I had no way of knowing what the best pho shops are here in Vietnam, but if the place near Che’s office was of any indication, I was going to be in for a treat in my explorations.
Started off with a place that appeared to be within walking distance from Che’s office, with little to no expectation on what I would end up with.
Pho Viet Nam is a chain of restaurants, but the Michelin Guide tabbed the one in District 1 specifically as its choice.
It’s a proper restaurant with aircon, housed in a typical Vietnamese building – narrow, but tall
Pho Viet Nam (District 1) Feels
As I mentioned, these people know good food, and Pho is almost like what Adobo is to us Filipinos – you can never go wrong trying anyone else’s version. What I learned from my irst trip is that, like Adobo for Filipinos, the Vietnamese don’t go out of their way to queue up for Pho even if it’s touted on some international list.
This shop was practically empty when I arrived, with maybe two or three tables occupied. They offered beef pho, with a variety of parts to choose from. They have beef ribs, beef flank, oxtail, raw beef, tendon, and beef balls.
If you order the special combination, you get ribs, flank, oxtail, and raw beef. For VND 75,000 (Php176.00), that gets you a large bowl with all the goodies. Shell out about VND20,000 (Php47.00) more, and it gets served in a hot stone bowl.
Hot Stone Pho With Everything On It
Now, I know what you’re thinking – why is there a coconut on the side? The answer is simple – because I can.
In the bowl were my ribs, flank, and oxtail, while on the side, they gave me the noodles, spring onions, and raw beef. Raw beef is normal when I eat pho. It’s thinly sliced so it easily cooks when you dunk it on the hot soup. I think they purposely put these on the side as the hot stone bowl could overcook it – but it’s not a big deal really, since it’s so thinly sliced you hardly even notice it.
Complimentary beansprouts, an assortment of veggies, and some lime wedges are also served on the table. I personally don’t finish all these veggies because they will overflow in my bowl, and I do wonder at times how they can afford to offer so many greens.
Another thing on my table is the banh quay or Vietnamese bread sticks. These are typically dipped in soup as you eat pho, which is not something I am used to just yet. I wanted to try, but cheapskate in me refused to shell out an extra VND 15,000 (Php35.00) for it.
The verdict
The broth is nice, but I think it’s a bit light by design so that you season it how you like it with the condiments and sides that they provide on the side.
The beef serving is generous, so you don’t have to skimp on having a good-sized beef with every bite of noodles. If you’re not a fan of oxtail, eating it on this dish will probably change your mind. I was able to eat it down to the skin because the meat was soft enough to bite and the skin was gelatinous almost in texture.
The noodles reminded me of those that I’ve had in Singapore. It’s still a bit better, but I feel like I’ve had better in Saigon.
I’d say it’s a 3.5 out of 5. They offer good food, but you come for the food and not much else. You won’t be disappointed by what you get, but you won’t be blown away either.
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