MUKILTEO—The owners at Mukilteo’s newest and only pho restaurant, Pho Cafe, value “good food, good vibes, and a good time” and won’t dare entertain “shortcuts” to their high-quality pho experience.
“We don’t use shortcuts here…when we boil broth for pho, some places boil so it lasts for a week, we boil fresh every day,” Tran Dinh, co-owners of Pho Cafe, said proudly. “My belief for a restaurant is quality over quantity, meaning that it might take my restaurant a bit longer than other restaurants, but I’m sure the food is cooked fine before it gets to the customers. Everything that goes out to the customer goes through me first.”
It’s universally known that planning a wedding can be stress-inducing. But what is more stressful, planning a wedding and building a restaurant at the same time!
Having met in pharmacy school, Tran Dinh and her husband Eric Dau recently graduated in late May of 2022 and got married in August 2023. Dinh and Dau had handed in their deposit for the restaurant back in May 2023, and in late November that same year, they launched the grand opening of Pho Cafe.
“A family of, I think around eight people, came in. They were our first customers, and they were all just so fun and bubbly,” Dinh recalled. “We were very happy with the outcome.”
The menu at Pho’s Cafe consists of Vietnamese staples such as a wide selection of pho, as well as spring rolls, grilled meat, vermicelli noodles, and a rotating menu of special week-end dishes.
Dau’s entire family was present during the grand-opening, helping where they could and showing their support.
“Even though my parents are far away right now in Hawaii, they still call and check up on me daily,” Dau said. “My in-laws are also very, very sweet. Like the whole family came out for the grand opening.”
After going through eight years of formal schooling, it was a slight shock for everybody when Dinh and Dau decided to take a chance at opening a restaurant together.
“I think during COVID, that idea kinda sparked because I was at home, and a lot of the time I was at home,” Dinh said. “So, I started cooking a lot more. I had already known I had the passion within me. I become very happy when I start cooking and when people enjoy my food.”
Cuisine has long been a big part of Dinh’s family, with the love for cooking being passed down generation after generation. Dinh’s grandfather was a Chef for Hilton Hotels, and her father was also a chef for various American restaurants. Her uncle worked for an Italian restaurant, and later she would learn that her great-grandmother on her dad’s side of the family was also a pho owner.
“So, it just sparked for me:” Dinh said. “If I have this talent, and it’s been given to me from my family side, why not share this talent?”
When Dinh and Dau found the opportunity to buy and acquire the space for a restaurant, next door to Sabor A Mexico on Mukilteo Speedway, they couldn’t pass it up. Everything from the menu to the decor to the artwork, were all hand-made by the newlyweds.
“My husband actually designed the whole layout of the restaurant. He hand-drew everything,” Dinh said. “I did the decorations, and I tried to make it feel like it’s like a small cafe and make an extra very bright because we know the strip is a little bit on the darker side. We want people to light up when they come in here.”
Dinh, inspired by Vietnamese and French influences, captured a little of both cultures in her restaurant. While there’s no shortage of pho restaurants in South County, Dinh noticed that there weren’t any in or near Mukilteo.
While operating a restaurant can be extremely taxing on both the mind and body, Dinh believes it’s worth every second to see the joy her food brings to others.
“So sometimes you’re gonna cry, you’re gonna have a mental breakdown,” Dinh admitted. “And you’ll feel like you want to give up. Just keep going. It’s worth it!”
Pho Cafe is located at 8410 Mukilteo Speedway Suite G, in Mukilteo. Follow them on Instagram at phocafe.wa and Facebook at Pho Cafe Mukilteo.
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