Trang Kim Pho, famous in Ha Giang: Customers line up to wait, 300 bowls sold every morning.

Trang Kim is a place located on the road from Quan Ba to Dong Van, in Quyet Tien commune, Quan Ba district. This peaceful village is famous for its traditional pho - Trang Kim pho.

Pho Trang Kim doesn't use the usual pho noodles; instead, it's prepared in a very unique way. This is what makes the dish so appealing and intriguing to tourists.

Trang Kim pho noodles are handcrafted at every stage. First, the rice flour is made entirely from rice grown in the fields, without any additives, resulting in a naturally soft and fragrant texture, not a hard one. Making the pho noodles is quite similar to making spring rolls. Each ladle of batter is spread evenly on a cloth stretched across a pot of water, covered tightly, and after a short wait, a long, round tool is skillfully used to roll and unroll the noodles, which are then finely chopped by hand.

After slicing, visitors can try dipping the rice noodles in soy sauce to fully appreciate the flavor. The noodles are soft but not mushy, retaining a slightly chewy and sticky texture, with a subtle rice flour aroma, and taste quite similar to banh duc (a type of Vietnamese rice cake).

The chicken in Trang Kim's pho is free-range chicken. Raised by local people, the chickens feed on corn year-round, roam the hills, and are small but have firm, succulent meat. Each piece of perfectly cooked, sweet, and crispy chicken is quickly and skillfully prepared by the owner to serve to customers.

The deliciousness of Trang Kim pho also comes from its broth, which is simmered from pork and chicken bones, along with ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise, creating a very special aroma.

When customers arrive, the restaurant will arrange the rice noodles in large bowls, then add some tender meat, sprinkle with chopped scallions, and finally pour in the hot broth.

Customers can add chili sauce and pickled bamboo shoots to enhance the flavor of the dish. A steaming bowl of pho, seemingly simple and rustic, yet possessing a delicious and unique flavor, leaves a lasting impression on anyone who tries it.

In Quan Ba, only a few families still preserve this traditional dish, so it's usually quite crowded. On holidays or weekends, 200-300 bowls of pho are sold each morning. Because the pho noodles are made by hand and cannot be prepared in advance, tourists will have to wait quite a while.

"Normally, when making pho noodles, there's an extra step: after removing the noodles, they're hung on a rack to dry naturally before being taken down and chopped. That's why this step is jokingly called 'air-dried' pho. However, when it's busy, we don't have time to dry them properly and have to serve them right away," the pho restaurant owner shared.

Nowadays, due to its popularity and widespread appeal, Pho Trang Kim has appeared in many places. However, perhaps the best way to fully appreciate the authentic flavor and original local culture is to enjoy Pho Trang Kim amidst the ethereal morning mist of Quan Ba.

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