Ralph (photographer) and Sam (fashion store owner) are both from Manila (Philippines), currently working in the field of content creation.

The couple recently traveled to Vietnam and spent 2 days exploring Hanoi, experiencing dishes that they said they must try when visiting here, including pho.

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Ralph and Sam sit on the sidewalk eating pho in Hanoi.

The place Ralph and Sam went to was a famous pho restaurant on Au Trieu street (Hoan Kiem district).

The restaurant has no signboard but is always crowded, becoming a familiar dining address for both old town residents and foreign tourists for many years.

The restaurant was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand (good food at affordable prices) in 2023.

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Rare Pho that the Filipino couple enjoyed, priced at 65,000 VND/serving

Ralph’s first impression when arriving at this Michelin-starred pho restaurant was the large, boiling pot of broth right in front of the door. Next to it, the owner was quickly blanching the pho noodles and arranging the beef to serve the diners.

Even though they arrived early, Ralph and Sam noticed that the pho restaurant was quite crowded. They decided to sit on plastic chairs on the sidewalk for a fun and rustic experience.

The couple from the Philippines ordered 2 rare pho dishes and 1 plate of fried dough sticks, totaling 140,000 VND.

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Squeeze more lemon into the pho to make the broth more delicious.

According to Sam's observation, the pho dish was served in a generous portion and looked appealing. The reddish-brown meat was uniquely prepared by mincing, pounding, spreading thinly, and placing it on top of the soft pho noodles and pouring hot broth over it.

When enjoying the dish, the Filipino female tourist was surprised because the beef was very tender, the pieces were large but thinly sliced. The pho noodles were smooth, the broth was rich and fatty.

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Foreign tourists give high praise to Michelin-starred pho in Hanoi

As for Ralph, he kept exclaiming “looks great”, “so delicious”, expressing his delight at the Michelin pho.

The customer commented that when adding lemon juice and chili sauce, the flavor of the broth changed significantly and the pho became "more delicious and attractive".

“Remember to come early because the restaurant only serves pho in the morning,” he said.

On their personal YouTube channel, Ralph and Sam also posted a video about their experience eating Michelin Pho in Hanoi with the introduction that this is one of the street foods that tourists must try when coming to Vietnam.

It is known that the pho restaurant that Ralph and Sam visited is located next to Hanoi Cathedral. The owner is Mrs. Ngo Thi Phi Nga (65 years old).

The pho restaurant that Ralph and Sam visited on Au Trieu street

Unlike most pho restaurants in Hanoi that use clear broth, Mrs. Nga's family's pho has a cloudy, rich broth, simmered from beef bones for 24 hours.

According to Ms. Nga, the pho broth at the restaurant does not use cinnamon or star anise, but is seasoned with good fish sauce and grilled ginger.

The restaurant serves two types of pho: well-done beef pho, priced at 55,000 VND/bowl, and rare beef pho, priced at 65,000 VND.

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The restaurant's rare beef is minced, pounded, then thinly sliced, and placed in a bowl of pho.

When a customer orders rare pho, Mrs. Nga takes the raw beef, places it on a wooden cutting board, crushes it, flattens it, skillfully places the meat in a bowl, and pours the boiling broth over it.

This method is different from many places, which usually dip the beef in a pot of water before putting it in a bowl.

"Most restaurants will blanch the meat, but I don't do that. My family's method helps keep the meat sweet. However, the meat must be clean and fresh," Ms. Nga shared.

Photo: Ralph & Sam

Western guests tried traditional pho in Hanoi, praised it as delicious, and drank up all the broth . For the first time trying Northern-style pho in Hanoi, two Western guests were surprised by the delicious flavor with clear and light broth, and the characteristic aroma of beef.