Pho and/or Vietnamese in Paris?

[brokentelephone]

Hi,

Anyone suggest really good pho in Paris? I have been craving a bowl and the options here in London aren't so good. Anyone know of anywhere great? I'll be staying right at the Eiffel Tower so anywhere nearby would be great!

Thanks.

[BonVivant]

lots of vietnamese [and chinese] restaurants in the 13th arrondissement. also try everything else on the menu! i tried a couple of places and they both tasted good to me. no doubt the 'best' place has to be vietnam itself but then paris is only a few hours from me by high speed train.

[Felice]

lots of vietnamese [and chinese] restaurants in the 13th arrondissement.  also try everything else on the menu!    i tried a couple of places and they both tasted good to me.  no doubt the 'best' place has to be vietnam itself but then paris is only a few hours from me by high speed train.

←

Unless you want something on the more extravagant side (ie Tan Dinh) the 7th probably doesn’t offer much in the way of Vietnamese. For Soup, I really like Song Huong (129 avenue de Choisy) a very no thrills place that often has a line out the door, who specialises in soups, including of course Pho.

Also, a bit trickier to find is Bida Saigon (44 ave Ivry) which is inside a shopping mall.

Pho 14, next to Song Huong, is also supposed to be good, but I haven't tried it. I have a friend who loves Pho and she has tried most on ave de Choisy and likes Song Hunong the best.

I would love to hear about any that you end up trying.

[Ptipois]

Not everything that shines is gold, in the 13th you'll see "pho" written everywhere but only a few places will give you satisfactory quality. They are generally known in the neighborhood. It is not easy to make good pho.

I'll second Felice on Pho 14 and Song Huong. Pho 14 has (IMO) the best reputation of all but my favorite remains Pho Bida Saigon, in the shopping mall (difficult to find and also difficult to explain precisely where it is), which also has the best banh cuon in Paris.

Other places:

Le Bambou on rue Baudricourt, excellent pho. Always packed.

Xinh Xinh, rue des Wallons, 13e, off the Chinatown center (it is actually close to the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital). This is a rather different type of pho, more "high end", with very clear broth, a clean taste and few additions.

A similar kind of pho may be had at Kim Anh, avenue Emile-Zola (15e).

[BonVivant]

ah... Song Huong it was! i went there first. then the one next door [must be #14] the next day. the following 3 days i returned to SH [not only because it was good but also my lodging was in the neighbourhood].

i'm aiming for the best banh cuon next time then. cheers.

[pierre45]

Not everything that shines is gold, in the 13th you'll see "pho" written everywhere but only a few places will give you satisfactory quality. They are generally known in the neighborhood. It is not easy to make good pho.

I'll second Felice on Pho 14 and Song Huong. Pho 14 has (IMO) the best reputation of all but my favorite remains Pho Bida Saigon, in the shopping mall (difficult to find and also difficult to explain precisely where it is), which also has the best banh cuon in Paris.

Other places:

Le Bambou on rue Baudricourt, excellent pho. Always packed.

Xinh Xinh, rue des Wallons, 13e, off the Chinatown center (it is actually close to the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital). This is a rather different type of pho, more "high end", with very clear broth, a clean taste and few additions.

A similar kind of pho may be had at Kim Anh, avenue Emile-Zola (15e).

←

I love KIN ANH.They also have other options than pho

[brokentelephone]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Hopefully I'll have the chance to try a few of them, but seeing as I am only there for the weekend, I doubt my girlfriend will be too happy about foregoing French food for Vietnamese more than once!

Regards

Josh.

[John Talbott]

Hi,

Anyone suggest really good pho in Paris?  I have been craving a bowl and the options here in London aren't so good.  Anyone know of anywhere great?  I'll be staying right at the Eiffel Tower so anywhere nearby would be great!

Thanks.

←

One of the many roles I play here at the Forum is as alta/alter kocker/vieux schnock/historian of times long gone. When I first came to Paris before you were all born, around the Quartier Latin/Pantheon/Sorbonne, there were genuine Viet Namese (two words please) restaurants run by real Viet Namese people who didn't serve up some melange of Thai-Chinese-Viet Namese food but genuine fare such as pho.

Since then and since my government gave me the opportunity to have pho at the source, I have searched for true pho here and in the US. I don't understand what happened - every few years, some friend says, I work with this real Viet Namese person and she says this place is genuine. I go and, nope.

My conclusion - I am returning to Viet Nam with my children to show them what real South East Asian food is.

[pierre45]

Hi,

Anyone suggest really good pho in Paris?  I have been craving a bowl and the options here in London aren't so good.  Anyone know of anywhere great?  I'll be staying right at the Eiffel Tower so anywhere nearby would be great!

Thanks.

←

One of the many roles I play here at the Forum is as alta/alter kocker/vieux schnock/historian of times long gone. When I first came to Paris before you were all born, around the Quartier Latin/Pantheon/Sorbonne, there were genuine Viet Namese (two words please) restaurants run by real Viet Namese people who didn't serve up some melange of Thai-Chinese-Viet Namese food but genuine fare such as pho.

Since then and since my government gave me the opportunity to have pho at the source, I have searched for true pho here and in the US. I don't understand what happened - every few years, some friend says, I work with this real Viet Namese person and she says this place is genuine. I go and, nope.

My conclusion - I am returning to Viet Nam with my children to show them what real South East Asian food is.

←

Totally agree.The only true viet namese food i Have had ,has been in Viet nam ,specially in Hanoi

[Ptipois]

All the restaurants that have been mentioned in this thread serve only Vietnamese food. They are not of the "mixed" kind that John is referring to. Their only downside is that you have to be introduced to them somehow, most of them are well-kept secrets.

According to some native Vietnamese sources, the best of them is Pho Bida Saigon, described as being the closest to what can be found back home.

[Felice]

One of the many roles I play here at the Forum is as alta/alter kocker/vieux schnock/historian of times long gone.  When I first came to Paris before you were all born, around the Quartier Latin/Pantheon/Sorbonne, there were genuine Viet Namese (two words please) restaurants run by real Viet Namese people who didn't serve up some melange of Thai-Chinese-Viet Namese food but genuine fare such as pho.

Since then and since my government gave me the opportunity to have pho at the source, I have searched for true pho here and in the US.  I don't understand what happened - every few years, some friend says, I work with this real Viet Namese person and she says this place is genuine.  I go and, nope.

My conclusion - I am returning to Viet Nam with my children to show them what real South East Asian food is.

Do you really think we would recommend something Thai-Chinese-Viet Namese ?

So maybe our next meal is going to have to be in the 13th....

[Ptipois]

Even the apparently "fusion" restaurants may not be as bad as they seem, for there are two categories of them. There is a universe of difference between the neighborhood "restaurant chinois vietnamien thaïlandais" — which is rarely any better than the equally disappointing "traiteur chinois" that has replaced each and every charcutier in Paris — and, for instance, a large popular restaurant like Tricotin (avenue de Choisy) which is owned by a Cambodian family and serves a collection of dishes that do reflect the "koinè" aspect of Southeast Asian cuisines, strongly influenced by various migrant styles, and especially by the many styles of Chinese diasporas.

When Tricotin serves Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese dishes as well as some of the best dim sum in Paris, it just does its job as a large Cambodian-owned eatery and reflects the many cuisines that can be experienced in a Southeast Asian country. And Chinese-style cuisine is also a tradition in Viêt-nam, so Vietnamese restaurant owners are not necessarily "inauthentic" when they serve Chinese dishes. The important matter is not what they do, but whether they do it well. Some Thai restaurants also serve Lao dishes because both countries are so close and Northeastern Thai food (Isaan) is almost identical to Lao food. Some Lao restaurants also "do" Thai because they do it well. The style of cuisine that is best done by "pure" Vietnamese restaurants is the simple fare of noodle soups and grilled meats that you find at places like Pho 14 and Bida Saigon. Please note that those restaurants generally have a very limited menu, which means that they choose to focus on a definite style.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[julot-les-pinceaux]

Thao Ly, rue Berthollet

[fresh_a]

The shopping mall is the Centre Commerciale at place d'Italie, and the place is on the top floor all the way at the back on the right, non?

[Ptipois]

It is not close to Place d'Italie. I don't remember the name of the shopping mall but it is more in the Olympiades area.

All I can say is you find the Chinatown Olympiades, walk for a minute, turn left, turn right, and it is the last restaurant.

The Kim Lien restaurant on place Maubert is good and serves very nice bo bun, but it is quite overpriced.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Ptipois (log)

[Felice]

The shopping mall is the Centre Commerciale at place d'Italie, and the place is on the top floor all the way at the back on the right, non?

←

The one I mentionned above (Bida Saigon) is in a shopping mall at 44 ave Ivry.

The notes in my notebook say " go straight, turn right, 100 meters, then left, upstairs, past the DVD shop, and then straight" I have no idea if this will get you there though, but it did work for me when I tried it. I went on a Friday night and it was practically deserted, which was a shame. I imagine it is the kind of place to go to during the day.

[Ptipois]

It can be quite busy at lunchtime, especially on weekends, and at dinnertime too, which is why I'm not insisting too much on its exact location

It will serve food at just about any hour, even during the afternoon (taking the likeness to a true Asian restaurant even closer), but note that it closes early — at 10 PM they're all packed and at 9:30 PM they give you the usual subtle hints that they're not particularly trying to kick you out, but…

[BradenP]

My two cents will be added to Song Huong. I go once a week. The place is seriously no-thrills though. Be prepared for cafeteria style seating and having to to get up at least once to let the people beside you in/out. It's also only open for lunch and they take French holidays off.

I really like Cambodge in the 10th as well. It's Cambodian, but the soups and other offerings are great. This place is more hip with a cool playlist and young french servers, but brings the authenticity with a Cambodian grandmother cooking up the food in the kitchen.

[Felice]

My two cents will be added to Song Huong. I go once a week. The place is seriously no-thrills though. Be prepared for cafeteria style seating and having to to get up at least once to let the people beside you in/out. It's also only open for lunch and they take French holidays off.

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That's funny, I go about once a week too and was just there Saturday. But, I have definitely been at night several times, so maybe we are thinking of different places.

I like the Camboge too, but when you need to wait hours to get it, it seems a bit much.

[BradenP]

Shoot, you are right, the place I go to is called Song Heng. It's on 3, rue Volta in NOMA. This place is usually packed and has a line out the door. While waiting, there is an American bagel place across the street that has Tootsie Pops (haven't tried the bagels).

As for two-hour plus waits at Cambodge, it's a bit nutty. Now that it's nice though, I put my name in at 8, drink on the Canal St. Martin and eat around 10.

[Felice]

Shoot, you are right, the place I go to is called Song Heng. It's on 3, rue Volta in NOMA. This place is usually packed and has a line out the door. While waiting, there is an American bagel place across the street that has Tootsie Pops (haven't tried the bagels).

That's okay, a new one for my black book

As for two-hour plus waits at Cambodge, it's a bit nutty. Now that it's nice though, I put my name in at 8, drink on the Canal St. Martin and eat around 10.

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Yes, I had the same experience a few weeks back and was feeling pretty buzzed by the time we actually got to eat. Also, they said they would call when our table was ready and didn't, but we walked back around 10 and they sat us on the terrace right away.

[julot-les-pinceaux]

The shopping mall is the Centre Commerciale at place d'Italie, and the place is on the top floor all the way at the back on the right, non?

←

I think you're talking about Asia Palace (assuming this is indeed les Olympiades). A great Chinese place for dim sums and rotisserie. But I am not aware that they would have a Pho specialty.