Pho Oanh, Tho Xuong alley
The Nam Dinh pho restaurant owned by Mrs. Oanh and her husband has been "passed down" through three generations. Originally just a pho cart owned by her grandfather, she and her husband followed in their father's footsteps and opened a pho restaurant in a small alley in Tho Xuong.
After many years, her family's pho cooking secret is still kept intact with thin pho noodles, fresh, soft beef and especially, the broth recipe is always kept secret. Therefore, many diners have been attached to Mrs. Oanh's pho restaurant for more than 10 years.
Since opening at 6am, her restaurant has always been crowded, even overloaded. On weekends, because there is no more room in the restaurant, customers have to sit and eat pho on plastic chairs placed in front of the neighbor's house.
Pho Ga Anh, Hang Dao Street
This pho shop is located in a 1m wide, deep, quite dark alley at 42 Hang Dao Street. Tables and chairs are placed right in the living room, surrounded by TVs, refrigerators...
Because of the limited space, each customer can only serve a maximum of 15 people. However, at noon, the restaurant is still full. The restaurant is mainly open for lunch, from Monday to Saturday.
The restaurant's menu has mixed chicken, shredded chicken, pho and vermicelli dishes, you can choose mixed or soup but the most popular dish is mixed chicken pho.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh, the chicken chosen is a local hen from a reputable supplier. After receiving the cleaned chicken, Ms. Anh’s family will carefully prepare it and boil it themselves.
Pho Hang Trong
To find the old taste of pho bung at 8 Hang Trong, diners must go into a small alley just wide enough for two people, about 6-7m long, then follow the signs to the second floor, through a spiral staircase.
The pho restaurant is actually a corner of the owner’s living room. The kitchen area is located in the corner of the 3-4m2 balcony. The space is limited, so diners have to carry their own bowls to eat.
The shop opens from 3pm and closes at 9-10pm.
Chicken Pho with Dip in Nha Chung Street
Although the road has many turns and is located deep inside a small alley on Nha Chung Street (Hoan Kiem, Hanoi), Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai's pho dipping chicken dish always attracts diners.
A meal from 30,000 - 40,000 VND includes a plate of soft rectangular rice noodles with sliced boiled chicken, a bowl of dipping sauce and a bowl of bamboo shoot soup.
The pho cake is soft and smooth, while the chicken is crispy, lean, and fat-free, and is sprinkled with lemon leaves. However, the "soul" of this dish is the dipping sauce. Made from simple ingredients such as sugar, seasoning powder, fish sauce, and lemon, the restaurant's dipping sauce has a slightly sour and sweet taste and uses a special chili sauce to create a mild, easy-to-eat, not too strong spicy taste.
