90-cent pho restaurant: Hanoi family defies rising costs
Cent Pho Restaurant is worth knowing before you plan the route. The shop, in Lane 1 off Kham Thien Street, has tables chairs set inside. The front doubles as an open kitchen with a food cart a stainless-steel pot of broth. Owner Nguyen Ngoc Thuc, 54, wakes at 3:30 a.m.
The shop, in Lane 1 off Kham Thien Street, has tables chairs set inside. For travelers, the practical note is how cent pho restaurant fits into a realistic Vietnam day.
Planning a trip around cent pho restaurant? V-International Tour & Travel can help shape a practical Vietnam itinerary.
Cent Pho Restaurant in Practice
every day to prepare the dish. For more than 20 years, he his wife have run the shop by themselves. With their children helping out on weekends when crowds come in. Thuc trained as a chef, specializing in Asian and European cuisine.
How to Place Cent Pho Restaurant in Your Route
Key figures include 70%. These numbers show how cent pho restaurant is unfolding in practice.
What to Expect on the Ground
He graduated from a culinary college in 1998 and spent years working in hotel kitchens. He eventually left to open his own pho shop along with two friends. They opened on Ngoc Khanh Street, but in 2003, the friends left the business. Thuc moved it to his home, where it remains today.
For deeper insights, explore our related coverage: Chicken pho shop owner rejects Michelin awards invitation as scam, but reaps rewards and Emirates flight from Delhi to Dubai delayed for over 15 hours over bird strike.
Planning Notes
Seeing that pho was a staple for Vietnamese, Thuc chose to focus on it. Selling pho required less capital than running a full-menu restaurant. But his training kitchen experience were not enough to create a signature flavor, and he spent years adjusting ingredients. He says: “My pho recipe came from trial and error.
Nearby Ideas
You need a good foundation, but it takes real work, learning, and experimenting to get it right.” Knowing he cannot possibly satisfy everyone. He considers it a success if 70% of customers enjoy his food. To achieve the flavor he wants, he uses a mix of cattle chicken bones. Simmered together with beef to maximize sweetness.
For more on Vietnam travel, see also: Vietnam tours and Destinations. Official visitor information is available from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
Conclusion
Cent Pho Restaurant is a useful stop when you want quiet roads and time to look around. Keep the day flexible, and leave space for weather and slow meals.
For more information, visit Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/photo/food-recipes/90-cent-pho-restaurant-hanoi-family-defies-rising-costs-5103761.html
What travellers should know
The shop, in Lane 1 off Kham Thien Street, has tables and chairs set inside, the front doubles as an open kitchen with a food cart and a stainless-steel pot of broth.
Owner Nguyen Ngoc Thuc, 54, wakes at 3:30 a.m. every day to prepare the dish. For more than 20 years, he and his wife have run the shop by themselves, with their children helping out on weekends when crowds come in.
Practical context
But his training and kitchen experience were not enough to create a signature flavor, and he spent years adjusting ingredients and methods.
He says: “My pho recipe came from trial and error. You need a good foundation, but it takes real work, learning, and experimenting to get it right.”
Planning notes
Knowing he cannot possibly satisfy everyone, he considers it a success if 70% of customers enjoy his food. To achieve the flavor he wants, he uses a mix of cattle and chicken bones, simmered together with beef to maximize sweetness.
Further reading
The shop, in Lane 1 off Kham Thien Street, has tables and chairs set inside, the front doubles as an open kitchen with a food cart and a stainless-steel pot of broth.
Owner Nguyen Ngoc Thuc, 54, wakes at 3:30 a.m. every day to prepare the dish. For more than 20 years, he and his wife have run the shop by themselves, with their children helping out on weekends when crowds come in.
But his training and kitchen experience were not enough to create a signature flavor, and he spent years adjusting ingredients and methods.
He says: “My pho recipe came from trial and error. You need a good foundation, but it takes real work, learning, and experimenting to get it right.”
Additional notes
Every day, he simmers 12 kilograms of chicken bones and six kilograms of cow bones overnight to make the broth. It is seasoned with spices like star anise, cardamom, ginger, and charred onion.
Starting at VND4,000 (15 cents) per bowl 23 years ago, the shop gradually increased its price over the years. It has remained at VND23,000 (90 cents) since the shop switched from coal to electricity and gas seven years ago.
He says: “Starting a business is tough. I can cook well, but managing costs, rent, and staff is different. Making an affordable bowl of pho while still turning a profit is the hardest part.”
One reason Thuc can keep the price unchanged is he pays no rent and hires no staff. Thuc and his wife handle everything, from prepping ingredients to cooking and serving.
But rising ingredient and utility costs could make a price hike unavoidable.
The shop serves beef and chicken pho. In the case of beef, customers can choose from well-done, rare, or brisket.
The shop also sells fried dough sticks at VND5,000 (20 cents) and iced tea at VND2,000 (8 cents).
It relies on high volume rather than big margins, aiming for just VND5,000 (20 cents) profit per bowl.