Hale Vietnam | Honolulu, Hawaii

Last night's date night brought us back to one of our absolute favorite spots, Hale Vietnam in Kaimuki. We've eaten here so many times that we've become quite good friends with the general manager. The food is consistently delicious and keeps bringing us back. There's just something about phở and the way it nourishes both body and soul.

Hale Vietnam
1140 12th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816-3712
(808) 735-7581

Again, apologies for the junk pictures (I forgot the camera), but here's a picture of the condiments you'll find on the table. Sriracha, the red sauce will kick any dish up several notches. In fact, it has got to be the best hot sauce ever made. EVER. The other is a sweeter hoisin sauce.


Because it's been so hot and humid here lately, wifey really wasn't in the mood for soup, so she opted for some bún instead. It's made with the same rice noodle you will find in phở, but sans broth. She ordered it topped with vegetarian rolls.


If you do end up ordering phở, served on the side is a plate full of bean sprouts, fresh basil, sliced jalapeño, and a lemon wedge.


I usually get phở gà, or chicken, but last night I was in the mood for something slightly different so I went with phở bò tái, rare steak. As you can see from this picture, the phở by itself is rather plain. That's the beauty of this dish: it's so simple, but can become very complex, depending on how you choose to garnish it.


This is how I like my phở: lots of bean sprouts covered with fresh basil. A ring of Sriracha and a drizzle of the brown hoisin sauce. You're right - I'm going need a bigger bowl...