Mr. Vu Van Quang and his wife, Ms. Lai Thi Ly, are the third generation to take over the family business. Mr. Quang said that the Pho restaurant at the base of the bamboo tree (in Dong Son commune, Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province) was opened by his grandfather, cooking and selling the famous Pho of his hometown Van Cu. After selling for about 20 years, his grandfather passed on the business to his parents.
"I have been helping my mother sell pho since I was in middle school. Over time, my mother passed the profession on to my wife and I. Currently, my wife and I have been taking over and selling pho according to the recipe our ancestors left us for about 5 years now," said Mr. Quang.
The restaurant opens at two times, from 4am to 2pm and from 4pm to 9pm. The outside of the restaurant is simple, located right on Provincial Road 490C, so it is crowded at any time. The restaurant's menu includes main dishes such as rare or well-done beef pho, Vietnamese sausage and wine sauce, and flank steak. Prices range from 30,000 - 50,000 VND per bowl depending on the type.
A bowl of Pho Bo at the Bamboo Root Shop includes Pho noodles, beef and broth. However, the way Nam Dinh Pho Bo is prepared is a little different from Hanoi Pho Bo. "The Pho Bo broth is made by simmering it from oxtail bones, pork bones and shank bones. After simmering for the required amount of time, the bones are removed to avoid clouding the broth," Quang shared.
Nam Dinh residents or visitors from other provinces and cities, when passing through provincial road 490C, can hardly miss this famous pho restaurant.
Having enjoyed bamboo-root pho for many years, Ms. Le Thu Anh (Nghia Hung district) said: "Every time I have a chance to go from my hometown to Nam Dinh city, I often go early to have breakfast at the bamboo-root pho restaurant. The first thing I do when eating pho is to taste the broth. In a good broth, you will clearly feel the sweetness of the bones, not from MSG. After decades of eating here, the flavor of the beef pho with wine sauce, plus a few pieces of brisket is still my favorite dish."
Mr. Quang and his wife still keep the family recipe passed down from their ancestors. Thanks to that, over the years, the number of customers coming to the restaurant has increased continuously. On average, the restaurant sells 500 - 700 bowls per day, and on weekends or holidays it can reach 1,000 bowls.
