A new Vietnamese restaurant has opened on the ground floor of Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre, in a unit where food businesses rarely stick around.
Pho Net Viet soft opened on October 17 in the old Hazukido Cafe+ unit, and we stopped by anonymously to give it a try.
Hazukido closed in June after about two years, and this unit has a habit of turning over every couple of years.
Pho Net Viet is the next challenger hoping to break the curse.
According to its Google listing, it was previously located in Coquitlam but closed in 2024.
Walk in and you might think Hazukido never left.
Much of the main dining room is the same, down to the navy velvet chairs, with a long blue banquette running under a gold-lined feature wall.
The menu is big, with a long list of pho, rice dishes, banh mi, vermicelli bowls and a specialty noodle section it oddly calls “Satisfy your curiosity.”
You’ll find all the usual pho-shop staples, like pho dac biet, bun bo hue, grilled lemongrass chicken on rice and Vietnamese iced coffee.
We got the bun bo hue and a ca phe sua da, which are our usual orders at any pho spot these days.
The first thing that stood out was the size of the bowl.
Portions here are LARGE, and one bowl will be plenty for most people.
The bun bo hue itself was fine.
It came loaded with sliced beef, meatballs and thick round noodles, with a plate of bean sprouts and herbs on the side.
What disappointed us is that it’s a slightly stripped-down version, with no pork hock and no pork blood cubes.
Pricing wise, it is definitely up there.
All the pho and specialty noodles start at $19.95, and the banh mi isn’t cheap either ($11.95).
Maybe it’s tough when you’re surrounded by some of the best food courts in the city, with cheaper food a short walk away.
It’s another change at Aberdeen Centre, which has had a turbulent year, with Chef Hung, Garaku and LUCA all closing.
Pho Net Viet joins other recent Aberdeen Centre arrivals like Taoke, Man Ri Sung in the food court and Taiwan Bento 101, with Trusty Congee King still on the way.
Address
Unit 1068 – 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, BC (Aberdeen Centre, ground floor)
