Owner of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc brand: "Cooking pho is like creating art"

Located on the bustling Lo Duc street, the Pho Thin brand has become an indispensable part of Hanoi's culinary landscape for nearly half a century. Few people know that behind the journey to bring the capital's famous, fragrant pho tai lan to the world is a man who once put aside his passion for art, spent all his capital to open a small pho restaurant with the hope of being able to support his family of 10 siblings.

“When I was young, I studied sculpture at an art school. My dream was to become a painter. But at that time, my family’s economy was still facing many difficulties, so I had to put my dream aside to open a pho restaurant,” recalls Nguyen Trong Thin, owner of the Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc brand.

The decision to open a pho restaurant at that time by the young man, only 27 years old, was considered by many to be reckless. “No one in my family sells food, nor did anyone teach me how to cook pho. However, in addition to loving painting, I am also passionate about cuisine . I like delicious food, delicious drinks and want everyone to enjoy the same delicious taste as I do,” Mr. Thin said.

In the midst of the difficult subsidy period and the existence of a pho restaurant of the same name on Hoan Kiem Lake that was well-known, Mr. Thin was still determined to start a business and find his own standard of delicious pho. In 1979, he started selling the first bowls of pho for a few cents. There were not many customers, but he was always persistent. Over time, with its unique flavor, his pho brand attracted a number of "loyal" customers to the restaurant.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin (right), owner of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc brand, shares about how to choose ingredients.

“Cooking pho is like creating art, and whether it’s art or cuisine, you need to find your own unique thing. For diners to remember you, a bowl of Thin pho must have a different flavor. I think that if you cook it like the street vendors out there, people will quickly forget and it won’t be attractive enough for them to come back. That’s what motivated me to make this special bowl of rare beef pho,” he shared.

He likened the flavorings in a bowl of pho to lipstick and powder, and should not be overused. As for the ingredients, they must be carefully selected to ensure that everything remains fresh and delicious. It is the skillful combination of ingredients and spices that will create a truly delicious bowl of Pho Thin.

Cooking pho is like creating art, and both art and cuisine require finding your own uniqueness. For diners to remember you, a bowl of Thin pho must have a distinct flavor.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin, owner of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc brand

To consider a good bowl of pho, Mr. Thin believes that many factors must be considered. “First is the broth, then the noodles, then the seasoning, and finally the meat. A good bowl of pho must have all of these elements,” he explained.

According to Mr. Thin, the broth is the most important part. Because, before a bowl of pho, most of the time, the first thing that every diner usually does is taste the broth. The sweet broth, simmered from fresh beef bones, will create a strong impression on the taste buds of the diner.

Pho Thin restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: VNA)

Not only conquering domestic diners, Pho Thin is also the choice of many foreign tourists. He has long cherished the idea of ​​"exporting" pho, but it was not until 2018 that his wish became a reality.

Boldly “bringing the bell to strike foreign lands”, in March 2019, the first Pho Thin restaurant in Tokyo, Japan was officially opened. Understanding that Japan is a strict market in the culinary industry, Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin always places high demands on the chef’s skills and sets extremely careful standards for the selection of ingredients.

“When I encounter any ingredient, I taste it on the spot to feel the flavor and calculate how to prepare it to preserve the essence of a bowl of Thin pho. That process is similar to the artist’s color mixing, and the chef also needs to combine spices to create a delicious bowl of pho with the right flavor,” he compared.

To collect customer opinions, Mr. Thin immediately thought of a way to give out a small coupon and ask customers to rate it on a scale of 10 after they enjoyed the pho. Thanks to that, Pho Thin has become increasingly popular in the land of cherry blossoms. The image of people lining up to enjoy a bowl of Vietnamese pho once attracted the media in Japan and became a culinary phenomenon in a foreign land.

After Japan, Mr. Thin continued to bring pho to conquer Australia, Indonesia, the United States... Having the opportunity to enjoy Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc in Melbourne (Australia), Ms. Mai Hoa, residing in Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi, said that she did not expect that one day she would be able to enjoy her favorite pho in a foreign land.

“At that time, I was living in Australia with my daughter, so I missed Vietnamese food very much. The taste of Pho Thin at that time helped ease my homesickness. And my love for Hanoi cuisine was rekindled in that moment,” shared a customer who loved Pho Thin at 13 Lo Duc.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chu-thuong-hieu-pho-thin-13-lo-duc-nau-pho-nhu-sang-tao-nghe-thuat-post873937.html