To Pho

Even in his youth, the allure of food captured To Po’s soul.

While Po was growing up in Vietnam, his family traveled throughout his hometown, Ho Chi Minh City, in search of and eating delicious food.

Fast-forward to the first quarter of the 21st century, Po opened an Asian restaurant in Lake Charles to share a sampling of the flavors that he grew up relishing.

“I love food, and I love cooking,” said Po, the owner of To Pho Asian Cuisine.

The menu features Southeast Asian favorites like Vietnamese spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, rice dishes and hot or iced Vietnamese coffee.

Po admits he does not “advertise much,” but word of the restaurant — which has been open for about a year and a half — spread quickly the moment a few people were introduced to his steaming bowls of Vietnamese soup.

“Some people came in, then they told others, and word of mouth continued to grow. The first day we opened, two people came in; the second day, four people; the third day, 10. So now, we are on track,” Po said.

Comments on To Pho’s Facebook page — the primary place Po shares information — make it apparent that the restaurant is a local hit.

Karen Fitzpatrick ordered pho noodle soup with rare beef steak and brisket and wrote, “It was spot on; 5 stars.”

Rica Tran wrote, “100000/10 recommended.”

Matthew McKay had a simple response to To Pho food: “The best.”

Every day, Southeast Asian aromas drift from the kitchen as Po slow-boils fat- and collagen-rich beef bones to create his signature pho base.

“It takes one day to prepare. It’s no secret over here; it’s just slow cooking. You take time to get it right. The bones — you need to wash them well before you boil them. In the pot go onion, ginger and other seasonings. And you grill the seasonings until the aroma is really good before putting them in the boiling pot,” he said. “Also, I add some fish sauce; that is my secret ingredient.”

Whenever he cooks, Po draws on these childhood memories to recreate the signature dishes of his home.

“We have to have umami. In Vietnam, we will say, ‘Oh, this broth is sweet,’ and that is our way of saying umami,” he said.

Once prepared, this seasoned bone broth serves as the foundation for beef pho, chicken pho, and bun bo Hue.

The pho is served with rice noodles, onion, scallion, fresh basil leaves, bean sprouts, cilantro and lime.

Po’s steamed rice with either a grilled pork chop, crispy chicken thigh or grilled pork is another customer favorite.

“The rice is a broken rice. It’s not like regular steamed rice; the rice is smaller. And when you eat it, it gives the plate a very different taste that is good,” he said.

“The rice is very special to the dish. I go to Houston to purchase the rice, which is Vietnamese.”

Years before launching his business, Po graduated from McNeese State University in 2016 with a degree in business management. Driven by his passion for the craft, he then completed a three-year, 3,000-hour culinary apprenticeship at L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles.

In addition to his academic and professional certifications, Po gained four years of practical, fast-paced experience working at Waffle House.

Following that intense education and culinary journey, Po realized it was finally time to open a kitchen of his own.

“I was scared because I’d never done this before. I used all my savings. But the thing is, I’ve been in Lake Charles for 15 years, and I felt there was no good Vietnamese restaurant. I said, ‘Okay, let me do it myself,’” he recalled.

For Your Kitchen

Anatomy of a Bowl: Bun Bo Hue

To Pho
951 Country Club Rd., Ste. 1, Lake Charles
337-508-2259