Pho Tuan Oanh is one of the long-standing pho restaurants loved by many diners in Cau Giay. Open since 1997, the restaurant regularly opens from 5am.
Ms. Nguyen Kim Oanh (55 years old), the owner, said she learned how to cook pho from a restaurant in the Old Quarter. Despite having a limited space on the sidewalk, the restaurant is still packed with customers and often runs out of tables. Customers who come during peak hours have to wait.
The open kitchen allows diners to see the ingredients and the process of making pho by hand. Glass cabinets contain ingredients such as beef, chicken, green onions...
According to the restaurant owner, the bone broth pot can hold about 60 kg. The pork bones are soaked in water, treated with salt and vinegar to remove odors, then blanched in hot water and simmered continuously for many hours to create a delicious, flavorful broth.
Ms. Oanh shared that because she has been selling for many years, she almost never has to go to the market to choose and buy goods herself. Instead, her regular customers will bring beef and chicken every day, ensuring both quantity and quality.
Every morning, the owner wakes up early to clean and prepare the ingredients on the trays. Usually, the beef is sliced by hand, but the brisket is sliced by machine to ensure the meat is evenly thin.
Ms. Oanh revealed that the most important factor that makes a bowl of pho delicious lies in the selection of ingredients.
"For the past 27 years, I have kept the same broth recipe, including natural spices such as star anise, cinnamon, ginger... simmered with bones. The important thing is that the ingredients must be fresh, clean, and the spices must be moderate," said the restaurant owner.
The restaurant sells two types of pho, beef and chicken, both of which are very popular. Ms. Oanh said that most of the customers are regulars, who then recommend their friends and relatives to come and enjoy the restaurant.
"I feel that customers have good feelings so they come back many times. This proves that the products I sell are of good quality," said Ms. Oanh.
The pho restaurant sells a variety of pho such as rare, well-done, brisket, and core pho with prices ranging from 45,000 - 80,000 VND/bowl, and fried dough sticks cost 10,000 VND/4 pieces. This is a reasonable price for diners to enjoy a delicious, filling breakfast.
The pho restaurant is open from 5am to 9:30am, sometimes until 10am, but most of the time it sells out early. The restaurant only serves pho in the morning, mainly for residents in the area and people working in offices and nearby offices. From 6pm to 10pm, the restaurant sells grilled beef.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Hoa (1994 years old, Hanoi), a regular customer at the restaurant, shared: "I have known about Pho Tuan Oanh for 2 or 3 years. Before that, I also ate at many other pho restaurants but was still impressed with the fresh beef and clear, sweet broth of this restaurant. The restaurant is right on the street, convenient to get to, and the price is reasonable, so I often come here for breakfast."
