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PHAT PHO: A Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup @PhatPhoCebu

P.H.A.T. PHO (short for Pretty Hot and Tempting Pho?) is the Vietnamese Resto created by Jason Hyatt of The Abaca Group in Cebu.  There's not a lot of Vietnamese flavors in Cebu, and Abaca Group's Vietnamese concept is interesting with Vietnamese Chef Ahn Sy Hoang or Chef Bruce.

In contrast to the other Abaca restos, Phat Pho is quaint (with a capacity of about less than 30pax) but still hip. During peak lunch and dinner time you have to sit shoulder-to-shoulder giving up a bit of privacy just to get a taste of the latest Vietnamese cuisine to invade Cebu.

Here's our PHAT PHO Experience in Cebu:

The BEST of Cebu City Series 2013:

• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• TAVOLATA: La Trattoria di Abaca - the BEST Italian Restaurant in Cebu?
• MAYA, Cebu: My Birthday in the Best Mexican Restaurant
• ABACA Restaurant in Mactan, Cebu by Jason Hyatt

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:

• BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted
• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• BA NOI's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
• LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?

LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?

LA PETITE CAMILLE is the new American-Vietnamese resto in town by the same resto group that brought in Yomenya Goemon. It is the first Asian franchise of the original branch in 170 El Camino Real Millbrae, California established in 1993 by Phon Sui Khuu,  also known as "Mamafong".

My initial impression was: it is kinda weird eating Asian cuisine at an American franchise like Pho Hoa or P.F. Chang's.  We like it not because the food is wow but because it is the type of food that leaves a happy smile on your face. Also, it is something new in the Greenbelt 5 area.

Here are some tips to have a better La Petite Camille experience:

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:

• BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted
• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• BA NOI's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
• LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?

 

Ba Noi's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati

Related Post: Bawai, The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted

Ba Noi's is creating a buzz in the foodie community because it is probably the closest to authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Manila. It is authentic in terms of the imported ingredients used, their chef (who is Vietnamese) (it is confirmed that the pinoy chefs are the one cooking already), and the taste (which is yummy indeed). Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen in Tagaytay is still the best -- for me, nothing can compare to their beef pho so far, but Ba Noi beats them in terms of accessibility.

In Vietnamese, "Bawai" means grandmother on the mother's side, while "Ba Noi" refers to the grandmother on the father's side. How coincidental could it be that two of the most authentic Vietnamese restaurants around are named after grandmothers?

I like Ba Noi's attention to the branding details, which include a cool brand logo, nice restaurant facade, and good menu design (net food prices are included). It also has a unique educational table top on how to truly enjoy Vietnamese food, complete with photos (see above). For example, to enjoy the Shrimp and Pomelo Salad, you have to combine the shrimp cracker (as base) with all the different ingredients on top, including the sweet chili patis.

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:

• BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted
• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• BA NOI's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
• LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?

 

 

Bawai, The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted

Banh da Lon (P20). Vietnamese sapin sapin, made of pandan and monggo beans.

Vietnam is a hot tourist place these days because of its cultural sights, cheap shopping places and interesting Vietnamese cuisine. However, I've never tasted Vietnamese cuisine similar to the one you enjoy in Vietnam. I'm glad that Yong and Virgilio Tatlonghari decided to open their lovely home for weekend dining. Bawai is a 4 month old Tagaytay Vietnamese restaurant which serves close to authentic home cooked Vietnamese food. Yong, called Bawai (grandma in Vietnamese), is the person behind this refreshing new restaurant.

I would highly recommend the fresh spring roll and just about anything with the special sweet patis sauce. Also, they don't get a lot of guest lately so they will entertain you as their own guest. You need to reserve and order in advance since each meal is cooked by Bawai herself. I do hope it remains that way, and the food don't get commercialized like most Vietnamese restaurants in Manila. The secret to Bawai's food is authentic imported ingredients from Vietnam sent by Bawai's friends and relatives.

So next time you are in Tagaytay, be sure to check out this hidden Vietnamese treasure..

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:

• BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted
• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• BA NOI's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
• LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?

 

Cha Gio Vietnamese - Old Time Favorite

Manila has a lot of good restaurants and you need to discover them. I admit, it is sometimes easy to go to the many Jollibee and Mcdonald's out there, specially when these are the restaurants that have a good name recall from the kids. Cha Gio (pronounced as Cha-yo) vietnamese restaurant is one of those special quaint hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Malate. Cha Gio refers to the popular Vietnamese spring rolls. It opened in 2003, in its original store located near the Diamond hotel, along J. Quintos St. Carlos Celdran was the one who introduced me to its delicious pho-noodle dishes and I made a mental note to blog about Cha Gio.

They tried to project an aura that they are a cafe rather than the noodle house so the pho dishes assortment were toned down. But they cannot readily compete with the nice figaro cafe along that street, so I would have thought that they should market themselves as an authentic vietnamese noodle house instead. This is where you can try a vietnamese coffee called ca phe su which is a Vietnamese brewed coffee dripped from a perculator mixed with condensed milk. They carry a vietnamese brand of coffee called, Trung Nguyen. Have anyone tried this coffee?

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:

• BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted
• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• BA NOI's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
• LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?