Healthy, yummy, pho-bulous treats at Pho Hoa

MANILA, Philippines - Good, quality food is enough reason for this passionate foodie to pack her bags and go on a culinary journey. Shopping definitely takes a backseat as she would check out the shops only after a satisfying meal. Well, she needs to burn some calories in preparation for her next feast.

“I travel to eat. Just recently, my husband Mike Cua and I went on a food binge in Singapore. Food is always on our agenda/itinerary wherever our taste buds lead us,” shares restaurateur Vivian Tan-Cua.

Next to Vietnamese cuisine, Vivian swears by the goodness of French dishes. French food, she adds, is very delicate and complex. It’s a feast for the senses — the presentation of food, the aroma, and taste.

“Well, I guess that’s the reason why I love Vietnamese fare, too. Vietnam used to be a French colony so it’s not surprising why the Vietnamese love French bread, pate, and coffee,” she notes.

Actually, it was Vivian’s husband Mike Cua and her in-laws who introduced her to Vietnamese cuisine. Like her, they, too, would

Mango surprise: The mango prawn salad is a must-try at Pho Hoa.

travel to different parts of the globe to satisfy their cravings.

Their wandering taste buds led them to the US and Canada in the early ’90s where they savored the best-tasting Vietnamese noodle dish

simply called pho.

“The best pho we’ve tasted are the ones from the US and Canada where there’s a lot of Southern Vietnamese immigrants. They opened pho restaurants in the cities where they lived,” relates Vivian, VP for operations and finance of Pho Hoa Philippines.

Pho Hoa is the largest Vietnamese restaurant chain in North America with locations in almost every city where Asians densely populate. The first Pho Hoa restaurant opened in 1983 in San Jose with a tiny kitchen and a few seats.

“At that time, the company didn’t have the budget to launch a massive advertising campaign and success was uncertain. All they had was a good recipe and the commitment to make the best soups for their customers — the perfect recipes for success,” relates

Beef, beef: The beef stew noodles at Pho Hoa Photos by FERNAN NEBRES

Vivian.

Realizing that there was no pho of this quality in the Philippines, the Cuas decided to bring the famous noodle dish here in Manila in 1997. The first Pho Hoa branch opened on Jupiter St. in Makati. After several years, it was relocated to Greenbelt 1. Needless to say, Pho Hoa became a big hit among Filipinos. In fact, it now has 20 branches all over the metro.

Especially Pho You

Vietnamese cuisine is greatly admired for the freshness of the ingredients they use. The locals use a diverse range of herbs such as

Sweet indulgence: Mango crepe with vanilla ice cream

lemongrass, mint, long coriander, and Thai basil leaves in their dishes. The Vietnamese also have a strong vegetarian tradition influenced by Buddhist values. This explains why Pho Hoa’s pomelo salad and mango prawn salad are essential items on the menu.

“As a whole, Vietnamese cuisine contains strong influences mainly from Cantonese cooking with a French twist,” Vivian enthuses.

 At Pho Hoa, diners can’t get enough of the irresistible pho, a huge bowl of glass noodles topped with your choice of beef, pork, chicken, fish, and seafood.

For first-time diners, here’s how to best enjoy your pho. Each bowl comes with a separate herbs plate. Don’t ignore it. Add a few leaves of Thai basil, some bean sprouts, a squeeze of lemon, and a dash of hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot sauce on your pho. The aromatic combination of the herbs enhances the flavor of the soup. Just be careful with the bean sprouts. Too much of it will dilute the broth, making it taste bland. Follow these simple steps and you’ll definitely have a pho-bulous dining experience. The pho goes well with a side order of fried and fresh spring rolls or the caramelized chicken drumettes.

“I love watching our customers enjoy their hot bowls of pho. They eat it with so much gusto. I make sure that each guest receives prompt, professional, friendly, and courteous service. At Pho Hoa, we maintain clean, comfortable, and well-maintained premises for our guests and staff,” notes Vivian.

Rice-munchers aren’t left out. Pho Hoa also serves rice plates that are equally tempting. Carbo-loaders can power up with grilled chicken with fried spring roll, tenderloin beef with rice, and marinated prawn with grilled pork, tofu and assorted mushrooms.

For dessert, indulge in mango crepe with vanilla ice cream and the popular Vietnamese dessert — the sticky pandan.

“We recently added several dishes to our menu to entice our regular diners. Try the minced chicken and mushroom with lettuce wrap, and the kung pao chicken with rice,” shares Vivian.

Pho And The Citi

In an effort to keep diners coming back pho more, Vivian has tied up with Citibank in its Citi Dining Privileges Program.

“Citibank is the leader in the credit card industry and the Citi Dining Privileges Program would be a great opportunity for Pho Hoa to gain more exposure. At Pho Hoa, we serve only the best and with Citibank as our partner, our clients are assured of a more pleasurable dining experience,” Vivian gushes.

With a minimum of P1,000 food purchase using any Citibank card, cardholders will automatically get a serving of fried rice paper roll with vermicelli for free.

The Citi Dining Privileges is a program that gives Citibank cardholders perks at select dining places not only in the Philippines, but also all over Asia.

“The Citi Dining Privileges can be felt in 1,000 locations in the country and is something that cuts across Asia Pacific. All you need to do is flash your Citibank credit card when you dine at any of our partner establishments to enjoy the perks,” says Ramon Jaime del Rosario, VP head of partnership and business development, Cards Business Group, Citibank.

Every credit card company has one dining deal or another. But for the Citibank Dining Privileges Program, Citibank has gone beyond the usual discounts and freebies.

“These treats can still be enjoyed by our cardholders, but what differentiates us from other credit card companies is that we guarantee our customers the best dining deals out there. If they find a better deal offered by another credit card company in participating restaurants, we’ll pay for the difference,” Del Rosario adds.

Here’s more. When you dine in our partner restos and spend P1,500 or more, you automatically earn your free movie tickets.

And it’s not just about movie passes. Citibank has an ongoing promo — Your Reward, Your Choice — where cardholders can use their charge slips to enjoy discounts at Shell, Mercury, Krispy Kreme, Rustan’s Supermarket, Rustan’s Department Stores, Shopwise, and all SSI locations. So your charge slips actually become currencies.

So when you dine at Pho Hoa and spend P1,500, not only will you get the free dish. Your charge slip can also be exchanged for up to P200 off on your Shell, Rustan’s and Mercury Drug purchases.

“Citibank is the most rewarding credit card company on the market today. And that’s something that we want to sustain on a long-term basis,” notes Del Rosario.

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Pho Hoa has branches at Eastwood City, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM City North-Edsa, SM Fairview, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place Ermita, Robinsons Place Manila/Midtown, Robinsons Place Otis,Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas, Alabang Town Center, , TriNoma Mall, Tomas Morato, QC; , Mckinley Hills, Capitol Hills, Centris Walk, , and Wilson St., Greenhills.