20 | OCTOBER 15 - 21, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’
Pholicious off ers authentic Vietnamese fare in Holden Barbara M. Houle Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Pholicious owner Thien Phan and manager Mayleena Silva inside the new Vietnamese restaurant in a former Friendly’s in Holden. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
Thien Phan of Shrewsbury owns three local Japanese restaurants, and last month he and his wife opened Pholicious, a Vietnamese restaurant in the former Friendly’s, 1062 Main St., Holden. Why Vietnamese cuisine this time around? Andy Nguyen of Shrewsbury, who has worked as a chef
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at his brother-in-law’s Kyoto Bar & Grill locations in Whitinsville, Worcester and Holden, said Phan always wanted to open a Vietnamese restaurant serving the food their families grew up on. Staying up to date on what’s new and upcoming in the industry, Phan fi rst planned marketing strategy around sushi’s popularity, said Nguyen. When the Friendly’s property became available ,it was the right time and place for Vietnamese food, he said. “There’s no sushi at Pholicious, and the food is diff erent from what other restaurants in town serve.” Pholicious held a soft opening for family and friends on Sept. 14. The restaurant has quickly attracted regular and weekly clientele, said Manager Mayleena Silva, who previously worked as bartender at Kyoto Bar & Grill in Whitinsville. The Holden restaurant has been renovated and seats 106 at booths, tables and the bar. The menu is fi lled with classic appetizers, noodle dishes, rice plates, Holden Bao (steamed buns with a variety of fi llings), sides, Vietnamese sandwiches and Vietnam’s national dish, Pho (pronounced “fuh.”) Smoothies, slushies and a variety of teas, including boba or bubble tea, are on the menu. There’s a lot to take in. The Vietnamese Pho (broth, rice noodles, herbs, thinly sliced beef or chicken) is considered the house specialty, made by Nguyen’s sister, “an executive chef who came from Colorado” to help in the family business. There are 12 Pho
dishes on the menu, including the restaurant’s most popular, Pho Filet Mignon and Pholicious Holden, both beef noodle soups. For non-meat lovers, there’s a veggie noodle soup, Pho Chay, that has tofu in a vegetarian broth. Pho is a fragrant, nourishing soup known to appeal to American tastes. “Vietnamese food prepared at Pholicious is what we know and love. It’s the real deal,” said Nguyen, who came to the United States from Vietnam as a youngster. “And, we’re not afraid of hard work,” he said, “pulling together as a team. No matter what restaurant, excellent food and service is always a team eff ort.” Everyone pitches in at Pholicious, young and old, said Nguyen, who had just washed dishes before this interview. He’s kitchen manager and a chef at the restaurant. He tells the story about how his mother came to the restaurant one day and said she could help out cutting broccoli. “I reminded her that she would be cutting more than a couple bunches,” said Nguyen. “We go through cases of broccoli every day. She said, ‘OK, no problem.’” Silva currently is hiring, looking to fi ll waitstaff and bartending positions at Pholicious. “We have a wonderful staff already, and we’re so lucky to have local students on board,” she said. “Everyone is friendly and professional.” Pholicious is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; See HOPPIN’, Page 22
