Phở Dậu

Feb 242023

So, there we were. Sitting in our sweet little apartment at BonBon Residences. Our bags all packed – ready to take on the 18+ hour journey back to Oakland, California. But, with mixed feelings

After having been away from Vietnam for over 3 years due to the Covid lockdowns, etc, there was still lots more to see and do and TO EAT to fully re-discover all the fun and joy of having lived for so many years in Saigon. And yet, Hai and my “California life”, including good friends, family & a wonderful “Vietnamese home-cooking for neighbors” business were calling us back. It was time to return … for now. Occasionally life offers too many good options.

BUT, we still had 2 hours before the Grab Car would arrive to take us to the airport. The obvious course of action – go out and enjoy one last Saigon meal before heading out of town. And why not try a new eatery that neither of us had ever tried before – Phở Dậu. We had heard some good things about this “expensive” phở bò restaurant.

Let’s go find out for ourselves!

When we arrived on our motorbike, it was quickly apparent that this was no ordinary phở place. The alley where Phở Dậu is located was nicely decorated with lovely wall paintings, and lined with small vendors (as if entering a tourist destination). At the entrance to the alley were parked a number of rather pricey private vehicles, including a Mercedes or two.

Then, there was that elderly Vietnamese matron proudly wearing her Sunday’s best, featuring a beautiful strand of pearls around her neck as she dipped into her bowl of phở bò. Impressive so far!

A clean and well run, multi-room restaurant, this spacious eatery had at least 50 tables. Yet, a sense of calm and relaxation seemed to prevail over all. Our super attentive waiter explained that his grandmother, Dậu, had started Phở Dậu in 1958 and it’s been simmering its soup ever since.

Hanoi-style phở – done at its best! A strong, rich, not-sweet beef broth. With “just-enough” beef fat in the clear stock to make it irresistibly scrumptious. No leafy greens to add to the soup. A generous serving of truly tender slices of beef flank and brisket filled our bowls. The phở noodles themselves were cooked well. Just add a dash of white pepper, a drop of chili pepper, a squeeze of lime, and this phở was topped by none.

Announcing my new #1 favorite phở bò in Saigon!

A bit pricey by Vietnam standards. Hai’s large bowl of phở was VND 95,000 ($4 USD), while my “small” (not really) bowl was VND 85,000 ($3.60 USD). Well worth every dong!

In a unique and interesting extra to the phở served here, each serving came with a small bowl filled with finely sliced white onions.

Our waiter explained that we were to add a bit of sugar, some chili sauce and vinegar to the onions and stir together this extra little salad to enjoy with our pho. An unusual and quite yummy extra.