Eat dry pho, oxtail pho, Nha Trang pho... at Pho Nha

Pho Nha leaves a mark on diners with its light, sweet pho flavor, the warm aroma of cinnamon and star anise, and attentive, thoughtful service.

A bowl of Pho Nha costs between 50,000 VND and 70,000 VND, with the exception of oxtail pho or beef shank pho which cost 80,000 VND - Photo: TO CUONG

Mr. Duc Nguyen - founder of Pho Nha brand - No. 152 Nguyen Van Thuong, Thanh My Tay ward (HCMC), shares with Tuoi Tre Online his startup story, his love for pho and the journey to build a unique pho brand.

Mr. Duc said that before he became involved with bowls of pho, he worked in marketing for large corporations such as Coca-Cola and Tan Hiep Phat.

Ten years of office work made him realize that something was missing about himself.

Thinking is doing, he decided to quit his job right after that, spend a year traveling , exploring many lands to find new inspiration for the next chapter of his life, and finally stopped at the familiar pho dish.

"I thought I should make a dish that everyone can eat. It's suitable for the elderly, children or young people. Pho is a popular dish, a Vietnamese dish. So I chose pho to start a business" - he said.

The arduous journey to conquer pho

The traditional bowl of Pho from Pho Nha is piping hot, still steaming hot when served. Before even tasting, diners are attracted by the scent of cinnamon and star anise, a strong yet gentle aroma that evokes a sense of familiarity.

Just tilt the spoon a little to take a sip, the sweet taste spreads to the tip of the tongue, mixed with the taste of freshly chopped onions and scallions. The rare beef and flank are both thinly sliced, the rare and pink pieces quickly absorb into the broth, while the flank has a light fatty texture, not boring to eat.

A little chopped green onion, thinly sliced ​​onion and ground pepper sprinkled on top make the bowl of pho harmonious in color and look delicious - Photo: TO CUONG

According to the owner, the secret of Pho Nha comes from his parents' traditional pho recipe. Although the family only runs a small business at home, that flavor has become a memory, the initial material for him to continue researching and innovating.

"I haven't learned from anyone. I just researched and tried many times to find my own pho. Good pho depends on fresh ingredients. The bones must be simmered long enough, and the spices must be harmonious. It may not be the most delicious, but it is definitely good for your health," Duc shared.

Of course, the journey to conquer pho is never easy, Mr. Duc sadly recounted the first days when everything was still unfamiliar:

"At that time, I thought that stewing a lot of bones was delicious, but in fact, it had to be in harmony with the spices. There was a time when I stewed for 12-16 hours, and after a few hours of selling, I had to pour out the whole pot because I didn't know how to preserve it. It was such a pity, so sad. But thanks to those failures, I was able to experience the true taste of pho."

Pho Nha's soup has a sweet taste, not too harsh, the broth is clear and the layer of fat shines beautifully - Photo: TO CUONG

Change the wind with dry pho, Nha Trang pho

On the menu, Pho Nha serves many different dishes besides traditional pho such as dry pho, oxtail pho, Nha Trang pho...

The dry pho dish at the restaurant has a light, shiny brown sauce, soft and chewy rice noodles, especially mixed with a little black bean sauce, chili sauce and the restaurant's spicy satay dish, which is very appealing.

On Google Maps, many people left positive reviews for the restaurant. User Toon Tran commented: "The restaurant is small but of good quality. The mixed pho here is worth trying, the sauce is rich, the meat is soft, the pho noodles are chewy, and the spicy satay is very appealing. The dishes come out quickly, and the portion is full" - Photo: TO CUONG

The most enjoyable part of the dish is the hot broth that comes with it. Take a sip to warm up your mouth and then return to the dry pho bowl. You will clearly feel the contrast between the rich sauce and the clear broth.

This is also the factor that makes similar dishes attractive such as dry noodles or Gia Lai dry pho (two-bowl pho).

According to Mr. Duc, this is a way to approach different groups of customers: adults prefer pho broth, while young people like the strong sauce and a more stylized dining experience, so they tend to choose dry pho.

Of course, the restaurant's dry pho is completely different from the famous Gia Lai dry pho, from the black soy sauce to the pho noodles and broth - Photo: TO CUONG

In addition, Nha Trang pho is also curious to many people because it is quite different from the usual Northern - Southern pho.

Anh Duc explains: Nha Trang pho has a broth made from stewed pork leg, a unique sweetness, and special rice noodles, which are clear and slightly chewy. The noodles are thin like hu tieu but are still essentially pho, with the aroma of rice and not mushy.

According to some diners' comments on Google Maps, the restaurant's clean, tidy space, creating a pleasant feeling is also a plus point. User Anh Thy shared: "Dry or soup pho are both delicious, reasonable price. We went with 3 people at 6am, the food came out quickly and hot. The restaurant is clean and looks spacious."

The process of making a hot bowl of Pho Nha - Video : TO CUONG

However, some other opinions say that the broth is a bit sweet, not as rich as other Northern style pho shops.

Some people also wish the restaurant could try adding more options for those who like strong flavors, but overall, most reviews said the flavor is still very easy to eat, suitable for many people's tastes.

The Pho Day 12-12 program enters its 9th year with the theme "Raising the level of Vietnamese rice - Spreading to five continents" and will take place on December 13 and 14 at the Tax Trade Center (old), 135 Nguyen Hue, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Participating in the program is the presence of nearly 30 famous and unique pho brands from North to South, converging many diverse types of pho with characteristics of regions and local cultures.

With a price of 40,000 VND/bowl, the Pho Day festival on December 12, 2025, is expected to serve more than 20,000 servings in 2 days. The organizers will allocate at least 10% of the revenue from pho sales to implement the Pho Yeu Thuong program, cooking and serving pho to people in the "flood center" area in Dak Lak province (formerly Phu Yen), which has just suffered damage from the recent natural disaster.

The Pho Day program 12-12 is supported and implemented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Trade Promotion - Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam Culinary Culture Association with the diamond companionship of Acecook Vietnam Joint Stock Company for many consecutive years and this year with the additional companionship of Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank), Cholimex Food Joint Stock Company, Saigon Trading Group Limited (SATRA)...

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/an-pho-kho-pho-duoi-bo-pho-nha-trang-o-pho-nha-20251208142002693.htm