Taking the opportunity to be granted a vacation leave back to California, I went to Trader Joe's today to replenish my empty pantry. It was there that I discovered a brand new Vietnamese restaurant nearby. It is tugged in a big strip mall with too humble a signage which is not self-explanatory about what business it is. Since I go to this strip mall a lot to shop at Trader Joe's and Wholefood, I'm always conscious about checking out all the tiny stores around these big anchors. I'm glad I'm curious enough because this new Vietnamese restaurant has the freshest and tastiest Pho within 10 miles in that area.
I ordered a Mrs. A Hanoi Pho ($11.99), which is the traditional Hanoi Beef Broth Served With Medium Rare Angus Beef. It's a lot more expensive than the average Pho places which are in the nearby towns where I have to drive 8 to 10 miles from home to get to. But I could taste the much better quality of the beef and the much better quality broth. The noodle soup tasted really really fresh. As a new business, I don't think the owner is doing enough to promote the restaurant. I mean the signage is totally inadequate. They need more self-explanatory and visible signage that at least tells people that they offer fresh and high quality Vietnamese food.
The bowl of noodle soup looks simple and plain but the flavor is rich and dynamic. It's very healthy. I can easily go on a Pho diet on a daily basis but I don't think I need dieting just yet because I'm lucky to still have a slim figure.
I hope the owner realizes that "Open the restaurant and let people come" is not a good business strategy. I know because I work as a management consultant. I like this place and I hope it will become successful and stay for a long time. Restaurants that focus on quality and freshness are few but I just hope this brand new place can afford to sustain the restaurant's business objective in offering "Vietnamese Food Cooked With High Quality Ingredients". To do this, the owner should also focus on promotion in addition to only focusing on the kitchen and cooking alone.
The restaurant charges higher prices than other Pho places in the area, but it also has much cleaner and more comfortable seating than most of the Pho places I usually go for cheaper Phos. The restaurant has only a few items on the menu but then I agree with the owner that a shorter menu with all good and tasty items are much better than long menus that have all bad tasting dishes.
Restaurant: Mrs. A
Address: 2531 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torrance, CA 90505
Tel: (310) 534-8899
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