On the weekend, despite the heavy rain, Pho Ho Loi restaurant in Phu Thuong (Tay Ho, Hanoi ) was still bustling with customers. Dozens of people lined up in front of the counter, waiting to order, pay and wait for an empty table.
"This restaurant is always packed with customers every weekend, especially from 7:30 to 10:30. On days when it doesn't rain, there are sometimes 20 people standing in line. Sometimes, I feel impatient while eating because there are many other customers around me anxiously waiting for a seat," said Mr. Minh (Tay Ho, gray shirt), a regular customer of the restaurant.
Normally, the most popular pho restaurants in Hanoi are located in the central area, in Hoan Kiem district or in the wards bordering Hoan Kiem with Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Dong Da. However, Pho Ho Loi is located quite far away, about 10km from the Old Quarter.
The owner of this pho restaurant is Ms. Ho Thi Mai Hoa (44 years old). More than 10 years ago, when her father - Mr. Ho Loi was old and weak, Ms. Hoa convinced her family to let her take over the pho restaurant because of her father's passion for beef pho. She studied, wrote down the recipe her father taught her, practiced cooking, and then boldly stood in the kitchen.
Ms. Hoa said that currently, on weekdays, the restaurant sells out 100 kg of pho noodles, equivalent to 600 bowls. On weekends, the number of customers increases by 30-40%, the restaurant consumes 1.3-1.4 kg of pho.
The restaurant has a spacious location. Inside, there are 10 tables, accommodating about 40 guests. Right at the entrance, there are additional small tables, serving 15-20 guests. However, during peak hours, especially on weekends, customers still have to wait in long lines. That is why many people call this a "subsidy-era" pho restaurant.
The restaurant sells many different dishes from rare, well-done, flank, brisket to red wine sauce, stir-fry, pho core, ribs. The price of each bowl of pho ranges from 40,000-70,000 VND, all of which are listed specifically for diners to easily choose.
According to Ms. Hoa, this pho restaurant is her father's lifelong passion. Previously, Mr. Loi learned the pho profession from his uncle, Mr. Ho Te, the owner of the famous Phu Xuan pho restaurant at 36 Hang Da. In 1987 - 1988, Mr. Loi started selling beef pho at Phu Thuong market. The pho restaurant was the family's main source of income, raising Ms. Hoa and her siblings.
During the period 2001-2011, for many reasons, Mr. Loi handed over the pho restaurant to his wife to sell. “Because my mother was not as skillful as my father and was also too busy taking care of her husband and children, the flavor was greatly affected, and gradually lost customers. At that time, I was too young, did not understand or have a passion for pho,” Ms. Hoa recalled.
Later, when Mr. Loi became seriously ill, Ms. Hoa returned home to take care of her father. Seeing the pho restaurant that Mr. Loi had devoted his whole life to, with few customers, the daughter felt heartbroken. That was also the reason why she asked her parents to pass on the recipe so she could take over the restaurant.
“This job is very hard, so at first my parents did not want me to follow it. And indeed, for several years now, I have not dared to take time off to go out or travel . Every day I am busy from 4am to 2pm. As soon as I close the shop, I rush to prepare goods for the next day,” said Ms. Hoa.
Since 2012, the restaurant has started to attract customers again. Many old customers have found the “authentic taste of Ho Loi pho” in the broth prepared by Ms. Hoa.
During the Covid-19 period, when restaurants were closed, Ms. Hoa came up with the idea of selling beef pho online. The couple delivered throughout the city. From there, Ho Loi pho appeared more on social media. After the epidemic, many diners in the Old Quarter and other areas of Hanoi came to the restaurant to enjoy.
First-time visitors to the restaurant may be “shocked” by the “super-large” pot of broth, as high as the owner’s neck. According to Ms. Hoa, the pho broth is simmered for 18 hours. Ms. Hoa chooses fresh, delicious bones, soaks them for 4-5 hours with ginger, lemon, and salt, then washes them, and blanches them in boiling water mixed with wine and ginger to remove the odor. The pot is custom-made and can hold 350 liters.
"To have a delicious broth, you must have a lot of bones and meat. I personally mix the pho broth every day. In addition to the simmered bones, I also add pure fish sauce, seasoning powder, rock sugar, grilled ginger, spring onions, cardamom, cinnamon and star anise," said Ms. Hoa.
Beef is always imported from a familiar facility early in the morning. Recently, Ms. Hoa added beef rib pho to her dish. Initially, Ms. Hoa bought beef ribs to simmer the broth. This type of ribs makes the broth sweeter and richer. Later, seeing that the beef ribs when simmered were very fragrant and easy to eat, Ms. Hoa decided to make a new dish.
The owner of the restaurant "revealed" that the ribs are simmered until 80% cooked the night before and then simmered in the broth the next morning. The ribs need a total of 3 hours to ensure they are tender and flavorful. Each bowl of rib pho costs 50,000 VND.
The rice noodles and the fried breadsticks that go with the rice paper are carefully selected by Hoa and her husband. The rice noodles must be small, flexible, chewy and absorb the broth. The fried breadsticks are made by Hoa's younger brother's family.
The restaurant has a cloudy, slightly fatty and rich broth. The broth does not have a strong fish sauce smell or a strong odor. Compared to other famous restaurants, the bowl of pho here is full and has a lot of meat. Many diners commented that "eating a bowl will keep you full until evening".
Customers commented that the owner and his wife and staff are friendly and quick. The restaurant has a wide frontage so the parking area is also convenient.
However, during peak hours in the morning, especially on weekends, diners need to anticipate a wait. The restaurant’s location is also very far away. In addition, if you don’t look at the map carefully, you may end up in a narrow alley that is difficult to navigate by car.
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