Behind Pho 90’s, a small but ‘unique’ Vietnamese restaurant in Alabang

MUNTINLUPA, Philippines – A small restaurant in Alabang has become the go-to of the local community and, more recently, has peaked the interest of foodies on TikTok on the hunt for authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

Pho 90’s is located across Festival Mall, along Civic Drive, sitting at the corner of Civic Prime Condominium. You might miss it, so be on the lookout for a red and orange sign that bears the restaurant’s name.

Inside, it’s small, with only six tables and each good for four.

Buzzing around — taking orders, preparing meals and serving them, chatting with customers — is Jen Tran, the 35-year-old owner who was originally from the south of Vietnam. Aside from the male cook (who happens to be her brother), she only has three Filipino staff members helping with the shop.

Limited, affordable menu

Vietnamese restaurant chains in the Philippines offer variety in their menu — from different flavors of pho (Vietnames noodle soup) to having a wide selection of banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) priced at around P300 and above.

For a small restaurant like Pho 90’s, they stick with the basics and, more importantly from a business perspective, what actually sells:

• Fried Spring Roll: P150
• Fried Beef Ball: P150
• Fresh Spring Roll: P180
• Stirred Beef: P250
• Fried Spring Roll Vermicelli: P200
• Papaya Salad: P350
• Signature Beef Pho: P280
• Hue Style Beef Rice Noodle with vegetables: P280
• Beef Egg Rice: P280
• Shrimp Paste Rice Noodle Soup with vegetables: P280
• Dumpling Noodles with vegetables: P280
• Banh Mi Beef: P170
• Banh Mi Egg: P150

Tran told Rappler they update their offerings every now and then, depending on the requests of their customers. For example, the banh mi was a recent addition after regulars kept asking for it.

For drinks, customers may order the usual sodas or they may want to try Pho 90’s version of Vietnamese coffee for P100. The iced coffee is prepared traditionally, Tran said, using Arabica beans and features notes of chocolate, accentuated by salt.

A pandemic baby

Tran has been in the Philippines for five years. It all started when she first visited the country as a tourist. “When you go to other countries, you also want to look for Vietnamese food,” Tran said.

“There were Vietnamese restaurants inside the mall… [but] I feel it’s not so authentic so when I was trying it, I had the idea to open the store for Vietnamese food.”

But shortly after she decided to move here, the pandemic put everything to a halt.

Like many others, she started selling her home-cooked meals online. At the beginning, her only customers were other Vietnamese expats based in Alabang.

Pho 90’s officially opened its doors in October 2023.

“The government here is so kind,” Tran said when asked about her experience with the Muntinlupa City government in securing the necessary permits to open up shop.

“[It was] not so hard for the business… they [are] willing to support you.”

Pho 90’s flavor

The regions in Vietnam have different ways of preparing their food. Flavors and the incorporation of vegetables depend on which region a dish originates from, the Michelin Guide notes.

“For the [northern part], they love to eat the more salty food and then the middle, they love the spicy food,” said Tran. “We are from the South [of] Vietnam… because I’m looking for value, the food has to be balanced. Not so salty, not too sweet.”

For instance, Tran said their pho was modeled after a mom-and-pop pho store back home. “They [had] already been open for 60 years,” she said.

It took less than 15 minutes before my meal arrived — a generous bowl of their Signature Beef Pho.

Served with rice noodles, the beef was softened and meatballs cut in half, and had a lot of herbs and vegetables — you can ask for more vegetables, too. The broth, Tran said, was prepared using beef bone and sweetened.

Instead of lemon for taste, they gave me calamansi.

“The lemons here are not what I want,” said Tran, who buys all of the ingredients for the store every morning at a market in Muntinlupa.

The calamansi did not ruin the flavor. In fact, you hardly notice the difference. The meat did not overpower the vegetables, and the broth tasted a perfect mix of the herbs and the beef altogether.

Tran said she preferred to collect the ingredients by herself instead of getting it delivered to the restaurant: “When you are new, everything you do must be in your control.” She credits her stint as a waitress in Macau where she learned how to operate a business.

This is how she keeps the price down, but maintains the quality of the food served.

She admitted, however, that some herbs used in Vietnam are hard to come by in the Philippines. Importing them is not an option either, as this would force them to increase prices — so they make do.

But Tran remains proud: “I’m 100% sure, here [in] the Philippines, no other Vietnamese restaurant has our taste. It’s unique. [That’s] why we have more people coming, they love the pho.”

The community

If you stop by Pho 90’s, don’t be surprised if Tran comes up to you for a conversation. She chats with her customers, asking them about their meals and how they found out about her restaurant.

“[They’re] one of the reasons why I opened here, you know. The Filipino people, they’re willing to try something new,” Tran said.

She remembers regulars by name.

Sometimes, she gets questions from customers about where to go and what to try in Vietnam before heading there for vacation. She comes ready with recommendations.

Setting up shop in Alabang was a deliberate choice. Tran recognized she could not compete with big food chains in Makati or Pasay.

But aside from that, she likes the tight-knit community down south.

“It makes me feel the balance… you will feel a little peace. It’s not so rough,” Tran said.

She tried to open up another branch in Northgate Cyberzone — an IT park in Alabang. But business was not as successful, so she is now just focusing on the Civic Drive branch.

When asked if she wants to grow old in the Philippines, Tran beamed at the possibility but said it depends on how business fares in the future.

What’s for sure, however, is she will maintain the quality of Pho 90’s and take care of the community she has built.

“I put a lot [into this]. This is my child, my first kid… you want to give all the best for them, right?” – Rappler.com