Pho Thin – a family-run noodle shop in Hanoi open for 30 years – has opened its first franchise in Tokyo.

Opened on March 9, the new shop has been greeting hundreds of guests each day. Outside the shop, there is a permanent꧂ long line of people waiting patiently for a seat.

The famous noodle soup has retained its authentic flavour and presentation. The thin beef slices are flash-fried before topping the noodles together with sliced spring onion and boiling beef broth. Owner of Pho Thin Tokyo, Kenji Sumi, is a former office worker who travelled regularly to Hanoi for business and was amazed by the unique flavour of the famous dish. He said it was completely different from any kind of pho that he had tried before.  Haunted by this traditional dish, in March 2016, Sumi decided to quit his job to pursue his “dream” – to open a Vietnamese noodle shop in Tokyo. In January 2018, he flew back to Hanoi to meet the owner of Pho Thin, Nguyen Trong Thin, to convince him to share his family recipe. After long negotiations, Sumi received the nod from the owner to start his business in Tokyo.-VNA