Pho In The Philippines

Pho Chin, Nam

During my first two months in the Philippines, I pretty much dined out most of the time since I wasn't much of a cook back then and I didn't know where to get a particular ingredient, or it wasn't available at all.  Also, I simply didn't feel settled and comfortable enough in my then-new place. 

Whenever I'm too lazy too cook, my go-to dish would be pho, since it's a complete meal in itself. It provides the carbs, protein, and fat that our body needs.

 As a newcomer to Manila, you most likely don't know where to go if you have a particular craving. And I'm sure you get tired of eating at the hotel you're staying at even though your company covers your bill.  So, if you have a craving for pho, I have found that the best  in Manila would be at Pho Hoa, a California-based international semi-fastfood chain   Even though there are a few upscale, independent Vietnamese restaurants around, Hue at Greenbelt and Pho at the Powerplant, and I have dined at these places on more than one occassion,  Pho Hoa is the place for this simple dish.

Also, they charge a fraction of what those other two aforementioned restaurants charge for the same dish.  I ordered this and a plate of barbecue called Pork Borchette, see picture below.  It cost me less than Php 300 (around US $6.52)