Located on Lo Duc Street in Hanoi, Pho Thin is an unassuming eatery that has been serving its signature dish – Pho Tai Lan – for an impressive 40 years! While this single dish may not be particularly unique, the soup’s popularity has been growing consistently – and that’s hardly surprising given how renowned it is amongst regular diners. If you’re a fan of pho, then Pho Thin should definitely be on your list of must-try places – for you may well discover that it serves one of the best bowls of pho you can find, in Hanoi and beyond!
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Standing out from the crowd, Pho Tai Lan is a one-of-a-kind dish prepared with unique flair. The centerpiece of the plate is beef, first quickly cooked in a hot pan with garlic and ginger before being served with noodles and broth. There is no substituting the beef with chicken and no stir-frying the noodles. Despite only offering the single dish, Pho Tai Lan has been a hit for 40 years and remains beloved amongst foreigners.
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Despite some people’s opinions that this eatery ought to be declared a ‘proper restaurant’, many simply want Thin, the owner, to maintain the flavors, taste, and cleanliness. They are not concerned with its visibility or name.
As morning turns to afternoon, the fragrance of Thin’s pho broth becomes increasingly enticing – a mixture of star anise and black cardamom that wafts throughout the area. Thin credits the recipe for his famous broth to a combination of continually learning from both the past and other pho makers in Hanoi.
When it is time to serve the broth, the beef has been stir-fried in a large basket; this is, apparently, quite a skill that necessitates lots of experience to get it just right!
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When you come to this restaurant, you will have to pay upfront for your meal. A typical bowl of pho tai lan will cost you VND60,000 ($2.5). Additionally, if you would like some side dishes, you can get three pieces of quay for VND10,000 ($0.4) and a poached egg for VND10,000 ($0.4) as well. Other popular side dishes here are deep fried flour sticks.
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With its wooden and plastic seating and metal tables, this no-frills diner provides customers with a clean, comfortable environment to enjoy their flavorful pho. The walls are decorated with framed black and white pictures of old Hanoi and newspaper articles written about this beloved eatery. American tourist Tibo Rivero was charmed, exclaiming, “This might be the most delicious dish I’ve ever tried in Vietnam. The broth is flavorful and the beef is very appetizing. I will definitely come back here.”
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The unassuming nature of this restaurant has certainly not held it back from its success; with the grand opening of its second location in Tokyo, Japan earlier this month, it has launched itself into a new stage of its journey. It has been met with a warm reception from customers thus far.
