Wine Dine The Secret to Pho?

IT’S ALL HOW YOU SIMMER THE BROTH…

“A lot of restaurants cut corners with their broth and skip the very first step in a worthy pho,” - Steven Vo

It was a long-time dream for brothers Steven and Rome Vo to own a pho restaurant. After years of working in the restaurant industry as dish washers, table waiters, and chefs, they were ready to step out on their own and open Pho Island in June of 2022.

Pho Island is Stockton’s home for delicious, quality Vietnamese cuisine, centered on classic dishes featuring eggs, pork, beef, chicken, seafood, tofu, and plenty of fresh, in-season vegetables. Popular dishes include sides of rice and glass noodles (soft and transparent rice noodles), and often the main dish is soup. One of the most popular soups in Vietnamese cuisine is pho (pronounced fuh).

Pho is the national dish of Vietnam, where it is sold everywhere from upscale restaurants to street corners to your grandmother’s kitchen table. In the last century, pho has also gained popularity around the world. The dish traditionally consists of beef broth, rice noodles, spices, herbs, and thinly sliced meat (often beef, but also chicken, seafood, and tofu).

“I love pho,” says Steven.

“And we are very proud of our pho here at Pho Island.”

The Vo brothers begin with creating the broth to use as the soup base. “A lot of restaurants cut corners with their broth and skip the very first step in a worthy pho... but we know the broth is the most important part of pho. We start with high-quality beef bones and simmer them overnight with ingredients such as ginger, onion, and mushroom for a delicious umami flavor.”

“Umami” literally means “essence of deliciousness,” and the Vo brothers’ broth is exactly that. Added to their broth is meat of your choice and lots of tasty garnishes, such as scallions, onions, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, chili peppers, lime wedges, fish sauce, and hot chili sauce—to name a few. A lot of the fun of eating pho is in customizing it to taste exactly as you please. Endless are the ways you can fancy up your pho, including making it vegetarian. The Vo brothers offer a vegan broth that they take pride in, formulated for all those preferring to abstain from meat. It’s piled with veggies and herbs, an experience you will want to savor.

Pho Island offers more than pho. They also serve other traditional Vietnamese dishes, including grilled ribeye (try it with their garlic rice and chicken broth), chicken wings (in flavors such as salt and pepper, mango habanero, and Vietnamese fish sauce), and unique dishes like grilled oysters. There is even an American-inspired kids’ menu for picky eaters, although the Vo brothers have a feeling that the kids in your group will come to love the traditional flavors that Pho Island is cooking in their kitchen if they just give it a try.

In addition to the mouthwatering food, Pho Island also offers a variety of special drinks, including beer, wine, margaritas, milkshakes, smoothies, and milk teas. Stop in for lunch, dinner, or happy hour to try for yourself.

Pho Island

3203 Pacific Ave., Stockton (209) 395-0188

PhoIslandStockton.com