Pho Hung — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

After a lengthy travel from one side of the world to the other, what I needed even more than rest was a soothing bowl of phở. Pho Hung came highly recommended and was conveniently just a few blocks from my hostel. Being from Canada/Australia, I've eaten a lot of quality pho, so I wanted my first in Vietnam to be special. I'm pleased to say my expectations were met from the minute I walked in off the hectic street past the lineup of motorbikes out front. I was promptly seated at a communal table at the back next to a friendly group who spoke English and welcomed me to Vietnam and were keen to show me the proper way to eat pho. I already had the ritual down pat, but was curious to know what all the impressive herbs were. Half of which, like saw-tooth coriander, I'd never encountered in real life at any pho joint back home. Visually, that's what I found instantly most impressive, in addition to the bright orange dipping sauce that was also a new addition for me. This wouldn't be my last time eating here either. I'd return at least two more times. I later discovered there were other locations in what was a chain of pho restaurants. My first order was a basic beef pho, but I got more adventurous with each visit, opting for a variety with cartilage which I wasn't super keen on. But the beef and brisket were always very tasty and sliced to just the right thickness with the perfect amount of texture and consistency. The broth was exceptional. I didn't sully it with any sauce, rather tasted it unspoilt with a spoon and slurped it all up at the end. Naturally, I ordered a cà phê sua đá each time. The iced coffee was a bit thick and chocolatey, which my sweet tooth didn't mind, but I had much better elsewhere. In subsequent visits, I also brought my own napkins as this was something I realised was often missing at simple eateries. That's when I discovered you can save a couple thousand dong by not opening the wet nappies provided. Pho Hung proved to be a solid initiation into the world of pho in Vietnam. Though it wouldn't be the best I'd eat, it served as the benchmark to which I would compare every other...

There's a plethora of the ubiquitous Pho joints in Saigon, and a huge amount in the tourist heavy areas. There's also a variety of Pho styles, which are very different according to each region. I am not a local nor have I eaten enough to add to the debate of which one is the best. All I wanted was a really good bowl of beef Pho, I knew I didn't want to have a bad one. After some research and recommendations from locals I decided on Pho Hung over the other well known Pho places. I walked here from my hotel in District 1, which was 30-35 minutes. I could've taken the Grab bike and done it in 10 minutes. I wanted to work up an appetite and explore more of the city on foot. When you arrive, grab an empty seat. The menu has English, so it is very easy to order. I went for the large Pho Hung Dat Biet (house special with all the toppings, 90k VND), and cold Tiger beer. Service is FAST! My bowl of pho arrived less than a minute after I ordered, I am not exaggerating. The word fast food comes to mind and they would KFC and McDonald's to shame with their speed and efficiency. The bowl of Pho came topped with all the beef cuts and also the off cuts, and some beef balls. I was quite hungry and the large was just right. I probably didn't need the beer but wanted something very cold after the long walk. One thing I really liked was that they blanched their beansprouts. I'm not a huge fan of raw beansprouts, but I do like blanched beansprouts so that was a winner for me. Add in all the herbs, squeeze in some lime and add chillies to taste and dig in. It was a lovely bowl of beef Pho, sweet, rich and very hearty. All the toppings were cooked very well and very tasty. As I mentioned, this place is less well known than the other Pho joints, and probably due to it's out of the way location. There were some tourists here but 90% of the customers were locals. This place should be on your list of Pho...

I had a negative experience with this place on two separate occasions, three days apart, due to severe gastrointestinal issues. After eating lunch there, I experienced diarrhoea for 1.5 day, and after dinner on the second visit, I vomited multiple times. Initially, I didn't suspect this restaurant initally because I had eaten at many places during my trip and it could be anyone of them. Of course if I knew it I wouldn't have returned otherwise, what more took nice photos/videos for my Instagram. However, after the second incident, I knew right away that this place is the problem as the coincidence of my gastrointestinal issues were just few hours after the meal and I did not have the appetite to eat during the day (Read: still suffering a little from the upset stomach 3 days back). I suspected it may have been caused by their vegetables or chilli sauce, but I can't be sure. Therefore, I would advise tourists against visiting this establishment due to the risk of stomach upset from their pho and ruining your holiday.

Additionally, there were confusing aspects regarding pricing; I was surprised by additional charges such as fried fritters and towels, which I assumed were included with the meal like side vegetables and condiments. While these were minor expenses for me, it's something others should be aware of to avoid any...