P.H.A.T. PHO (short for Pretty Hot and Tempting Pho?) is the Vietnamese Resto created by Jason Hyatt of The Abaca Group in Cebu. There’s not a lot of Vietnamese flavors in Cebu, and Abaca Group’s Vietnamese concept is interesting with Vietnamese Chef Ahn Sy Hoang or Chef Bruce.
In contrast to the other Abaca restos, Phat Pho is quaint (with a capacity of about less than 30pax) but still hip. During peak lunch and dinner time you have to sit shoulder-to-shoulder giving up a bit of privacy just to get a taste of the latest Vietnamese cuisine to invade Cebu.
Here’s our PHAT PHO Experience in Cebu:
The BEST of Cebu City Series 2013:
- PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
- TAVOLATA: La Trattoria di Abaca – the BEST Italian Restaurant in Cebu?
- MAYA, Cebu: My Birthday in the Best Mexican Restaurant
- ABACA Restaurant in Mactan, Cebu by Jason Hyatt
Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:
- BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I’ve Ever Tasted
- PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
- BA NOI’s – Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
- LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?
The resto is small and resembles a street noodle shop with the counter doubling like a chef’s table where you can see the chef prepare the dishes.
Check out PHAT PHO MENU
The turnaround time of the pho and the other food is quite fast. It’s fun to eat when there is a big crowd and your table is laden with food.
(Note: They don’t accept reservations. Better come early at around 11.30AM or a little late @1 PM before the resto closes)
Chilled Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls | Goi Cuon (P185). Vermicelli, Carrots & Daikon, Fresh Herbs
Shrimp Lumpia was good but a bit cold. They put sweet baby tomatoes to give it a different taste profile. The peanut sauces and a sweet Vietnamese patis version are also good but a bit different from the authentic Vietnamese ones.
★ Vegetarian Salads | Goi (P185). Cucumber, Tofu, Vietnamese Herbs, Lime Vinaigrette
This salad was yummy because of the fresh vegetables and sweet lime vinaigrette. It’s best eaten as a topping on the kropek but you have to pay for extra kropek.
★ SPECIAL NOODLE SOUP PHO (P365). Our beef pho with angus beef ribeye, braised beef, tendon
We love the PHO. The soup is hot, clear and with an interesting lime taste. I like the soft flavorful pieces of angus beef, and the special pho served with a special meatball combination.
The size is a bit big and you can split the pho on a self-service basis. Good thing you can request an extra bowl of Pho soup!
Saigon Baguette Banh Mi (P325). Our classic sandwich is served on a crispy baguette with pate, pickled carrots and daikon, shaved cucumber, coriander, Vietnamese meatball, homemade cha lua and shaved ham.
The Banh Mi is interesting with its crispy bread, a flavorful pate in the middle, with toppings of vegetables, meatball and shaved ham. It’s something different to try and a complete meal by itself.
They only have one dessert which is the coffee-flavored leche fan. It’s just OK.
I’m not impressed usually with the dessert offerings in the Abaca group of restaurants. It would be nice to have a killer dessert just to complete the dining experience.
Finally, we got a souvenir photo with Chef Jason Hyatt with Aidan and Joshua!
Overall, we love the hip noodle shop vibe complete with the chattering noise and shoulder-to- shoulder environment. It’s nice to sit in your own table for added privacy but the counter top has its own interesting view of the chef and the kitchen.
The Vietnamese food is simple with the chef’s modern interpretation of the Vietnamese flavors. The quality of the ingredients they use are really good with yummy flavors. We love the Special Pho and Banh Mi. Skip the dessert.
Budget P500/head. Glad to see a more affordable resto concept from the Abaca group.
PHAT PHO: A Vietnamese Kitchen
Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu City
Telephone: +63 32 416-2442
Email: phatpho@theabacagroup.com
Twitter: @PhatPhoCebu @theabacagroup
Facebook: The Abaca Group
Website: http://theabacagroup.com/phat-pho/
Operating Hours: Lunch 11:30- 2pm & Dinner 5pm – 10pm (11pm Fri & Sat)
Last Call for Food Orders: Lunch- 1:45pm & Dinner- 9:45pm (10:45 Fri & Sat)
No reservations. First Come, First Served Basis.
The BEST of Cebu City Series 2013:
- PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
- TAVOLATA: La Trattoria di Abaca – the BEST Italian Restaurant in Cebu?
- MAYA, Cebu: My Birthday in the Best Mexican Restaurant
- ABACA Restaurant in Mactan, Cebu by Jason Hyatt
Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:
- BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I’ve Ever Tasted
- PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
- BA NOI’s – Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
- LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?
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Full Disclosure: We paid for our meals. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I do not accept advertising from food and travel places we feature in the blog.
P.S. For dessert, hop to the La Marea dessert cafe for the Classic Warm Brownie Cup with Vanilla Ice cream 🙂
Shrimp lumpia was a bit cold? You mean it was served too cold? Isn’t that supposed to be served chilled as indicated on the name of the dish? Hehe *I got confused*