On New Year’s Day 2017, Bao Trinh opened his second Pho Countryside Restaurant in Boston.
Although the first location of Pho Countryside is in Quincy, Trinh decided to open this second location on Comm. Ave. to increase the awareness of Vietnamese food in Boston, and in the United States. According to the restaurant’s website, the goal is to offer a high standard of food and friendly service, creating the perfect dining experience. Especially in a vibrant city such as Boston, Trinh recognized that many people do not have the time, or the desire, to make themselves a balanced meal after a long day of working or studying. Trinh wanted to change that, in a healthy and inexpensive way.
“People are too busy to cook,” Trinh said in an email. “How about heading to Pho Countryside for lunch or dinner? It’s less greasy, it has a whole healthy conscious section, and there are other sections for vegetarians and health watchers.”
Pho Countryside Boston has two floors that can accommodate large groups, such as birthday parties, meetings, and other private events. Both levels have a bar, and outdoor seating is permitted from April through October.
In addition to the spacious layout of the restaurant, its location in Kenmore Square is surrounded by apartments and college dormitories, given its proximity to the Berklee College of Music and Boston University. Trinh is excited about the high numbers of people who will be in the Kenmore Square area during the Boston Red Sox season, and for the Boston Marathon.
Pho Countryside replaced another restaurant, Josephine, which served classic Parisian dishes and was in business for about a year, according to Eater.com.
Trinh described the journey to opening the restaurant as a challenge. He found it difficult to juggle the contractors during the building process, the landlord, and the slew of licensing contracts he needed to obtain, including liquor, fire, and healthy and safety.
Trinh found, however, all of his hard work to be very rewarding in the end. He has enjoyed having customers come into the restaurant, and receiving positive feedback from many.
According to Eater.com, Pho Countryside serves a selection of pho, mixed-vegetable dishes, vermicelli, rice dishes with shrimp, beef, pork, and chicken, as well as an assortment of desserts. The restaurant’s website states that they combine the freshest ingredients from local farmers with popular Vietnamese herbs and spices to provide the best meal possible.
Although the items on the menu are fairly similar to the items on the menu at the restaurants other location in Quincy, popular items differ, due to the difference in population between the two areas, according to Trinh. Popular items on this menu include the Vietnamese-style crêpe, state noodles soup, countryside steam vermicelli, and pork noodles soup. Trinh himself prefers Vietnamese shaking beef over yellow fried rice.
Items added to the Kenmore Square location’s menu include crab rangoon and scallion pancakes, due to the demand from the neighborhood. Live lobsters and crabs have also been added to fit the area’s needs. Trinh is also trying to meet the needs of the fast-paced city lifestyle by adding “grab and go” items like sandwiches.
“I am working on a Vietnamese sandwich due to its convenience and cheap price,” Trinh said. “Anyone can grab it and go to work or school since they don’t have time to sit down.”
Featured Image by Laura Galligan
You must be logged in to post a comment.