Last month, Chi Pu (C) soft-launched her pho eatery called La Ganh on Yanping Road in Shanghai and the grand opening ceremony is expected for mid-October after China's National Day holiday break that wraps up late this week.
"After months of preparation, my restaurant La Ganh is set to make its grand debut in Shanghai! We're thrilled to share the finest Northern Pho with all of you!," she wrote on her Facebook page with 9 million followers.
She revealed she opened the restaurant with two other friends, and wants to promote pho in the world's second most populous country.
During the soft opening time, her restaurant only serves one dish - pho bo (beef noodle soup) for 59 yuan ($8) while the normal price later will be 90 yuan.
Guests can order side dishes such as bagel twists and poached eggs.
Served in a tall bowl, a La Ganh pho portion contains white rice noodles, large pieces of sliced beef and onion stalk. The northern-style pho does not come with bean sprouts, herbs or hoisin sauce. At Chi Pu's restaurant, the spice tray sticks to the original version, including garlic vinegar, fresh chili and chili sauce. But unlike with the version in Hanoi, the broth here is added with lots of fat to suit Chinese tastes.
"Our broth, simmered for over 12 hours with beef bones, fish sauce, and spices, is the heart of each bowl," Chi Pu wrote on her Facebook page.
The restaurant serves pho with three meaty delights: rare tenderloin, well-done top blade, and chunky beef stew.
Many diners came to try it and wrote reviews on Chinese social media, saying the pho had a lot of meat and the noodles were moderately soft and chewy.
"This was the best Vietnamese-style pho restaurant I've ever eaten at. The broth was tasty, and I ate the entire bowl. Currently, there is only one type of pho, in the future, there will be many other Vietnamese dishes," a diner wrote on Weibo.
Vietnamese netizens said the price was "too expensive," five times higher than pho in Vietnam.
However, compared to the cost of living in Shanghai, such a price is considered average.
A plate of bagel twists costs 7 yuan and a bowl of poached egg costs 5 yuan.
Pho originated from Hanoi and is considered a national dish in Vietnam. The dish has received rave reviews from international travel magazines.
Although the restaurant has just opened, many customers have come to try it, mainly Chi Pu fans in China.
"The pho is delicious and authentic. The restaurant is located on Yanping Street. It was a bit hot today, so I got off the subway and walked for a long time, arriving at the restaurant at 1 p.m. I wanted to eat late to avoid the crowd but the table was still full. In the future, I hope the restaurant will serve more drinks and salads," a Chi Pu fan wrote on Weibo.
The Vietnamese singer made her debut on the Chinese market with her appearance in "Sisters Who Make Waves," a famous reality show in China. Her musical performances throughout the show gained a lot of attention from local audiences.
