The Top 10 Best Heirloom Eateries Pho Nam Dinh

1. Overview

Nam Dinh is about 90 km from Hanoi with convenient transportation, so this place has become a famous tourist destination. Nam Dinh is a peaceful land rich in national cultural identity, with many traditional festivals and famous tourist attractions associated with historical relics such as Xuan Thuy National Park, Keo Hanh Thien Pagoda, Ngoi Bridge, Luong pagoda, Nam Dinh flagpole, Tran temple, Pho Minh tower, Hai Ly collapsed church, etc.

In addition, when coming here, visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy many unique culinary specialties, among them, Pho bo is a famous and delicious dish both at home and abroad. Nam Dinh pho bo is a family dish and has become a familiar dish to people not only in Nam Dinh’s hometown but also in many provinces and cities nationwide and abroad. Coming here, you will fully experience the flavor that cannot be mixed with any other region.

2. Origin and special features of Pho Nam Dinh

2.1 Origin

Nam Dinh heirloom pho originated from Giao Cu village and Van Co village in Dong Son commune (Nam Truc, Nam Dinh). Many documents record that the appearance of this dish is closely related to the birth of the Nam Dinh textile factory. The location was built by France in the late 19th century; it was the largest industrial park in Indochina at the time.

To serve the overtime and night shift needs of workers, the villagers of Giao Cu, Van Co, came up with a fibrous dish and brought it to street vendors. One side contains beef and miscellaneous spices; on the other side is a stove that cooks broth, always on fire. When the French want to call this dish “Feu” (pronounced “PHO” in Vietnamese, meaning “fire”), the name “Pho” was also born there.

Ganh Pho Rong in Nam Dinh were very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, we no longer see that familiar image, but Nam Dinh pho bo is now available in spacious restaurants. But even after more than 100 years, the special taste of this dish is still preserved by Nam Dinh people.

2.2. What’s special about Nam Dinh pho bo?

Nam Dinh Pho is made from ingredients: banh pho, beef, broth, and seasoning. However, the difference is that Pho Co (Nam Dinh) has small fibers, is delicious, soft, not dry, and has a strong smell like in other places. Nam Dinh banh pho is made from Chiem rice to remove the resin, ground with a stone mill, and then thinly coated in a pot of water so it is white, chewy, and fragrant. The beef is sliced thinly, crushed, dipped, then taken out and eaten immediately to be soft and retain the freshness and nutrients of the meat.

Pho bo Nam Dinh is also delicious in the way it prepares the broth, which is a family secret. Pho broth is simmered from beef bones and spices such as cardamom, star anise, ginger, cloves, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, dried onions, shrimp, etc., making ho bo Nam Dinh a famous dish, delicious, nutritious, and attractive.

3. The Top 10 Best Heirloom Eateries Pho Nam Dinh

3.1. Pho Dan

Pho Dan has been around for decades and is considered one of the most famous restaurants in Thanh Nam. Although it is a long-standing pho restaurant that has established its brand, everything here is still very rustic and close, like it was decades ago. Pho Dan restaurant only has a modest sign, a cardboard sign with the name on a tree branch in front of the door.

The owner has preserved the family pho recipe for decades, attracting many diners to come here to enjoy it. The bowl of pho is cooked according to a separate recipe, the broth is clear, the bones are simmered for many hours, and it has an extremely attractive natural sweetness. The thinly sliced beef is not chewy at all, and the meat is deliciously sweet. The restaurant has two types of pho: rare, cooked pho bo, and chicken pho, depending on the needs of diners.

• Address: 117 Bac Ninh Street, Nguyen Du Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Tel: (+84) 944 618 115
• Open: 05:30 a.m – 09:20 a.m
• Reference price: 1.23 USD – 1.85 USD/bowl.

3.2. Pho Cu Tang

Cu Tang’s pho is considered the “three-generation pho restaurant” in Nam Dinh. The shop was opened by Cu Tang, then passed down to children, and is now owned by Cu Tang’s granddaughter, Ms. Le Thi Thu Ha. The restaurant is quite small, but the tables and chairs are always clean, and there are a lot of customers.

In addition to traditional pho bo, the restaurant also has pan-fried pho bo and pho bo with wine sauce, which are also very delicious. These are two authentic and extremely unique pho bo dishes from the restaurant. Pan-fried pho bo is actually stir-fried beef, slightly undercooked, soft, sweet, just cooked, mixed with vegetables, herbs, and spices, and then put into a bowl of pho. This restaurant’s Pho bo with wine sauce is a family secret. The broth of Cu Tang’s pho is rich and sweet, and the beef is soft and chewy but not falling apart, banh pho are also very soft and oily.

• Address: 23 Hang Tien Street, Ba Trieu Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Tel: (+84) 22 8625 2178
• Open: 05:30 a.m – 09:00 a.m; 15:30 p.m – 18:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.03 USD – 2.26 USD/bowl.

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3.3. Pho Sinh

Pho Sinh is an extremely famous Nam Dinh heirloom pho bo restaurant and has been in business for decades. The broth here has a sweet taste; the beef is thinly sliced, tender, and has a subtle scent of spices. In addition pho bo tai nam, pho bo tai chin, this place is also considered the place that sells the best pho bo with wine sauce in Nam Dinh.

The wine sauce is fragrant, the broth has a moderate consistency, and the taste is extremely rich. The beef is cut into large, square pieces and soaked evenly in the wine sauce, making it so soft it almost melts in your mouth. Banh pho are white, small, and long; chewy and soft, not mushy.

• Address: 111 Nguyen Du Street, Vi Xuyen Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Open: 6:00 a.m – 22:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.23 USD – 1.64 USD/bowl.

3.4. Pho Xuyen

Located in a small alley, Ms. Xuyen’s restaurant has a simple, rustic look, with a decades-old tradition of cooking pho and the old flavor that everyone loves when they come here to enjoy it. The restaurant has many pho dishes, such as pho bo, chicken pho, and  pho bo with wine sauce, which is a very unique combination of Eastern cuisine and Western culture. Remove the beef tendons, then marinate with garlic, five spices, turmeric powder, and wine for a rich flavor, and then stir-fry with garlic and tomatoes, cook it until it becomes a bowl of fatty pho without the fat floating on it.

• Address: Van Nhan Alley, Tran Hung Dao Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Open: 6:00 a.m – 20:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.23 USD – 2.06 USD/bowl.

3.5. Pho Tao

Pho Tao restaurant is known for its sweet, flavorful broth made from stewed bones without using MSG. The restaurant complies with food safety standards and cooks food according to esoteric recipes.

According to the owner, the most difficult thing is the art of cooking broth. Choosing beef bones, washing them, and cooking them for enough time will create the sweet taste of the broth. Reheating carefully so that the broth does not become cloudy is also important. Pho noodles are prepared in each bowl, while the broth is prepared in small pots. This broth will be boiled over low heat to ensure the pho has a delicious flavor and richness.

• Address: 228 Dien Bien Street, Loc Hoa Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Tel: (+84) 355 072 222
• Open: 5:30 a.m – 23:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.44 USD/bowl.

3.6. Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su Nam Dinh

This is a famous pho brand everywhere in Vietnam. Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su in Nam Dinh is a famous culinary destination with delicious and diverse pho dishes and an interesting culinary experience for diners. The pho dish at the restaurant is considered delicious because of the typical delicious flavor of the broth and the freshness of the ingredients.

With a rich menu, customers can choose from traditional versions such as pho bo and chicken pho, to special pho variations such as scallop pho or mushroom pho. The restaurant’s space is designed to be cool and comfortable, creating a relaxing feeling for diners.

• Address: 6 Ben Ngu Street, Phan Dinh Phung Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province.
• Tel: (+84) 948 385 303
• Open: 06:00 a.m – 14:00 p.m; 16:30 a.m – 22:00 p.m
• Reference price: 2.06 USD – 3.17 USD/bowl.

3.7. Pho Ha

Pho Ha is famous for its unique broth flavor, which is sweet, fragrant, and not greasy. The unique point of Pho Ha is that it has a sweet broth, fragrant rice noodles that are soft and chewy, and first-class beef that is always fresh and stimulates the taste buds. The restaurant’s menu is quite diverse, including beef with wine sauce, pho tai – chin – nam – gau, chicken pho, pho moc, bone pho, stir-fried pho, etc.

• Address: 2 Quang Trung Alley, Quang Trung Ward, Nam Dinh City, Quang Nam Province.
• Open: 5:00 a.m – 10:00 p.m; 15:00 a.m – 21:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.23 USD – 1.85 USD.

3.8. Pho 5 Nghin

With only 0.21 USD, you can get yourself a bowl of extremely high-quality pho that’s not inferior to other restaurants. The shop is located in a small alley, but from the afternoon onwards, it is always crowded with people coming in and out. A full bowl has pho noodles, meat, char siu, lolot leaf rolls, and sprout balls, along with a rich broth stewed from beef bones. Every day, the owner of Pho 5 Nghian sells more than 500 bowls that are both delicious and full of love.

• Address: 19/5 Street, Tran Te Xuong Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Open: 17:30 p.m – 23:00 p.m

3.9 Pho Truong

If you want to enjoy Nam Dinh Pho in a large, clean space, Pho Truong is one of the addresses not to be missed. The pho restaurant’s menu only has 3 pho dishes: tai nhung, tai chin, and tai lan, but all of them are delicious. The broth here has been stewed for a long time, so it is extremely sweet, combined with chewy white pho noodles, a lot of meat is placed on top; add water, and you can eat comfortably.

• Address: 201 Hung Vuong Street, Vi Xuyen Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
• Open: 5:00 a.m – 10:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.03 USD – 2.06 USD/bowl.

3.10. Pho Quyet

Pho Quyet is a family-owned pho restaurant that has existed for several decades in Nam Dinh. The clean processing space is separate from the dining area, so you don’t feel hot or smell food. Quyet Pho’s menu includes three main dishes: dipped pho, tai chin and tai lan sweet rolled. The common feature that makes up the restaurant’s hot is that all three dishes use the same sweet and rich broth.

The broth is simmered from bones and oxtail for many hours to create a sweet, heirloom taste. Banh pho used are large, white, moderately soft, and chewy, not stringy. The beef is sliced across the grain, so it has a medium chewiness and a characteristic sweetness. On top of each bowl, the restaurant adds a lot of green onions and coriander to create a fragrant aroma and eye-catching green color. Depending on taste, customers add spices and herbs, stir-fry, and fresh bamboo shoots separately later.

• Address: 223 Van Cao Street, Tran Quang Khai Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province.
• Open: 8:00 a.m – 22:00 p.m
• Reference price: 1.03 USD – 2.26 USD/bowl.

4. Conclusion

Above are The Top 10 Best Heirloom Eateries Pho Nam Dinh that Metta Voyage shares with you. Hopefully, with this information, you can refer to it and choose the right place to enjoy this famous Nam Dinh heirloom pho bo. Don’t forget to contact us immediately to schedule your upcoming trip.

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