From street-side pho stalls to Michelin Guide selections

Two of these restaurants are among the 29 establishments awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand title on June 6th. This title recognizes restaurants that offer a great dining experience at an affordable price, providing good value for money. Three weeks after receiving the title, both pho restaurants have doubled their customer base. Instead of visiting the restaurants in person, many food enthusiasts are choosing to order through apps (like GrabFood) to enjoy delicious meals at home.

" Mama Dung ," a foreign customer called out as he entered the restaurant around lunchtime. Ms. Bui Thi Dung (born in 1965), busy in the kitchen, responded to the familiar customer, quickly blanching the noodles, slicing the meat, and bringing out a large bowl of beef pho. Pho Chao restaurant (52 Nguyen Cong Tru Street, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) is small, with just enough space for 5 tables (4 people per table), but it's a familiar destination for many Western tourists and locals alike. It's so familiar that the owner and staff know each other's preferences and prepare the dishes as soon as customers sit down.

Pho Chao is a newly established brand since 2020, but Ms. Dung's pho-making tradition dates back to 1986. At the restaurant, diners can savor the culinary essence of Nam Dinh pho or experience pho tine – a dish inspired by Canada. The menu also includes chicken pho, fried chicken, eel vermicelli, beef fried rice with pickled vegetables... all researched, created, and prepared by Ms. Dung herself.

Ms. Dung's most cherished and successful dish is Nam Dinh pho. The broth is rich in color and flavor – characteristic of Northern Vietnam, with a distinct fish sauce aroma. She says that, having been born in a coastal region, she has to source her fish sauce from her hometown to create this traditional pho.

The broth is made from 20 kg of bones, simmered continuously for 48-72 hours. To make a delicious broth, the bone preparation is crucial: soaking in water and treating with salt, ginger, and rice wine to clean them. Next, boil the bones once in water and remove all the tendons and meat to ensure a clear broth, free from the greasiness and unpleasant taste of beef fat. After removing the tendons and meat, simmer the bones over low heat; add a spice sachet containing 20 types of herbs (cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, coriander, roasted ginger, roasted onions, etc.). A special feature of the broth is that it doesn't use MSG, only shrimp bouillon powder, meat seasoning, and a small amount of rock sugar to balance the flavor.

All ingredients are freshly sourced daily, from vegetables to beef and free-range chicken. The pho noodles are also selected from a specialized noodle factory. The accompanying condiments, such as chili sauce and satay, are made by Ms. Dung herself using freshly ground carrots, tomatoes, lemongrass, and chili peppers, without any preservatives. Some customers even buy the sauce to take home with them.

Another signature dish of the restaurant is pho tine – a fusion of Vietnamese pho and Canadian poutine. Although called pho, it doesn't actually contain pho noodles; instead, it's served with french fries, and before eating, it's topped with a sauce made from stir-fried beef, bone broth, vegetables, and cheese. Customers can order an additional bowl of pho broth, sliced beef, poached egg, etc., depending on their preference.

Pho tine consists of french fries, stir-fried beef and vegetables, served with pho broth and seasonings.

Three years ago, when she came up with the idea for this dish, Ms. Dung and her son traveled to many places to find the best quality potatoes. "Sometimes we had to taste 30 different types of potatoes at the same time," said Nguyen Tien Cuong, Ms. Dung's son.

The owner said that since receiving the award, the number of customers has doubled. If you want to eat at lunch or dinner, you have to call ahead to make a reservation; some people come back 4-5 times but still happily wait their turn. During peak hours, some customers sit on their motorbike seats, carrying their bowls of pho, and still don't complain.

"The most heartwarming thing is that people love and remember the taste of Pho Chao. They say it's the best bowl of pho they've ever had in their lives. Or there are Vietnamese expats who have been away from home for a long time, and as soon as they land at the airport, they come straight to the restaurant to taste the pho with the Nam Dinh flavor. Many people who have been away for a long time return, and Western tourists who come to Vietnam for the second or third time feel a sense of familiarity at home when they visit the restaurant, hugging me and chatting for a long time," Ms. Dung said with a smile.

In 2016, Ms. Dung was diagnosed with cancer and had to sell her house and restaurant in Dong Nai to move to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. While undergoing treatment, she made and sold pastries, sponge cakes, mooncakes, etc. In her free time, she taught other cancer patients how to cook pho and bake to help them improve both their finances and spirits. After four years of surgery and radiation therapy with an optimistic spirit, her disease gradually went into remission.

By 2020, she had gradually regained her health. Missing cooking, she decided to open a pho restaurant to preserve her family's recipe and find joy in bringing delicious food to people. After convincing her family, she named the restaurant "Chào" (Hello), both as an introduction and as a way to express joy and friendliness in welcoming guests. Another reason was that the restaurant was located near an area with many foreign tourists, and the name could be easily translated into English (Hello).

Currently, she sells around 200 portions a day, most of which are ordered through GrabFood. The food delivery app helps the restaurant increase revenue, reduce the pressure of selling at the restaurant, and bring the Pho Chao brand to more food lovers. "Grab also has many incentives for restaurants, and its drivers are quick and reliable, helping the restaurant maintain a stable customer base since opening," the female chef said.

She said the work was hard but she still did it, above all because: "I love pho so much." She remembered that as a child, her parents only bought her a bowl of pho when she was sick. On ordinary days, she would save up for days to afford it, then buy pho broth from a restaurant and mix it with rice – it was incredibly delicious. Far from home, Ms. Dung cherishes her hometown even more and wants to cook pho even more.

In the future, as more and more people become aware of Pho Chao, she plans to expand the space to separate the cooking area from the dining area. Besides the main dishes, there will also be desserts like coconut jelly and kombucha tea... all of which she personally researched and prepared to ensure a light, balanced flavor that isn't too sweet, making them the restaurant's "best-selling" items.

Nguyet's chicken pho restaurant is located at 5B Phu Doan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, with a simple interior like many other pho stalls in the capital. In front is the broth pot, surrounded by large baskets holding noodles, racks, and shelves displaying various meats and fried dough sticks. Most striking are the trays of golden-brown chicken, both whole and shredded, neatly arranged. Standing behind the counter, Ms. Nguyet Le Thi Minh Nguyet (born in 1967) wears an apron, her hands nimbly preparing the food, occasionally chatting with regular customers.

Previously, her "restaurant" was just a street vendor's stall on the sidewalk of Phu Doan Street (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi). Each time she set up her stall, she only had a few chairs placed around the pot of pho. Yet, customers came regularly, some even daily, because they loved the taste of Nguyet's pho.

The owner said she uses only traditional ingredients and cooking methods passed down from her grandparents and parents. "I cook pho with all my heart. I choose ingredients based on three criteria: fresh, delicious, and clean, and I pour all my passion into the dish. The greatest reward is seeing customers return," she said.

The preparation of ingredients begins at 4 am. Ms. Nguyet only selects bone marrow and chooses chickens that are firm, moderately fatty, and sourced from reputable suppliers to ensure a better-tasting broth. She even visits the farms to discuss quality and timing, ensuring the chicken meat is tender and chewy; the farming process doesn't use feed, resulting in more flavorful meat. For other ingredients like ginger and onions, she also chooses reputable suppliers to enhance the broth's aroma.

The restaurant offers two options: soup or mixed pho with various meat toppings. The most popular and sought-after dish is the mixed chicken pho. The pho sauce is specially prepared, with a balanced flavor that complements the soft noodles and fragrant, succulent shredded chicken. Each bite also includes fresh herbs, roasted peanuts, and fried onions – delicious and not at all overwhelming.

Ms. Nguyet said that all ingredients are used on the same day. If it rains or there are few customers, everything is thrown away and new ingredients are used the next day. For example, she buys, roasts, and grinds the roasted peanuts herself to ensure each peanut is fragrant. Buying them pre-made might result in inconsistent quality; even one spoiled peanut could affect the entire bowl of pho.

"Perhaps this is the factor that helps me retain customers and maintain a stable customer base year after year," Ms. Nguyet said with a smile, introducing the dish.

To date, Nguyet's chicken pho restaurant sells between 600 and 800 bowls a day. After receiving the Michelin Guide award, the restaurant has attracted many new customers. Many people are even willing to wait in line to eat. "The award is meaningful to us because, from a street food stall, the quality of our food has been recognized by experts," she said.

Besides direct customers, Nguyet Chicken Pho is also one of the restaurants with a high rate of repeat orders on the GrabFood app. Each day, the restaurant serves approximately 40-50 orders on this platform.

The restaurant started partnering with GrabFood in 2019. "That year, restaurants had to close due to Covid-19. I realized the restaurant needed to adapt to the changing market, so I became a partner with GrabFood," she said. Through the app, the food reached more customers, both domestically and internationally. Users enjoyed the food, leaving positive feedback on the taste and packaging, helping the brand gain more loyal customers.

Negative feedback is inevitable during the sales process. Ms. Nguyet and her staff regularly read reviews and respond to and resolve issues to maintain customer trust. The owner also highly appreciates the delivery team for ensuring food reaches customers quickly and for their willingness to work with the restaurant to resolve any problems.

"On hot days like these, ordering online is much easier for customers, especially when the restaurant is busy and they have to wait in line," the chef said.

From street food flavors, many Vietnamese restaurants have received high scores from Michelin Guide experts, bringing them closer to diners. For Ms. Dung and Ms. Nguyet, the accolades are a motivation to perfect their dishes, fulfilling the expectations of industry experts: to advance Vietnamese cuisine further on the world map, helping each restaurant develop its own unique character and pursue its dreams.

Content: Thao Nguyen - Nhat Le - Photos: Quynh Tran - Tung Dinh

Design: Hang Trinh

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