A remaining corner of old Dalat
Located at 167 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Da Lat, Pho Uyen stands out with its hand-painted signboard in the style of the 90s. Few people know that the signboard is not the product of a printing shop or an advertising artist, but was drawn by Ms. Thuc's husband - the owner - when the restaurant first opened. And no one expected that this seemingly simple thing would become one of the characteristics that many tourists, especially young people, love and come to. In the midst of an increasingly modern Da Lat, this thing that is considered "old and outdated" reminds us of the humble and quiet beauty of the city of thousands of flowers of the past.
Pho Uyen restaurant has the feeling of old Dalat
Customers entering the restaurant can easily feel the warmth of the gentle voice of a native Da Lat person and the gentle smile of the restaurant owner. Ms. Thuc, now 74 years old, used to be a primary school teacher. After retiring from teaching, to have more money to cover living expenses, in 1994 she started selling pho. Up to now, the restaurant has been attached to this land for 31 years. The restaurant is named after her daughter - Hai Uyen, a simple and affectionate way of calling. And since then, the name "Pho Uyen" has become a familiar recognition mark for many generations of local diners.
The restaurant is a wooden house built by Ms. Thuc’s parents more than 60 years ago. The area is only about 30 square meters, but the neat and clean layout makes this place feel familiar, like stepping into a grandmother’s small kitchen. On the walls there are no elaborate decorations or sparkling lights, the restaurant only hangs a single painting that her husband drew for her when she first started selling pho.
“My uncle is a foreign language teacher but has a passion for painting. He painted this picture of Da Lat to give to me. At that time, Da Lat was still deserted, with dense pine forests, not bustling with tourists like now. He painted the scene to preserve the atmosphere and scenery of that time before Da Lat developed and changed, becoming more modern,” she recounted. More than three decades have passed, and she still hangs the picture in a corner of the wall, regularly cleaning it, as if preserving a piece of her own irreplaceable memory.
The Dalat landscape painting was drawn by her husband Thuc as a gift since she opened the shop.
A bowl of pho warms the heart
Right at the entrance, the pot of broth is always red hot, steaming from early morning. The aroma from the broth spreads throughout the house, permeating the air and the mood of visitors. The counter is simple with a basket of noodles, ceramic bowls of sliced beef, a bowl of green onions and a basket of raw vegetables. The space is not flashy, but clean and friendly enough to make people feel secure.
Ms. Thuc's counter is neatly arranged and clean.
Since then, Ms. Thuc has been doing every step herself. The woman over 70 years old still quickly slices meat, blanches noodles, ladles broth into bowls, works non-stop while still smiling and chatting with customers in a gentle Da Lat accent. She does not have the rush of modern times, only the perseverance and thoughtfulness that have become a familiar part of the restaurant.
Previously, she used to sell both beef noodle soup and pork leg noodles. But due to the lack of helpers, she focuses on beef noodle soup. She learned the recipe for pho from many sources: relatives, cookbooks, and the internet. Then she adjusted it to suit the taste of Da Lat people, as if she were cooking for her own family.
Every day, she wakes up regularly standing at the counter making pho with a gentle smile, welcoming customers and thanking them when they leave.
The broth is the soul of the pho bowl, and here, it is carefully simmered for nearly 21 hours. She starts simmering the beef marrow bones at 8am the previous morning, cooks them on an electric stove, then continues to simmer them on a charcoal stove until 4:30am the next morning. This method helps to extract the natural sweetness from the bones, creating a rich and fatty pho broth according to the familiar taste of most local diners, different from the clear, light pho broth of the North.
The bowl of pho here is not big, just fits in the familiar earthenware bowl, the broth is shimmering light brown. When brought out, the surface of the water is still hot, giving off a gentle aroma. The noodles are small, soft but not mushy, poured in just enough, enough for the noodles to absorb the broth without being submerged. The thinly sliced beef is soft, medium rare, mixed in with the slices of tender tendon. Green onions and thinly sliced onions are evenly spread on top, served with spices such as lemon, chili, soy sauce. The bowl of pho is simple but still rich and complete, just like the way people still remember the old Da Lat, no need to embellish but still makes people feel calm.
Spices and raw vegetables served with
A bowl of pho here costs 50,000 VND.
An address that makes people want to come back
Pho Uyen is open every day from 7am to 4pm. The busiest time is in the morning, when office workers, civil servants and teachers stop by to start a new day with a hot bowl of pho. Recently, thanks to the spread of social networks, the restaurant has begun to attract many young tourists. Many young people admit that what makes them stop is the old-style signboard, the wooden house and the quiet atmosphere here.
Tourists visit the shop because of the impressive sign, return because of the kindness and gentleness of the owner and the nostalgic space.
Amidst a changing Da Lat, Pho Uyen seems to still maintain its slow, intimate breath. No need for loud advertising, no need for tricks to attract, the restaurant exists as a slice of old Da Lat, where you can sit quietly listening to the sound of ladling broth, the owner's conversation and looking at the painting of old Da Lat hanging in the corner of the wall.
For many people, they come here not only for the delicious bowl of pho but also for the feeling of returning to something simple, familiar, a bit of warmth in the heart of the mountain town.
