Visitors to Da Nang are often surprised by the lack of phở (that O sounds like the U in ‘up’) here. The main reason is that Vietnamese food, like so many things in Vietnam, is highly regional. Pho is a northern dish, and Da Nang is firmly in Central Vietnam. In Hanoi, pho is everywhere. Especially after 1975, many northerners moved down south and brought their recipes with them. In certain dark corners, you may even hear it whispered that the Saigonese have improved the recipe. But if you gotta scratch your phỏ itch, Lân Béo is a great place to start. I dare say it’s the best pho in Da Nang.
Best Pho in Da Nang
Everyone knows the key to a good phỏ is the broth, and this lady takes her broth very seriously. Even though we were ready to order, she refused to serve us until the pho had been cooking long enough. We sat and waited another 15 minutes. In the meantime, I had a look around the place. The simple Vietnamese-only menu lists the different cuts of meat you can get in your phỏ. Most were 40,000 VND, but I splashed out and got the tái bắp, which comes from the leg for 45,000. The flavor is full, meaty, and it’s weird to say about a soup but, JUICY. This is really good pho.
Making Pho
I got chatting with the owner, and she was telling me about how she cooks her pho and what the different cuts of beef are. Then she invited me to try a bit of the gầu meat, which she brought out in a little bowl with broth. This cut of meat is boiled for 3 hours before it’s ready. It’s thinly sliced and comes with the fat still on it. At her urging, I ate the whole piece in one go and it was delicious. I dare say it was better than my tái bắp, and I will certainly be getting the gầu in the future, especially here.
Wrapping Up
You can try pho in Da Nang at 8 Ly Tu Trong, just across from the massive lotus-inspired government building.
Think you got a better candidate for the best pho in Da Nang? Let me know in the comments. Want to try more great spots around town? Join our Da Nang food tour!
Update: This place has since changed it’s name to Phú Gia, so that’s what you’ll see on the sign. Rest assured that it’s still as delicious as ever.
