Pho Thin Lo Duc and Pho Thin Bo Ho, attractive names in the capital’s pho village

1 Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc, a name located deep on the culinary culture map of Hanoi

1.1 Brief introduction about Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc

Address: 13 Lo Duc Street, Ngo Thi Nham Ward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 5am – 10pm

Reference price (year 2025): from 80,000 – 95,000 VND/bowl

Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc was opened for sale in 1979 by Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin. With the unique flavor of Hanoi pho, the owner of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc was invited to countries like Japan, Korea, and the US to teach pho cooking.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin started out as an art enthusiast, studied sculpture and aspired to become a painter. However, at that time the family’s economy was still difficult, so Mr. Thin had to put his dream aside and open a pho restaurant.

The 27-year-old young man at that time was considered by many to be reckless when he decided to open a pho restaurant. The family had no experience selling food, and no one taught them how to cook pho. However, Mr. Thin kept tinkering and creating a unique family recipe of Pho Thin Lo Duc.

In 1979, the first bowls of pho were sold for just a few dimes. There weren’t many customers coming to eat, but Mr. Thin still persevered with the pho restaurant. Gradually, the restaurant became more known and became a famous pho brand in the heart of the capital.

Not only attractive to domestic diners, Pho Thin Lo Duc has developed and succeeded with its dream of exporting abroad. In March 2019, the Pho Thin LO Duc brand first appeared in Tokyo, Japan. This is also a step marking the outstanding development of the Pho Thin Lo Duc brand. Later, Pho Thin Lo Duc continued to be brought to Australia, Indonesia, and the United States to serve food lovers near and far.

1.2 What’s special in a bowl of pho at Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc?

Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc is selected from attractive ingredients, creating a delicious bowl of pho with a unique flavor on the Hanoi pho map. Each ingredient such as broth, pho noodles, seasoning, and meat is carefully taken care of to create a delicious bowl of pho.

The broth at Pho Thin Lo Duc is simmered from fresh beef bones, creating an impressive taste experience for diners when enjoying. The broth at the restaurant is sweet and lightly fragrant, making it more enjoyable the more you enjoy it.

A unique feature of Pho Thin Lo Duc is that it has a lot of onions. The taste of onions contributes to the unique flavor of this delicious restaurant and also creates eye-catching colors. If you can’t use onions, you can notify the staff in advance so they won’t let you in.

According to many diners who have experienced it, the most impressive point of Pho Thin Lo Duc is the rare pho. The restaurant only sells one dish and has almost no options from rare, cooked, or fried like other restaurants. The restaurant’s rare pho flavor is also known as burnt pho with its unique ingredients. The beef will be stir-fried until rare in a pan of hot fat over a high flame. Therefore, the meat will have a strong aroma from onions, garlic, ginger and slightly charred from the fire.

Because it is rare pho, the broth at Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc will not be clear but will slightly float with a layer of stir-fried meat sauce on top. This makes it different and sometimes somewhat controversial with traditional pho cuisine fans.

2 Pho Thin Bo Ho, traditional flavor rich in identity

2.1 Brief introduction about Pho Thin Bo Ho

Address: 61 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ly Thai To Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 6:30 am – 10:00 pm

Reference price (year 2025): 60,000 – 100,000 VND/bowl

Pho Thin Bo Ho is a famous pho brand in Hanoi founded by Mr. Bui Chi Thin, a son of Hoai Duc, Ha Tay (now part of Hanoi). He started selling pho in 1955 after being released from Hoa Lo Prison during the resistance war against the French colonialists.

Initially, Mr. Thin carried pho and sold it all over the streets, even during the days when bombs fell and bullets strayed. In 1955, he moved to open a restaurant at alley 61 Dinh Tien Hoang street, opposite Hoan Kiem Lake and opened the first location of Pho Thin Bo Ho.

Pho Thin Bo Ho has been preserved for many generations with a unique family recipe from Mr. Thin. The attractive bowls of pho here are not only popular with Hanoi residents but also experienced by many foreign tourists. Pho Thin Bo Ho was also honored to serve at the US-North Korea Summit in 2019.

Over many years of operation, Pho Thin Bo Ho has expanded to many other establishments such as 01 Hang Tre, Le Van Huu, Hai Ba Trung and Kim Ma. This is not only a family-owned pho brand but also a typical culinary culture of the Capital’s people.

2.2 What makes Pho Thin Bo Ho special?

Pho Thin Bo Ho is attractive with a pot of clear, delicious broth and a very suitable flavor. The taste of pho broth is not too salty, not too fatty, not too sweet. When enjoying the broth, you can feel the gentle, slightly spicy aroma of fresh ginger.

Beef at Pho Thin Bo Ho is the memorable ingredient for food lovers who have been here. Beef is carefully selected with thin slices, suitable for the eater. Each type of beef at Pho Thin Bo Ho is individually processed to create the most attractive bowl of pho for diners.

Pho Thin Bo Ho’s pho noodles are made from fresh rice and are quite soft, chewy and delicious. Adding to the bowl of pho are herbs, green onions, lemon, chili and garlic, creating many unique choices for diners looking to experience.

Pho Thin Bo Ho currently has many choices for you to comfortably enjoy when you come to the restaurant. Some types of pho that many food lovers experience include rare pho, rare corn, rare, rolled, rare, stir-fried with beef. In addition, you can order more poached eggs to fully enjoy the cuisine at Pho Thin Bo Ho!

Pho Thin is probably a name that goes deep into the culinary culture of Hanoi people as well as tourists from near and far. These will be two delicious and attractive restaurants that you should visit every time you experience the capital’s dining map. If you have the opportunity to backpack to the above two delicious restaurants and experience the cuisine, don’t hesitate to share more information with us!