Ho's Kitchen serves bún bò Huế ($16.99), a Vietnamese noodle soup featuring beef shank, rare steak, pork feet and a rich, slightly spicy broth. (Haley McLeod/Community Impact)
Hints of spices and a blend of unique smells waft across the dining room as a plate of bún bò Huê—a Vietnamese dish—is delivered to a table. Ho’s Kitchen, tucked in the Cypress Creek Town Center along Lakeline Boulevard, features a full menu of traditional Vietnamese classics, including the crowd favorite pho.
A closer look
Owned by Nick Ho, the restaurant is inspired by his family's cooking and his cousin's successful California restaurant.
“So I took a chance at [a restaurant]. Everything in life you have to take a chance at—you don't know if you're gonna succeed unless you try.”
The casual restaurant includes a cozy dining area with a chalk wall backdrop, flexible counter or full-service dining, and a patio for guests who prefer to eat outside.
Ho said the menu emphasizes fresh, high-quality ingredients, with many dishes featuring plenty of vegetables and lighter preparations. He also aims to keep the food affordable, highlighting the restaurant's signature Shaken Beef Rice, made with tenderloin, as an example. Despite rising beef prices, the dish is priced at $17.99.
What else?
The menu showcases dishes from several regions of Vietnam, Ho said. For example, traditional northern-style pho is typically served with a simple broth and minimal garnishes, while bún bò Huế, a specialty of central Vietnam, features beef shank, rare steak tendon, pork feet, noodles and a slightly spicy bone broth.
At Ho’s, the pho comes with thin noodles, customers' choice of rare meat and hot broth that cooks the meat as it sits. The dish is served with a side of bean sprouts, onions, cilantro, lime and basil.
A bowl of traditional pho ($14.99) with rare steak is served with rice noodles in a hot broth that gently cooks the beef, alongside bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime and onions.
The menu includes a selection of vermicelli options, including chicken, pork and tofu. Vietnamese vermicelli bowls are made with thin rice noodles, fresh vegetables and herbs, a choice of protein, and a light fish sauce dressing, creating a fresh, flavorful meal.
There are also several Vietnamese sandwiches, called bánh mì, rice platters and salads. The appetizer menu features a variety of Asian favorites, including edamame, dumplings and several types of spring rolls.
Ho recommends the Vietnamese Eggroll, which is filled with pork and wood ear mushroom, fried until crispy and served with lettuce, carrots and a fish sauce for dipping.
The menu also includes several gluten-free options.
Looking ahead
The restaurant recently celebrated a year of business in Cedar Park. Ho expressed a desire to continue expanding Ho’s Kitchen and exploring new opportunities.
“I want to open multiple spots, not just one spot. I want to open a different location with the same name,” Ho said.
