Located on the third floor of 89 Ton That Dam Street in District 1 is Pot Au Pho, a bar-style restaurant. The entrance passes by Anan Saigon, the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Saigon, which is located on the first floor. Both eateries are owned by Vietnamese-American chef Peter Cuong Franklin.
In April, this pho restaurant was recognized by Condé Nast Traveller as one of 2024's top 29 new restaurants in the world.
The 30-square-meter space features 14 seats around a bar, doubling as an open kitchen where diners can watch the chefs at work. The main kitchen is in a room across the way.
Peter's love for pho began as a child growing up in Da Lat with his mother. Over a decade ago, he started a small pho shop in Hong Kong. Returning to Vietnam, he opened this spot last November, driven by his passion for the food.
Pot Au Pho is Saigon's first "pho bar," offering diners the experience of enjoying pho alongside drinks, Peter explained. The restaurant operates from 5 p.m. to around 2 a.m. Here, guests can savor pho, snack on light bites, and sip cocktails, unlike traditional pho places where visits last just around 10 to 15 minutes.
One recommended dish is the bone marrow pho, featuring roasted bone marrow and five types of beef: Wagyu A5, Angus tenderloin, slow-cooked short ribs, tongue, and tendon. This dish draws inspiration from Nam-Dinh-Province-style pho, which is known for having a broth infused with ginger and fish sauce, with the clarity of a French consommé.
The bone marrow pho is prepared at the bar, allowing customers to watch as the marrow is grilled over charcoal and then seared for a captivating appearance.
"The heart and soul of pho lie in its broth," Peter said, emphasizing the labor-intensive process of preparing it, which requires the restaurant to close Monday and Tuesday every week for preparation.
Beef bones are simmered for 24 hours to create the broth. On the second day, the broth is clarified with egg whites and a mixture of lean beef and spices, following the French consommé technique, to produce a clear, rich beef flavor.
To ensure consistent flavor, the broth is divided into small portions and served in hot bowls for dine-in customers. The bone marrow pho features a clear brown broth, and fragrant with herbal notes. Each bowl costs VND325,000 ($12).
To maintain consistency, a small electric stove is used at the bar to warm the broth, ensuring the flavor remains stable and the space is free from strong food odors. This method contrasts with traditional pho shops, where large pots simmer all day, leading to fluctuating saltiness over time.
While enjoying these dishes, diners can order pho-inspired cocktails like the Phojito, made with gin and various herbs and spices, providing an experience akin to drinking a bowl of pho. The VND340,000 ($13) drink is garnished with cinnamon sticks, dried star anise, and fresh chili, with the cinnamon burned with a flame for added aroma.
Peter also includes Quang-style noodles on the menu, the only non-pho dish, as a tribute to his mother, who ran a small Quang-style eatery in Da Lat before 1975.
