alley to find this shop towards the end of it. 

Braving Mini Side Streets To Find It

The adventure of finding the place is one thing, and the ambiance of it being in the neighborhood gives you a nice experience. You can sit inside the shop with a signboard, but right across it is their kitchen.

This is probably the most English-friendly shop that I have been in, and it helps that there’s really not a lot to choose from on their menu. It’s pretty straightforward, VND 65k for a small bowl and VND 85k for a large bowl.

Brisket and tenderloin are the choices of meat, which I think could be a good starting point for the not-so-adventurous.

Experience + Taste Great For First Experience

Not sure how small the small bowl is, but the big bowl is decent-sized compared to other shops I tried.

At this point, I was beginning to have a preference for this long-leaf plant that is usually served on the table. The table is pretty basic with the usual things that you would need. I was curious about the hoisin sauce that was not in a commercial bottle, so I had to try that.

Unlike other shops, onions, coriander, and spring onions are all in the broth already. It’s a double-edged sword, I feel like – it helps you no longer think about how much to put, but for others who don’t like the flavor it emits, it might ruin the experience.

 

The verdict

What makes this pho different is that the broth is more salty and almost has no hint of sweetness to it compared to other shops I tried. I like salty, so I’m not complaining, but since I tried other shops, this one was not too impressive for me.

They have tenderloin and brisket, so it’s familiar. They are cooked well – super soft and easy to chew. Meat was so tender that it almost breaks if you snag it up your chopsticks a little too hard.

Noodles were up to standard, and if the hoisin sauce was not commercial, it had a good flavor to it.

If I’m going to judge this by the food, I’d say it’s at 2.5, but the overall experience could raise it up to 3. It may be harsh, but honestly, it’s really not bad. It’s good to try because the taste is familiar but authentic. No crazy stuff like cartilage or beef soft bone or even testicles, so it gets the job done as a pho. There are better places, but this is an excellent starting point for anyone who hasn’t tried good pho before.

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