Why is it called… 'twin pho'?

20 years of selling hours "like no other"

In Ho Chi Minh City, it is not surprising that a restaurant opens at 6-7am, because this is the peak time for people going to work, stopping by a restaurant to eat or buy take-away. But for more than 20 years, every day is the same, at 3:30am, the pho restaurant of Ms. Ho Thi Loi (62 years old, also known as Aunt 7) opens to welcome customers.

Aunt 7's shop has been around for over 20 years.

[CLIP]: "Twin Pho" restaurant opens at "strange" hours in Ho Chi Minh City.

I have heard of her for a long time, but this afternoon I finally had the chance to stop by Aunt 7's restaurant to enjoy her food. After passing through the drizzling afternoon rain and the traffic jam, I stopped in front of her restaurant with a huge sign that read "twin pho". The restaurant and also Aunt 7's house is located on the frontage of Huong Lo 80 (Vinh Loc B Ward, Binh Chanh District).

At this time, the restaurant is not very crowded. Aunt 7 said that on weekdays, the customers are regular. On weekends, the restaurant is packed with people, the tables are full, the 12 employees working the morning shift or the 6 employees working the evening shift are busier.

At that time, the restaurant had no name or sign. Customers also asked why they didn't name it so people would know who was selling it, and I thought it was reasonable. After a few years of selling, my eldest son had twin daughters, so I decided to name the restaurant "twin pho", and it has been that way for the past 18 years. Now my two children are grown up and in 12th grade!

Aunt 7, Owner

The owner honestly said that she did not open this restaurant. Back then, a close sister of hers decided to open this restaurant to make a living, and it was quite popular. After selling for about 2-3 years, the sister quit, and she "inherited" the restaurant and continued selling it. Before that, even though she had been selling other drinks for many years, she still decided to stick with pho, also because of the two words "fate".

The pot of broth was boiling.

Each meal ranges from 40,000 - 50,000 VND.

From the early days, realizing the demand of customers eating at dawn, the owner decided to open the restaurant from 3:30 a.m. Most of the customers are workers, freelancers who come home late at night, or people who wake up early to go to work. They have become accustomed to eating at this time, so the owner has been selling for nearly 2 decades.

Normally, she only sells from 3:30 am to 3 pm and then rests. But after the Covid-19 pandemic, she decided to sell until midnight the next morning to earn more money. In the morning, she sells with 12 employees. In the evening, her daughter-in-law takes over for her mother, with 6 employees helping her.

A bowl of pho costs 50,000 VND.

Selling from dawn because of "customer service", I understood. As for the restaurant's name "twin pho", I was a bit curious, determined to ask the owner. Hearing that, aunt 7 laughed happily, saying that she had 2 twin grandchildren, children of her eldest son.

“Back then, the restaurant didn’t have a name or sign. Customers also asked why we didn’t name it so people would know who was selling it, and I thought it was reasonable. After a few years of selling, my eldest son had twin daughters, so I decided to name the restaurant “twin pho”, and have kept that name for the past 18 years. Now my two children are grown up and in 12th grade!”, Aunt 7 explained.

Hope the children inherit

Every afternoon, Mr. Hoa (29 years old, living in Binh Chanh District) comes to buy a bowl of pho to go. The customer said that he has been a regular at the restaurant for many years, so long that he can't remember when he fell in love with the pho here.

Mr. Hoa is a regular customer of the restaurant.

Many people in Binh Chanh know about Aunt 7's long-standing pho restaurant.

“The broth here is delicious and suits my taste. Every time I have a chance to work nearby, I stop by your place to buy food. It looks clean and the prices are reasonable, so I always support you,” he said.

Talking about the secret of making pho, the owner is most proud of her broth. According to her, the sweetness of the broth comes from the bones she stews. In addition, the freshness of the beef as well as the combination with other ingredients makes the pho a favorite of customers, with some customers having eaten it for decades.

I tried it and found it to be exactly as the owner had said, the broth was rich and had a sweet aftertaste. The taste of pho is suitable for Southerners or those who like their food a little sweeter. For me, the bowl of pho is 8/10, worth a try. Of course, everyone's taste is different, you can eat it and judge for yourself if you have the chance.

Aunt 7 hopes to have a successor.

A rich bowl of pho worth trying.

Here, each portion of pho ranges from 40,000 to 50,000 VND depending on the type, the 50,000 VND bowl is a special bowl. The price is reasonable considering the restaurant is far from the city center. According to the owner, the part that sells out the earliest at the restaurant is the beef tendon, which is quite popular with customers.

Thanks to this pho restaurant, Aunt 7 and her husband raised 3 children (2 boys, 1 girl) to adulthood. Now all the children have families and stable lives. Currently, the daughter-in-law, the wife of her eldest son, is mainly helping her mother with the business. The owner hopes that one day, if she no longer has the strength to sell, her children will be the ones to inherit her mother's beloved restaurant.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/quan-pho-o-tphcm-ban-luc-nua-dem-vi-sao-la-pho-sinh-doi-185230626193746471.htm