Food

2 local Vietnamese restaurants are coming together to create a new eatery on Dorchester Ave.

Pho Hoa featuring Anh Hong Restaurant is combining two popular Vietnamese hot spots in Dorchester.

By Gwen Egan

February 2, 2022

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Two Vietnamese restaurants are creating something new in the Lunar New Year, according to reporting by the Dorchester Reporter.

Restaurateurs Victoria Nguyen and Tam Le will be opening up a new venture together called Pho Hoa featuring Anh Hong Restaurant on Dorchester Ave.

In early January 2022, Anh Hong Restaurant suddenly closed. The restaurant had a loyal customer base that helped the eatery win a slew of awards, such as 2021’s Best Neighborhood Restaurant, however sudden rental issues forced them to shut down.

At Pho Hoa Restaurant, co-owner Tam Le’s time had recently been taken up by other projects, and Pho Hoa was losing some of its charm, he told the Reporter.

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However, all of that changed after one meeting between the two restaurateurs. Immediately after hearing about Nguyen’s restaurant closing, Le requested to meet at local coffee shop home.stead bakery & cafe.

“I believe everything happens for a reason, ” said Nguyen. “When we met in the coffee shop, there was something different about that encounter than any other on any normal day.”

It took Nguyen two weeks to come around on the idea, still mourning the loss of the restaurant she called her “baby.” But, the idea of working with an established business with a large, attractive facility “woke her up,” she said.

“After the closing, you feel down and there is maybe wrong information out there,” she said in an interview with the Reporter. “It’s a sadness inside you. Coming back now is very exciting. I woke up the next day after we talked, and I was a totally different person. I’m motivated and ready. It’s going to be great for the Vietnamese community and the neighborhood.”

This new venture will also allow Le’s father Thanh Le, the man who originally began Pho Hoa in 1992, to finally retire.

All of this was announced on the Lunar New Year, which the two future owners view as a fitting time for rebirth.

“This year, Pho Hoa Restaurant will also be celebrating its 30th year anniversary,” they said in a joint statement. “It is only fitting the rebirth of Anh Hong, breathing fresh life into Pho Hoa, is happening during Vietnamese New Year – giving us even more to celebrate this coming year.”

The staff of both eateries will be able to work at the new combined effort restaurant.

“There are two important themes shared by Anh Hong and Pho Hoa: Creating a special place for the community to enjoy and ensuring that the Vietnamese culture is preserved for future generations,” the two said.