{"id":2853,"date":"2026-06-01T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/pot-au-pho\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T16:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T07:30:00","slug":"pot-au-pho","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/pot-au-pho\/","title":{"rendered":"Pot Au Pho 2.0\u2014the shock of \u201cmolecular pho\u201d at 14 seats, by Vietnam's first Michelin-starred chef"},"content":{"rendered":"

A temple of \"molecular pho\" appears in District 1, Ho Chi Minh<\/h2>\n

On December 21, 2025, a 14-seat counter restaurant, \"Pot Au Pho 2.0,\" opened at 91 Ton That Dam street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. It is run by Peter Cuong Franklin, chef of Anan Saigon, which earned Vietnam's first Michelin star. Across a 12-dish tasting course, he reconstructs pho \u2014 the national dish \u2014 using molecular gastronomy techniques.<\/p>\n

About 3.5 million VND (about 20,600 yen) per person. In Vietnam, where a bowl of pho can be had for around 30,000 VND, this pricing is bold. Yet bookings fill up day after day, and the waiting list keeps growing.<\/p>\n

Peter Cuong Franklin \u2014 from refugee to Michelin-starred chef<\/h2>\n

The Vietnamese-American Franklin trained at Le Cordon Bleu, then honed his skills at world-class restaurants such as Caprice in Hong Kong, Alinea in Chicago, and Nahm in Bangkok. Anan Saigon, which he opened in Ho Chi Minh in 2017, earned Vietnam's first Michelin one star in 2023, rewriting the history of Vietnamese fine dining.<\/p>\n

Pot Au Pho 2.0's origin is a small pho noodle bar he ran in Hong Kong more than 10 years ago. \"Pho is my mother's taste and my roots. I wanted to evolve it with world-class technique,\" he says.<\/p>\n

A full breakdown of the 12-dish tasting menu<\/h2>\n

The course runs about two hours. The components of pho \u2014 broth, noodles, beef, herbs \u2014 are broken down and each reconstituted as an independent dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dish<\/th>\nTechnique<\/th>\nCharacteristics<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
One Bite Molecular Pho<\/td>\nSpherification<\/td>\nBroth simmered for 12 hours is sealed into a jelly-like sphere that bursts in the mouth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Caviar Egg Pho<\/td>\nCaviar-style beading<\/td>\nPho's flavor condensed into caviar-like beads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pate Chaud<\/td>\nFrench pastry technique<\/td>\nA dish wrapping pho's ingredients in pastry dough<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Black Chicken Pho<\/td>\nConsomm\u00e9 clarification<\/td>\nClear soup of black-boned chicken with pho noodles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le Pot Au Pho<\/td>\nInspired by VGE soup<\/td>\nA signature dish referencing Paul Bocuse's truffle soup<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Especially eye-catching is \"One Bite Molecular Pho.\" Using the spherification technique pioneered by Spain's three-star chef Ferran Adri\u00e0, 12-hour beef-bone broth is wrapped in a jelly membrane. Pick it up with chopsticks and the clear sphere wobbles; the instant it enters your mouth, the rich umami of pho spreads all at once.<\/p>\n

Space design \u2014 a beef-bone door handle and a 14-seat theater<\/h2>\n

The design is by Dix design+architecture. The 14-seat counter is arranged theater-style around an open kitchen, so the chef's hands are visible from every seat. The brass door handle at the entrance is shaped like a beef bone, like a ritual to step into the world of pho. Hand-painted ceramic tiles adorning the walls depict pho spoons, with \"pho love\" running through every detail.<\/p>\n

A separate room also houses a 4-seat cocktail bar. Original cocktails using pho spices and wine pairings (an additional 2.2 million VND, about 13,000 yen) are on offer too.<\/p>\n

Voices of those who ate there<\/h2>\n

On social media and review sites, voices of astonishment have gathered since just after the opening.<\/p>\n