For those that enjoyed, miss the meals of the recently-closed Saigon Bistro restaurant, and also for those looking to enjoy some afternoon tea in HoCih Minh city, there’s some good news. Saigon Bistro’s former owners, the married couple of Hahn and Kiet Nguyen, have just opened a new, smaller scale restaurant at 3926 Market St., the Pho Café, last May 19.
Hahn Nguyen, Saigon Bistro’s proprietor, stated that she and her husband was forced to make the tough decision of closing down the large scale Saigon Bistro, which she states they could not manage alongside her health. Hahn was recently diagnosed with cancer last year.
She states that, since her diagnosis, her health has somewhat improved, and that the smaller scale of the Pho Café will make it more manageable to run when compared to the Bistro.
Hahn has stated that the cafe’s menu is composed of traditional, flavorful Vietnamese street food, made with all the complexity and nuance that give it its distinct identity.
The café’s menu, as it name would imply, includes variations on pho, such as chicken, beef, and shrimp. The broth is a complex dish with numerous ingredients, including rice noodles, white and green onions, cilantro, basil, hoisin, basil, lime, and bean sprouts, as well as some Sriracha sauce on the side.
Another key item on the menu is Banh mi, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich. The café’s options include pork (shredded or meatballs), barbecue chicken, and beef. The café’s iteration on the sandwich is made with homemade baguettes, and topped off with the addition of tangy, spicy flavours from pickled carrots, daikon radish, and some cucumbers, jalapeños, and some cilantro.
Other Vietnamese specialties are also available in the menu, offered alongside different variants of traditional Taiwanese Boba tea, made with tapioca pearls, for those looking to enjoy afternoon tea in Ho Cih Minh city with some good food. Pho Café’s Boba tea is available in either the standard tea form, or as a smoothie.
Pho Café opened on 3926 Market St., Unit 201, on the space that once held Mamma Bella Pizzeria, and is open every day from 8 AM to 9 PM.