Pho Hoa Pasteur

Pho Hoa Pasteur is one of the longest-running pho restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. It has served locals since opening in 1968 and is recognised in the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand, the award for good-quality, good-value cooking. The inspectors call its broth a masterclass of balanced flavours, which is the highest praise you can give a bowl of pho.

The menu is built around beef noodle soup. Toppings include brisket, flank, tendon, tripe and meatballs, and you can choose a single cut or a combination. Small Vietnamese side dishes are also served.

The guide is candid that the interior and service may not be glamorous. This is a practical restaurant where the food does the talking. It suits solo travellers, families and anyone who wants an affordable meal at an institution rather than a tourist-focused restaurant.

There is no booking, so just walk in. It is cash only, so bring dong. Opening hours are not published in the guide, so check locally before making a special trip.

The restaurant suits anyone who wants to understand why pho matters so much in Vietnam. Its history goes back to 1968, and the focus on beef noodle soup, with a choice of cuts, keeps the menu simple for first-time visitors. Ordering a combination bowl is a good way to try several cuts at once, and the side dishes are worth sampling too. It is also a good place for a quick, inexpensive meal on a day of museum visits in District 3. Eating at a long-established local eatery like this is one of the pleasures of Ho Chi Minh City. Menus are short and focused, and staff are used to visitors pointing at what they want. Bring small notes in Vietnamese dong, use a ride-hailing app or a metered taxi to get there, and go with an appetite and a little patience at busy times.

The restaurant is on Pasteur Street in District 3, the same district as the War Remnants Museum, and makes an easy lunch stop on a day of sightseeing around the museum and Independence Palace. From Ben Thanh Market it is a short taxi or ride-hailing trip.