The pho menu needs to be improved or upgraded to be better not only domestically but also internationally. Pho itself is excellent, but the pho menu needs to be relevant to the 21st century as well as to a diverse customer base.
Vietnamese Pho is ready for explosive growth worldwide. Pho is a dish that needs to retain its authenticity, flavor and tradition, but pho menus need to be upgraded if pho has a chance to truly go global and survive globally. The pho menu needs to be more attractive to many audiences outside the Vietnamese community.
Too many unnecessary options in the pho restaurant menu
Starting from Northern Vietnam, Pho Bac or northern pho has quite a few single dishes at street vendors. After being introduced to the South in 1945, pho took on a more complex form with more meat options and garnishes added.
Pho restaurants in the South present diners with a menu that includes all possible combinations and permutations of the same bowl of pho. Forty-five years later, the same habit continues as it migrates with Vietnamese immigrants to every corner of the world.
Looking at the pho restaurant market, there are really only two groups of customers who eat pho: one group knows pho, the other group doesn’t. In fact, when ordering pho, Vietnamese and many non-Vietnamese diners do not need to look at the menu.
On the other hand, those who are unfamiliar will need help from their dining companions, from the waiter or from the pho menu. But the menu itself represents confusion rather than clear and helpful instructions.
A typical pho menu might show 15, 20 or more options for pho! That’s a lot for first-timers to understand and choose from. So while in some cases the menu needs to do its job, it doesn’t work so well in a traditional pho restaurant.
The pho restaurant menu needs to have more choices but should not be overused with too many different dishes
Problems with the current pho menu
So what’s the real problem? Let’s look at the non-Vietnamese customer base and those new to pho, starting with the following:
The pho restaurant’s menu has too many choices. Too many combinations and permutations of the same thing as described above. Unfamiliar ingredients and terminology. Let’s face it, pho is a national dish outside of Vietnam, certainly in the United States.
Faced with the challenge of conveying pho and its ingredients in English terms, the first Vietnamese immigrants did it by properly translating the ingredients. Sometimes these translations are a bit too literal and may not be appropriate for use on a menu.
Culturally, many of the meats in pho are not found on American or Western dinner plates. When you talk about diners having to “risk their lives” to try the tendons, intestines, etc., you’ve almost created an obstacle in helping pho become more popular.
Lack of explanation on proper use of decoration. Basil, coriander and bean sprouts are simple but very important experiences when eaten with pho, along with chili sauce and hoisin sauce for pho. For “foreign” diners, it is very difficult to understand these accompanying foods.
On most menus, chicken pho may be mentioned as a single dish. This is true even for restaurants famous for their chicken pho! Furthermore, that single chicken pho dish was listed as the last item on the beef pho menu. Pho restaurants in the US are missing out on the opportunity to sell thousands of bowls of chicken pho to diners who cannot eat red meat.
The pho menu with many other dishes causes problems in managing dishes
So… What is Pho really?
Why not just say or show what pho actually is? If you really look at it, pho is quite simple to serve and order, and the menu should reflect this fact. Any bowl of pho (beef pho or chicken pho) always contains the following:
Pho, or rice noodles: square shaped rice noodles. Garnishes such as green onions (scallions) and cilantro are chopped standardly. Pho broth: choice of beef broth or chicken broth.
Choice of meats: different beef or chicken. Chicken pho has many options of meat and chicken parts, but these are excluded or omitted entirely. After serving at the table, diners can further customize with side dishes such as (sour garlic, pickled onions, pepper, soy sauce…) and additional sauces.
The Pho menu offers universal appeal
The current pho menu could benefit from a makeover for the better. A very attractive presentation, with clear explanations and great accompanying decorative elements will help the pho menu and the pho itself go mainstream.
In terms of content, the solution for a better pho menu should include the following characteristics:
- Simplify the description of pho options
- Explains the components and their terminology. Add useful visuals
- Describe unusual meat options and cuts of meat. Please explain more about the taste, etc. and why they are important to pho.
- Provide instructions on how to enjoy garnishes and sauces. Briefly present the do’s and don’ts.
- Offers clear options for chicken pho or beef pho. Add a separate portion for chicken pho and make sure it’s similar to the beef pho portion.
Different Pho dishes will create their own unique characteristics in countries where they are not yet popular
Some pho restaurants have made efforts to improve their menus, most probably to differentiate themselves from competitors and/or to attract more customers. In doing so, they may be intentionally but also unintentionally taking their pho menu in the right direction.
However, these are currently the exception rather than the rule and will take more time to become mainstream. It has many elements that can provide inspiration for an improved pho menu.
Unfortunately, the full record of the pho menu is no longer online, but we can still find the original Localized Fix for the beloved Vietnamese dish via the Wayback Machine.
Therefore, pho restaurants having an extensive pho menu does not mean having quality pho – both are independent of each other. But having a clear and easy-to-understand pho menu will improve customers’ pho experience and will certainly attract new business.
Small or large pho businesses, including pho franchising, need to pay attention to the menu to create excitement for local people as well as an introduction for first-timers to better understand the characteristics that Your restaurant brings it. If you have any questions about building a menu for your upcoming pho shop or restaurant, please contact Skipli for the best support and advice.
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