Tetsuo Arafune (also known as "Uncle Nam", born in 1985, from Saitama Prefecture, Japan) has been living in Ho Chi Minh City for several years. To learn about Vietnamese culture as well as improve his second language, he spends time traveling to many places and experiencing local dishes and specialties.

Among the Vietnamese dishes Tetsuo has enjoyed, he revealed that he really likes pho and was surprised that this "national" specialty has many different versions, the most popular being Southern-style pho and Northern-style pho.

Recently, Tetsuo visited a famous restaurant specializing in Southern-style pho, located on Nguyen Trai Street (District 5, HCMC).

The restaurant has been open since 1970 and has been listed by Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand - a delicious restaurant worth trying, affordable prices for two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024.

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Tetsuo tries Southern-style pho at a 54-year-old restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

At the restaurant, the Japanese customer ordered a rare beef pho dish for 90,000 VND.

According to his observation, the pho dish was served in an attractive form. The rare beef had a rosy color and the brisket was thin and soft, “suiting the Japanese taste”.

“The noodles look smooth. The temperature of the dish is always hot, which is also something I appreciate,” said Tetsuo.

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The rare beef pho that the Japanese guest enjoyed

Having enjoyed Northern-style pho, he compared that Southern-style pho is different in that it is often served with some herbs such as coriander, Vietnamese coriander, and bean sprouts. In addition, depending on preference, visitors can dip the beef in red sauce (chili sauce) or black sauce.

“The sauce here is not as strong as it looks, so it's okay for diners to dip a lot,” he said.

Throughout the meal, the Japanese guest also continuously expressed his satisfaction with the taste of the pho, praising it endlessly. “The pho here is really delicious.” In Tetsuo’s personal opinion, this is the “best pho in Ho Chi Minh City.”

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39-year-old guest surprised with the taste of pho broth

He said the pho broth has a rich flavor, with the characteristic aroma of simmered beef bones. In addition, the restaurant does not use much fish sauce, so diners who are not familiar with this typical spice of Vietnamese cuisine can still enjoy the dish.

In addition, coriander - a vegetable that is "picky" with foreign customers - is kept separately by the restaurant, not served directly in the pho bowl and replaced with green onions and onions, so it suits the taste of more diners.

Tetsuo also emphasized that this is a representative Southern-style pho dish, worth experiencing if diners want to feel the difference compared to Northern-style pho.

“Even though I don't eat pho often, I still want to come back here to enjoy it even though the restaurant is quite far from the city center,” a U40 customer shared.

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Tetsuo revealed that he finished the pho, slurping up the broth because it was so delicious.

According to Tetsuo, the plus points of the pho here are fresh beef, delicious broth and a full serving. The minus points are that the price is a bit high compared to the general level and the restaurant location is quite far from the center.

“The meat is fresh and the broth is delicious. The price is a bit high, but the portion is enough to fill you up. So overall, I think the pho is great,” he said.

Photo: Tetsuo Arafune

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