LOS ANGELES, CA – The owners of Pho 79 Restaurant open their doors every day at 6 a.m. for guests, but the preparation it requires to run this Vietnamese restaurant begins much earlier.
- Family-owned Pho 79 opened in 1982
- Serving pho the way their elders made it
- First restaurant in county to win James Beard award
The restaurant was opened by Tho Tran and Lieu Tran in 1982. The siblings and their family had resettled in Orange County after the Vietnam War. The restaurant is as much part of the family as it is a family business.
“Pho is the main dish for our family and we came here and we open the restaurant,” said Mai Tran, one of the owners of Pho 79.
Her mom is Lieu Tran. She recalls her mom waking up early and staying up late to help the family run the restaurant.
“She rented the apartment behind here and she worked all night and by day she came back to the apartment. She slept for a few hours and she come back here again. It’s really hard, but the customers, they love our restaurant,” said Tran.
Depending on what time of day guests get seated inside the restaurant, diners can find Tran or her husband, Tan Bui, handling the front and ringing up customers. The labor of love created by her uncle and mother was passed down to her and the rest of her family.
Tran also spends time in the kitchen making sure her family’s recipe of rice noodles soaked in beefy broth, topped with steak, brisket and meatballs are served the way her elders made it.
Recently, the prestigious James Beard Foundation recognized Pho 79 as one of their America Classics Award winners for 2019. This is the first time any restaurant in Orange County received such an honor. Tran thought awards like this one were reserved for 5-star restaurants.
“I can’t sleep at night, so humble and my children say oh mom, it’s like the Oscars of the food,” said Tran.
She says the award attracted new customers to the restaurant, but she says the family is very thankful for the multiple generations of loyal customers who have supported the restaurant every time they craved a warm bowl of pho.
The restaurant is open every day and is located on 9941 Hazard Avenue in Garden Grove.