Bo Kho Ganh brings the taste of old Saigon to modern diners

Bo Kho Ganh in District 10 is the only beef stew restaurant honored by Michelin Guide in the Bib Gourmand list (restaurant with delicious food at affordable prices) in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024.

1 Bo Kho Ganh Saigon – Traditional beef stew restaurant for two generations

Address: 029 Lot H Ngo Gia Tu Apartment, Su Van Hanh Street, Ward 2, District 10, HCMC

Business hours: daily from 2pm – 10pm

Bo Kho Ganh restaurant is located right in Ngo Gia Tu apartment building, built before 1975, with the purpose of compensating people whose houses were damaged after the Tet Offensive. Ms. Phuc and her husband came here early to start a business and opened a small sweet soup shop on Su Van Hanh street to raise their 5 children. Thanks to her skillful hands and good cooking ability, she has made other dishes to serve at parties, weddings… Among them, her most outstanding dish is beef stew with its rich flavor.

Ms. Nguyen is Ms. Phuc’s eldest daughter. Born and raised in the area near Cho Lon market, she soon fell in love with the delicious dishes her mother cooked and inherited that ability. When opening the Bo Kho Ganh restaurant, she also combined the flavors of Chinese dishes from Cho Lon market, bringing back the echoes of traditional Saigon specialties before 1975 and sending them to tourists from near and far. One tells ten, ten tells a hundred, the Bo Kho Ganh restaurant with its unique flavors gradually became famous everywhere, even appearing on international programs.

2 Special restaurant attracts many diners to enjoy

2.1 Famous Bo Kho Ganh Restaurant in the heart of District 10

The current Bo Kho Ganh restaurant is managed by Ms. Nguyen and Mr. Duy, and has always had a large number of customers coming and going since its opening. After being named by Michelin, the restaurant became even more famous. Previously, Ms. Nguyen had sold traditional sweet soup for 6 years following her mother’s footsteps but it was not successful, then about 7 years ago she decided to open a restaurant selling beef stew according to her grandfather’s recipe.

In the early days, Bo Kho Ganh was just a small restaurant, selling an average of 2-3 kg of meat per day. At that time, Ms. Nguyen sold each portion for about 25,000 VND, so many ordinary customers and poor workers came to visit.

From the recipe of beef stew passed down by her mother, the owner of the restaurant has reduced and changed the taste to suit the taste of diners to create the flavor as it is today. In addition, Ms. Nguyen’s dedicated Bo Kho Ganh restaurant is also supported by her parents, Mr. Duy and relatives, so that it has more and more customers, from locals, to tourists in Saigon and even visiting experts.

2.2 Meaning of the name Bo Kho Ganh

In front of the Bo Kho Ganh restaurant, you can see an old bamboo carrying pole filled with memories of the past. According to the owner, it is a pair of carrying poles from the time of her grandmother that has been carefully preserved, placed in front of the restaurant as a tribute and gratitude from the descendants to the generation of grandparents who worked hard to make a living and raise their children and grandchildren to be who they are today. That is also the reason for the name of the Bo Kho Ganh restaurant.

The restaurant has a nostalgic atmosphere, decorated according to the owner’s intention so that every diner will relive their childhood memories, remembering Saigon in the old days while enjoying the food. According to travel experience, many people come to the restaurant not only for the food but also for the small decorative details, such as the signboard, the chalk-drawn menu, the wooden table, the glasses of water… next to the shoulder pole.

2.3 Unforgettable and impressive food flavors

Many diners commented that the beef stew here is seasoned very well, with soft, fragrant meat and not too strong beef stew, which can be enjoyed right away. Moreover, the restaurant space is also airy, overlooking the street, located right in the area with many other delicious restaurants around.

The owner also said that about 30% of the customers coming to Bo Kho Ganh are foreigners. On average, the dishes here will cost around 50,000 – 100,000 VND (Updated July 2024). There are even regular customers who come every day or foreigners living in Vietnam to enjoy.

The secret to creating the impressive flavor of the dish shared by the restaurant owner is also extremely simple. First, it lies in the processing of ingredients, specifically the marinating of beef. The restaurant owner said that beef stew is not easy to cook and requires many preparation steps. If one step is not up to standard, the dish will lose its delicious flavor.

That is why the dishes at Bo Kho Ganh are more special when cooked with 8 traditional Chinese herbs, ensuring the harmony of flavors without too much oil. Diners can choose to combine beef stew with bread, noodles or rice.

3 Menu of Bo Kho Ganh restaurant

Beef soup break: The delicious dish is heated in a clay pot to ensure the best flavor when it reaches the diners. You can dip the crispy bread in the rich traditional beef stew broth. The accompanying dipping sauce will include soy sauce, satay according to Chinese taste or salt, chili and lemon of Saigon people.

Fresh beef noodle soup: The beef stew is poured over the golden egg noodles, which is especially eye-catching. This dish has a light fatty taste, eaten with juicy, soft and chewy beef, satisfying all diners’ tastes.

Beef noodles: This is a rustic Saigon specialty and is loved by many generations of Southern locals. Beef stew noodles have a light taste, soft noodles awaken the taste buds with the rich flavor of beef stew broth.

Braised beef ribs: You can only find this rib dish at Bo Kho Ganh Sai Gon. Each piece of tender, delicious rib in a bowl of colorful beef stew is a wonderful combination. Thanks to that, the dish has the added sweetness of young ribs.

Instant beef stew noodles: When it comes to Southern cuisine, instant noodles, the main ingredient in many dishes, are indispensable. Beef stew broth and instant noodles are a perfect combination, bringing a rich and delicious flavor.

Snow bird’s nest tea: The cool dessert at Bo Kho Ganh will help you regain your balance after a rich meal. The sweet and refreshing snow fungus dessert with five fruits is both refreshing and good for the user’s health.

The beloved Bo Kho Ganh restaurant next to the District 10 apartment building is a perfect culinary destination if you are still looking for delicious Saigon dishes. Hopefully, with the information provided by Vietnamtravelio above, you will have an unforgettable culinary experience during your days visiting this dynamic land.