It is a little bit hard to pick the best pho restaurants because it all tasted good to me. Maybe I just have a cheap or basic taste but every restaurant I went was good (Except Pho Hung which is a chain and doesn’t taste nice). It almost feels like asking me to choose the best pizza joint in New York, because I would say the deli next door to me is the best. Or 100 other pizza restaurants in New York. But still if I had to choose, here are the top pho restaurants I loved in HCMC Vietnam.
Pho Phu Vuong
The pho does the justice for their bad lighting (too bright lol, it would be a bad date restaurant) and tacky interior. The soup is rich and the meat is tender. They are not cheap on meat which was the best part of this pho restaurant. There were a lot of locals eating there if that is the testament to good and tasty pho lol.
I know I sound like an American but I also loved it because they had a separate air-conditioned room. They are closed from 2:00-4:00 so be aware.
Tel: +84 93 195 96 96
Addy: QM9X+8C Nguyễn Thái Bình, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Pho Bo Vein Thap Cap
Pho Bo Vein Thap Cap was probably my favorite pho restaurant. The soup had a taste of strong taste of pepper which I LOVED. Also, they put a lot of scallions which I really loved and loved. The soup is not as heavy as Pho Phu Vuong and had a clearer taste which I also loved and loved and loved!
They make the pho at a food cart which was interesting. It is a really small restaurant with less than 10 seats. Also, there is no air-conditioning so be prepared to sweat while eating the best pho in town.
Addy: QPC2+5C Nguyễn Thái Bình, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Pho 2000
Pho 2000 is one of the most famous pho restaurants in the world (Read more about pho 2000 here). Yes in the world. When Bill Clinton visited Ho Chi Minh City in 2000, they visited Pho 2000. It wasn’t of course Pho 2000 then, but obviously they changed the name accordingly. Don’t be confused by the name, because the restaurant has been around for 3 generation.
It is not just famous because Bill Clinton visited but it has a long history for being in the restaurant business even before Bill Clinton visited. It is now located on the second floor of Coffee Bean. The pho is less exotic and can be catered for anybody’s taste. If this is your first time trying pho, Pho 2000 would be a great place to start.
The owner of Pho 2000 opened a luxury pho restaurant where they serve lobster pho. I was lucky enough to try it before they opened and it was great.
Tel: +84 28 3822 2788
Addy: QMCX+M3 Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bep Me In
There are places where only travelers go and there are places where only locals go. This is a place where only travelers go, but that doesn’t mean it is not good. Bep Me In is actually more like a Vietnamese home cooking style so they have more choice than just pho.
There are good restaurants that does like Vietnamese home-cooking style like Den Long, but it is not reasonable (you can read about what I think of Den Long here). Bep Me in is one of my favorite because it is reasonable and go a lot of choice. I love their pho but I also love their grilled pork with peppercorn.
It is hidden behind the alleyway so it can be hard to find, but it is definitely worth it.
Tel: +84 28 3824 4666
Addy: QMFX+F7 Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Pho Hoa Pasteur
Pho Hoa Pasteur is not in district 1 but on 2, so you might have to get a taxi to eat here. But you can easily walk here as well. I read it online that this was the best place in town, so I had to try it. Yes, it is really good and the meat is super tender. It is worth the try if you are in the neighborhood.
Tel: +84 28 3829 7943
Addy: QMPQ+MP phường 8, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
This is all the list that I like in HCMC. Of course there are more pho restaurants that are great and I wasn’t able to try all of them. So please let me know below comment which pho restaurant was your favorite. Also I wrote about Bun Cha which is another popular dish in Vietnam, and you can read it here!