I'd read that PP had a Vietnamese community back in the day and had made their own Filipino version of pho. Obviously, I had to try one spot, which was Bona's Chao Long House. It's open 24/7!
I dropped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place must have 100 chairs. Plenty of seating but beware, it's open style. There's a few fans swirling around but it's hot.
The menu is up on the wall: 6 noodle soup options, French bread and beverages. That's it.
- Herbs - you get a sprig or two of basil and interestingly, the bean sprouts are thin style.
- Beef with noodles (#6) (75 PHP) - I added extra noodles (25 PHP) which turned out to be a good call. There's not much beef and the slices are overcooked. The noodles had a decent bite to them; I didn't love or hate them. The broth was sweet with hints of lemongrass but the depth was lacking.
Worth a try but don't expect it to be like Vietnamese pho. read more