Joe (from England) had his first trip to Vietnam not long ago. He chose Ho Chi Minh City as a stopover to explore traditional cuisine .

He decided to start his journey with the "national" pho dish at a restaurant located on Street 10, Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City.

The British guest said that this place was introduced by a Vietnamese friend who lives nearby. The restaurant specializes in serving typical chicken dishes of Hanoi 's Old Quarter, of which the most popular is chicken pho.

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Joe went to a local restaurant in Thu Duc, HCMC to enjoy chicken pho.

When arriving here, Joe was quite surprised by the spacious design with an open kitchen area, where visitors can directly observe the chef preparing the food.

“Standing here, you can see the shredded chicken tray, which looks great. The wings are kept separately, with crispy golden skin.

“Just looking at it, you can tell the chicken is of good quality. Maybe that’s why my friend said the chicken pho here is delicious, just looking at it you can tell the flavor is appealing,” Joe said.

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Western guests enjoy observing the open kitchen area.

At the restaurant, he ordered a bowl of chicken pho with fried breadsticks. When the hot bowl of pho was served, the Western customer kept exclaiming, “It’s so delicious.”

“Look at the clarity of the broth, which seems to be typical of northern-style pho. The broth is clear because it is prepared more simply, without elaborate seasoning,” Joe said.

He added that the chicken thighs had been deboned and cut into bite-sized pieces, with a golden skin that looked very appealing.

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British tourists were impressed with the clear broth, tender chicken with crispy, golden skin.

Before enjoying the pho, Joe squeezed some lemon juice and added a few slices of chili pepper to the pho. The British guest admitted that he really wanted to return to Vietnam many times for the sole reason of wanting to enjoy famous dishes, such as this Pho Ga Pho Co.

“The flat Northern-style pho noodles look quite similar to rice noodles, with a smooth texture. Even though I ate the noodles straight from the broth, I still found it delicious and could feel the fatty taste from the chicken skin,” he shared his thoughts.

Guests also appreciated the flavor of the broth, praising it for its rich flavor, aroma, and natural sweetness from the chicken broth and simmered bones.

The boiled chicken was just cooked so it was chewy, soft and juicy and I think it was free-range chicken so the meat was firm.

“The chicken was unbelievable, not like the chicken you get at home.

Honestly, the chicken here tastes a hundred times better because the special boiling method helps the meat absorb the spices and have a natural sweetness," he said.

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Western guests enjoy chicken pho

Because he was so impressed with the taste of Pho Ga Co, Joe enjoyed the whole meal, even adding fried breadsticks to dip in the little remaining broth.

He said the total meal cost 105,000 VND, including a cup of coffee and fried breadsticks. He guessed the chicken pho dish cost 70,000 VND or 80,000 VND and was satisfied because the money spent was completely worth the quality of the meal he had just enjoyed.

“This is truly the best pho I have ever had and I will probably come back here to enjoy it again,” said Joe.

Sharing with VietNamNet reporter, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thuy - owner of the chicken pho restaurant that Joe visited said that the restaurant has been open for 5 years, specializing in serving typical chicken dishes of Hanoi's Old Quarter such as chicken pho, chicken vermicelli,...

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Chicken pho with the authentic taste of Hanoi's Old Quarter from Ms. Thuy's family in Ho Chi Minh City

Among them, chicken pho is a dish that is loved by many local diners and foreign tourists, priced from 50,000 - 80,000 VND/bowl (depending on the type of shredded chicken, thigh or wing).

Chicken is carefully selected and processed according to a special recipe.

According to Ms. Thuy, the raw materials are carefully selected by her. Fresh foods such as chicken, rice noodles, onions, and herbs are purchased in Ho Chi Minh City, while dried foods such as rice, vermicelli, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms are imported from Hanoi.

“Chickens must be hens that have laid one litter, fed with rice, weighing 1.7 - 1.9 kg/chicken (after cleaning) so that when boiled, they will be soft, fragrant with crispy, golden skin.

The pho noodles used are thin, thin Northern-style pho noodles. The dipping sauces are homemade according to a special recipe, ensuring to bring diners the authentic taste of the Old Quarter chicken pho,” Ms. Thuy shared.

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Chicken vermicelli with bamboo shoots and mushrooms is also a favorite of diners.

The female owner also revealed that the broth is simmered entirely from chicken bones for 12 hours, and promises not to use MSG.

On average, Thuy's family restaurant serves about 50 chickens on weekdays, and about 80 on weekends.

Photo: JoeyP, Pho Ga Pho Co

Western guests lined up to try the "national" dish in Hanoi, and praised it for being delicious . Despite the large number of customers and the crowded space of the restaurant, two Western guests were still satisfied because the traditional Hanoi pho here was "really delicious".