The Bib Gourmand is a Michelin award given to restaurants and eateries that offer high-quality food at affordable prices. It is seen as the more modest sibling of the Michelin star, focusing on familiar, well-prepared dishes that offer good value for money.
From 2023 to now, Ky Dong chicken noodle soup has continuously received this Michelin award. It is a recognition from experts for the dedication of Mr. Nguyen Van Duc - the second generation of the family, currently directly managing the quality and service of Ky Dong chicken noodle soup.
The 2023 and 2024 Michelin awards are hung near the restaurant door, the 2025 Michelin award is being transferred from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
From roadside cart to Michelin-starred restaurant
Without fancy furniture or fancy decoration, the small alley at 14 Ky Dong, Ho Chi Minh City is always bustling with people coming and going like an endless stream of taste buds and memories.
Ky Dong Chicken Pho - Vermicelli is located at 14/5Bis Ky Dong, Ward 9, District 3, HCMC
That flow has been maintained for nearly 50 years, since the day Mrs. Mot - Mr. Duc's mother still pushed a cart carrying pho, vermicelli, and pots of broth to sell on the roadside. The image of Mrs. Mot on Ky Dong street after 1975 has become a familiar part of the memories of the people of District 3.
Since then, Mrs. Mot's hands have steadily turned a popular restaurant into a familiar address, winning the hearts of many generations of Saigonese. When the restaurant moved into a deeper alley with a more spacious area, customers still came regularly.
Even though it is located in an alley, there are still many diners who come to enjoy the restaurant.
Gradually, Mrs. Mot began to adjust the taste, expanding the menu with pho noodles, vermicelli, and many other types of noodles, harmonizing the traditional seasoning style with the culinary tastes of guests coming from all regions. The broth was also adjusted to be clear, rich in pho flavor, light but deep.
After nearly half a century of sun and rain, from a small cart on the roadside, the family has opened a restaurant that, although not very spacious, is spacious and airy to serve customers all day, from 5:30 to 22:00. The restaurant has a total of 30 tables with a capacity of about 100 guests, which are regularly cleaned to ensure cleanliness for the next guests. The kitchen is located outside so that diners can see the cooking process with their own eyes. The parking area has a guard, helping visitors feel secure while enjoying the cuisine in the restaurant.
The restaurant space is spacious, bright, and regularly cleaned by staff to ensure hygiene.
Preserving quality through every ingredient
The bowl of pho at the restaurant captivates the eyes and the aroma awakens the hearts of diners with its clear, sweet broth, soft, chewy chicken, and shiny golden skin. What makes the restaurant stand out is the chicken, Mr. Duc said - it must be carefully selected, sweet and firm, not the flabby chicken of the industrial breed. The chicken is imported daily from a facility with a food safety certificate, when steamed, the skin is golden, shiny, and plump.
The broth at the restaurant is always boiling, hot, and fragrant all day long. The broth is cooked with chicken bones and simmered continuously for about 4-5 hours in turn with a traditional seasoning recipe, especially without using additives or sweeteners, bringing a unique flavor that is very popular with diners.
The pot of chicken bone broth is always kept hot in the processing area.
Pho noodles, vermicelli, noodles and toppings such as eggs, chicken gizzards, etc. are all imported fresh daily and have food safety certificates. “Although the price is much higher than importing from other establishments, ensuring hygiene is the top priority,” said Mr. Duc, the restaurant owner.
Taste evokes memories
The flavor of Ky Dong Chicken Noodle Soup has always brought an unforgettable taste to food lovers, especially those who live far away from home. Because it not only has delicious taste, but also a whole memory.
A bowl of Ky Dong pho with its intact flavor evokes memories of many regular diners.
When coming to the restaurant, customers can freely choose their favorite noodles: pho, vermicelli, egg noodles or instant noodles. The staff always wear gloves, quickly chop chicken, debone, pour broth, sprinkle with green onions and fried onions. The bowl of pho or chicken vermicelli still has steam rising, fragrant when it reaches the customer's hand, awakening the flavor of a part of childhood or youth.
“It was a chilly morning in Saigon about two decades ago, sitting down to eat pho noodles, smooth, soft vermicelli, with sweet, soft, slightly chewy chicken, then slurping spoonfuls of broth until my stomach was full before cycling to school” - Nguyen Tran Hieu, living in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, his house is about 1.5 km from Ky Dong chicken pho noodles shared.
Direct processing area, where guests can observe the steps of making a bowl of vermicelli or pho.
Located in the central area of District 3, Ky Dong Chicken Noodle Soup has affordable prices: small bowl 55,000 VND, large bowl 65,000 VND. In addition, diners can order a special bowl with many toppings at the desired price or a plate of chicken salad for 100,000 VND to enjoy a new flavor.
Having gone through a deprived childhood, growing up next to his mother's cart, Duc - the successor of the restaurant - always kept in mind the image of his hard-working mother and the fragrant smell of the broth pot every morning. That became the motivation for him to keep the full flavor of the dish as a way to respect his mother's efforts. Thanks to that perseverance, Ky Dong Chicken Noodle Soup not only conquered diners near and far but was also honored by Michelin three times thanks to its stable flavor, ensuring food hygiene and safety and the trust of generations of diners for nearly 50 years.
Many diners from near and far, including regular customers and elderly customers, often return to the restaurant.
“In the process of serving, it is inevitable that there will be shortcomings. I always hope to receive sympathy and goodwill suggestions from customers to help the restaurant become better and better”, Mr. Duc shared sincerely - just like the way his family has preserved each bowl of pho, each drop of broth over the years.
