Vietnamese street food chain Madame Pho has opened another new branch, cementing its status as a “Belfast phenomenon”, a restaurant critic has said.
The unit at Eastpoint Entertainment Village in Dundonald is Madame Pho’s fourth opening in around six weeks.
Madame Pho, which was established in 2020, held a soft launch at Dundonald this week, a member of staff confirmed. An official opening takes place next Wednesday.
It follows three other openings in the last few weeks at Ormeau Road in south Belfast, St Anne’s Square in the city centre and Antrim Road, Glengormley.
The chain started out with a branch on the city’s Botanic Avenue, with units following at Longstone Street in Lisburn and Lisburn Road in south Belfast.
A limited company has been set up for Madame Pho Newt Ltd, suggesting that an opening in Newtownards could be on the cards.
Belfast Telegraph restaurant critic Joris Minne said its first opening had taken place in a period of transition for the food scene.
“Madame Pho’s first appearance in Botanic Avenue was significant in that it came at a time when Belfast’s restaurant scene was beginning to transition to a cooler, less formal and more street approach to eating out.
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“The fact that the food was outstanding and exciting helped Madame Pho establish a loyal client base. The model has been rolled out in recent years and has worked well around town.
“Now the brand has become something of a Belfast phenomenon. Another Madame Pho is always a welcome development.”
Madame Pho founder William Chan sold the business to new owners last year. He opened specialist Vietnamese coffee shop Phin on the Ormeau Road in April.
He told the Belfast Telegraph he had a “passion” for hospitality after growing up in the trade, with his family owning Furama, a Chinese restaurant in Antrim for over 30 years.
In a 2021 review, Mr Minne said of Madame Pho’s chicken wings: “The caramelised glaze is slightly sweet with a hint of peanut and is a beautiful accompaniment to the crispy, juicy and tender chicken it coats. Incredible.”
Describing the BBQ pork neck Pho, he said: “The end result is an irresistible, heady and filling dish with endless combinations of textures and flavours with each mouthful.”