’Go and Eat a Bowl of Phở’ at Đi Ăn Phở in the International District

When the hot and humid weather finally subsides in Houston, there is nothing better than going to Đi Ăn Phở.

Pronounced “dee-ahn-fuh,” it’s the name of a relatively new restaurant in the International Management District. The name also translates to “go and eat a bowl of phở,” the Vietnamese noodle soup.

“Sit back, slow down, and let the warmth of phở bring you home,” the shop’s menu suggests.

We decided we couldn’t wait for the weather to get cooler to check out the place that Bao Ong, restaurant critic for the Houston Chronicle, deemed “one of the best restaurants of its kind.”

“It’s phở I could eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner,” Ong wrote in his review, where he gave the restaurant two stars.

Đi Ăn Phở is more than just a phở restaurant; it’s a tribute to tradition and flavor. The owners say so themselves.

“Every bowl is handcrafted with love, slow-simmered bone broth, and premium ingredients, just like it is done back home in Vietnam,” an online description explains.

Đi Ăn Phở is helmed by Head Chef Hung Van Tran with decades — seven to be exact — of life experience.

The restaurant opened early this summer and has quickly gained a following, as evidenced on a recent Monday when customers arrived at a steady pace that intensified as the evening progressed.

Phở bo, or beef phở, gives main character energy among the offerings. There are seven varieties.

If you prefer chicken, there are four offerings plus a long list of sides you can add to your broth, including additional beef or chicken, poached egg, tripe, and even chicken heart, gizzards, and liver.

They were running a promo when we went — a free Vietnamese coffee with a large or XL phở.

We ordered two large bowls, and it was a feast with selection P3: Phở Tái Nam (beef noodle soup with beef filet and lean beef brisket) and P6: Phở Ribeye.

Our bowls of phở were out in a jiffy and piping hot. The accompaniments were fresh and plentiful. Everyone in the restaurant, it seemed, was engrossed in their phở. It’s ok to slurp, the menu says, and slurp we did.

On the paper menu that doubles as a placemat, there’s a note to save the plastic wrapper for the wooden chopsticks embellished with the name of the restaurant.

With a caricature of Chef’s head floating around the menu, it also provides instructions on how to eat phở:

Before adding any other ingredients, take a sip of the broth to appreciate its flavor.
Customize your phở with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and chilis to suit your taste.
Use Sriracha, sate, hoisin sauce, or other condiments and fresh lime to customize your phở.
Use chopsticks to pick up noodles, meat, and herbs; Then dip them into the broth or sauce.
Keep sipping the broth as you enjoy the noodles and toppings.

The welcoming atmosphere and bright decor are a bonus to the tasty phở. And, if the weather is still hot (of course it is), the air-conditioning is working just great.

Get a glimpse of Đi Ăn Phở here on Instagram.

— Dorothy Puch Lillig