Phở Gà Nguyệt - Dry Chicken Pho @ Hoan Kiem District in Hanoi [Vietnam]

I have been very consistent in my review of Vietnam's national dish; pho. While tolerable, I have never been a fan of the soupy dish. But when I heard that there is a famous dry chicken pho in Hanoi, I decided to give it a try in my recent visit. 

But we were faced with a long queue outside Phở Gà Nguyệt, on a hot summer day! Well, we gave it a miss and proceeded to have a most fantastic "lunch" at Quán Gốc Đa instead.  

Back again on my last day and alone (mom was resting in the hotel before our flight) as I thought to see if there would be a queue! There's none and with three shop spaces; I should have waited in line previously since environment wasn't suitable for long-sitting, and I bet customers turnaround should be high.  

Note the above; direct enough.

So stop asking. p.s. staff can be curt. 

Steamed chicken, roast chicken, deep fried chicken; what would be your least favourite. Mine had to be steamed chicken, which seemed to be the only type available at Phở Gà Nguyệt, but well, it was famous for a reason, and least favourite doesn't mean hate.

Dry Pho with Chicken Thigh - ordering was a breeze; choose between dry or soup and then point your finger at the dish you want to order from the English / Vietnamese menu. 

Let's touch on the chicken first; portion was generous with a lot of meat. For chicken thigh, I expected the meat to be a lot more tender and juicy. Nevertheless, they didn't taste gamey and texture was good, without being overly tough / overcooked. 

 

Never understand why we need to eat pho with youtiao (chinese cruellers); thought there's already enough carbohydrates to balance the meal. Here, it's crispy yet too hard and oily! 

Accompanying soup was bland yet pretty flavourful.

Good for a cold day, not for the heat I encountered that day.

On the noodles; mixed them well as there were much more things hidden underneath that literally enhanced the texture and flavour! There was a subtle sourness mixed with the fragrance from the sesame oil, the nuttiness form the peanuts, the aroma from the fried shallots and the freshness from the beansprouts! 

I was impressed and regretted not bringing my dad here on our Hanoi-Sapa trip in 2024, as he is a big, big fan of horfun! Maybe another trip to Hanoi soon? And hopefully during winter or early spring. 

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Address

5b P. Phủ Doãn, Hoàn Kiếm, 

Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam

Map

As above. 

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Dry Pho with Chicken Thigh - 70,000 Dong