Luxury in a bowl: $24 lobster pho in HCMC

Pho 2000 restaurant, located at 210 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1, added lobster pho to its menu in early August. The addition, averaging VND600,000 ($24) per bowl, has become the most expensive item at the restaurant, which has been serving pho and Vietnamese dishes since 2000.

The ingredients for the dish include a whole 400-gram lobster, squid, clams, and tofu. Scallions, cilantro, and dill are used as garnish. The lobsters, sourced from Cam Ranh City, are priced at about VND800,000 ($32) per kilogram in the market.

Lien explained that the broth sets this pho apart. While it retains the traditional pho broth made from beef bones with spices like star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom, additional ingredients such as tomatoes, lemongrass, and chili create a tangy and spicy flavor, with clams adding sweetness. These elements help mask the seafood aroma from the lobster and squid.

The garnishes also contribute to the flavor of the dish. In addition to the cilantro and scallions found in regular pho, dill is also used, a common herb in seafood soups. The broth has a reddish hue, resembling tom yum soup.

The lobster is prepped by cutting the body and head in half. The chef boils the lobster in the broth for 8 – 10 minutes, allowing the sweetness from the lobster meat to blend into the broth, providing a umami flavor without the need for added sweeteners.

When the lobster is nearly cooked, the chef adds clams and squid to the broth for about five minutes.

The pho noodles are thin and thick and are blanched in boiling water before the broth is poured over them.

Most customers at the restaurant are foreign tourists, as it is located near Ben Thanh Market, a popular area with many visitors. Lien shared that the idea for lobster pho came from a customer who once asked, “Why isn’t there seafood pho?”

Sonny Side, a food blogger from the U.S., said he first tried lobster pho six years ago and continues to seek it out in Ho Chi Minh City.

He was amazed by the chef’s creativity. “Seafood may seem unrelated to pho, but the combination is delicious”, he said.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a hotel on Le Thanh Ton Street. The space is simply decorated, featuring photos of famous visitors who have dined there over the past 25 years.