Pho Hoa Pasteur is absent from Michelin Guide 2025: What happened to the famous restaurant?

Once honored by Michelin Guide, this year Pho Hoa Pasteur surprisingly did not appear in the 'good restaurant, affordable price' category. How is the restaurant now?

Recently, 7 pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City have been honored by Michelin Guide in the Bib Gourmand category (good restaurant, affordable price) this year, including Pho Chao, Pho Hoang, Pho Huong Binh, Pho Le, Pho Minh, Pho Phuong and Pho Mien Ga Ky Dong. Meanwhile, the number of pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City in this list last year was 8. Many diners were surprised to realize that the famous Pho Hoa Pasteur restaurant was not on this list this year.

There are 7 pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City honored by Michelin Guide in the category of delicious and affordable restaurants in 2025.

PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN

Some people wonder why the restaurant is not on the list, because in 2023 and 2024, the restaurant continuously appeared in the Bib Gourmand category. Before being honored by Michelin, this pho restaurant was one of the most famous pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, with many customers coming to support it for decades.

The restaurant is still crowded with customers.

According to Thanh Nien on June 6, after the Michelin Guide 2025 announcement ceremony in Da Nang , Pho Hoa Pasteur restaurant was still crowded and bustling with customers as usual, many of whom were foreign guests.

Diners coming here not only enjoy the food but also take pictures of the moments at this restaurant. The restaurant staff is busy preparing and serving customers.

Pho Hoa Pasteur is still crowded with customers at the moment.

PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN

Diners excitedly take photos at Pho Hoa Pasteur

PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN

Regarding not being on Michelin’s list this year, the restaurant shared that Michelin has different reviews and opinions about the restaurant at different times. However, the restaurant always strives to serve its customers well.

Regarding the current number of customers, with the general difficulties of F&B, the restaurant said it is not as crowded as before. However, according to observations, the restaurant still receives support from many domestic and foreign customers.

More than half a century of Pho Hoa Pasteur

Sharing with Thanh Nien about the origin of this restaurant, Ms. Tram, the representative of the pho restaurant, said that her mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xiem (owner of the pho restaurant), because of her old age, handed over the management to her brother and sister, and only came back to the restaurant occasionally with her children and grandchildren. Ms. Tram and her brother's relatives maintained and promoted the restaurant that had been passed down through 3 generations, from her grandmother's generation.

Talking about the name Pho Hoa, Mr. Xiem once shared that nearly 60 years ago, Pasteur Street was also called "Pho Street" because there were more than a dozen pho carts selling on this street, even though it was only a dozen kilometers long. Back then, every afternoon, the old lady, her mother, and her stepfather would push their pho cart out onto the street and move in at 12 midnight. The name Pho Hoa was named after a man named Hoa who sold pho on the street, with a dilapidated cart. Every day, Mr. Hoa often pushed his cart and walked nearly 20 kilometers from Xom Moi Market (Go Vap District) to Pasteur Street to sell.

"It was also fate that he left the pho stall to my family and did not hesitate to pass on many pho cooking secrets. My mother and stepfather were also diligent learners and researchers, so when they took over the pho stall, they also received satisfaction from customers. Because we wanted to repay Mr. Hoa's kindness, my family did not change the name of the restaurant but kept the name Pho Hoa from that day until now," Mr. Xiem shared.

Pho restaurant has received support from domestic and foreign diners for many years.

PHOTO: CAO AN BIEN

In early 2023, Pho Hoa restaurant caused a stir on social networks when members of the Korean music group Super Junior, upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, immediately went to this pho restaurant to enjoy it.

The owner of another famous pho restaurant in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, said that being listed in Michelin is a joy, happiness and also an encouragement for restaurant owners. However, not being honored by Michelin is not too big of a problem.

"As long as the restaurant focuses on serving customers well like it has for many years, doing its best, customers will still support it, and the restaurant will still have many customers. It's a great honor to be honored by Michelin, but if not, it's okay, I don't take it too seriously," the owner shared.

The new Michelin Guide 2025 list introduces 181 dining establishments in Hanoi , Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, with 9 restaurants awarded one Michelin star (including 1 new restaurant and 1 upgraded restaurant), 63 dining establishments awarded Bib Gourmand (including 9 new establishments) and 109 dining establishments selected based on the quality of the dishes served (including 14 new establishments).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/pho-hoa-pasteur-vang-mat-trong-michelin-guide-2025-quan-noi-tieng-gio-ra-sao-185250606131332613.htm