The Dish: Try Authentic Pho At Thuy Trang in Madison Heights

I have a friend who recently volunteered for a year in Vietnam. When he came back to Michigan, I asked if any Vietnamese restaurants in Madison Heights, Metro Detroit’s unofficial Chinatown, compared to the real deal.

“Thuy Trang,” he said. “The pho there is the closest I’ve had since Hanoi. There is another one close by that’s more popular on Yelp. It’s good, but not as good.”

Thuy Trang is family-owned and the restaurant is named after the daughter. Their recipe has been in the family for over 15 years. The mother comes in early in the morning to cook the broth, which takes five to six hours. They use beef and chicken bones. A lot of spices and herbs are used to season the broth, but that is a secret.

The dish you have to order is the Pho Dac Biet Thuy Trang (#13) for $9. It comes with beef slices, tendon, tripe, and meatballs. The tendon has a thick gelatinous texture and it almost dissolves in your mouth. The tripe, made from cow’s stomach, is chewy with a funny looking shape that has a lot of bumps and ridges. The tendon and tripe do not have much flavor. The flavor is all in the warm, homey and comforting broth that is so good, you take it for granted because enjoying it is the most natural thing in the world.

Phacts that will Phocking blow your mind

• Pho is eaten for breakfast in Vietnam, but we eat it for dinner here.
• “Pho” refers to the white rice noodles, not the soup.
• It is technically pronounced “fuh,” not “fo,” but really, it is all good.

Address: 30491 John R Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071
Phone:(248) 588-7823
Hours: Open today · 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
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