Pho Sinh Vietnamese Cuisine

Owner: Ben Duong

What does the name of your restaurant — Pho Sinh — mean? Pho means noodle soup and Sinh is my middle name. It means "new."

When did the restaurant open? May 6.

Is there a secret family recipe for your pho? Yes. My family is from Hanoi in Vietnam. We had a restaurant there for a long time — over 30 years. It was called Pho Hang Ga. Hang Ga was the name of the street the restaurant was on — just like Park Street.

My family members all know the recipe for good home-made soup. We use beef bones and tail in the broth and cook it for over 20 hours. It’s important to make sure the fire is not too big and not too small. We make about 100 quarts at a time. That’s enough for about one day.

Besides pho, what are some of your favorite items on the menu? One favorite is Bun Cha Ha Noi [marinated, broiled pork served with vermicelli, salad and special sauce]. I also like the Cha Ca Thang Long [filets of sole served with vermicelli, salad and peanut sauce] and Nom Du Du Kho Bo [papaya salad].

Are there plans to expand the menu? We plan on adding Vietnamese sandwiches — banh mi — to the menu. Each sandwich will cost $3.50.

Why did you choose to locate your restaurant in Alameda? I have lived here for over 10 years and my kids go to school here. Also, I don’t see any pho around here. A lot of people like Vietnamese noodles so I thought it would be good to have a restaurant here.

Pho Sinh is located at 1434 Park St. It is open 7 days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Telephone: 769-8836.