Although husband-and-wife Tony Nguyen and Mary Wong’s restaurant is named Simply Pho House, the business owners said their menu encompasses much more than pho options.

“A lot of people think we’re solely a Vietnamese restaurant because of the name, but they see our Thai and Chinese menu [options] and that sets us apart,” Nguyen said. “We’re able to provide other Asian dishes that are more well known. People know Thai and Chinese food, I feel like Vietnamese food is catching up.”

On the menu

Popular menu items include shrimp spring rolls, beef pho, stir fry noodles and stir fry protein dishes.

Another popular item, and one of Nguyen’s personal favorites, is shaken beef—a traditional Vietnamese dish—which is marinated filet mignon cubes prepared by continuously shaking the meat in a wok so the meat is charred on all sides.


“A lot of our menu is very affordable where you can bring your whole family out and feel like you got your money’s worth and got a fair portion,” Wong said.

In addition to slushes, smoothies, milk tea and fruit tea, Simply Pho House also offers a variety of alcoholic items from their full bar. Wong created a variety of specialty drinks reflective of Asian culture including The Boss Man, a lychee martini.

The backstory

Nguyen and Wong opened Simply Pho House in Celina in August 2024 along with Nguyen’s sister Carolyn Nguyen.


The first Simply Pho House was opened in 2014 by the Nguyens’ aunt and uncle, Loan Huynh and Sonny Tran in Beecave. Today Tran and Huynh have four Simply Pho House locations, including one in McKinney. The Celina location is the only one not owned by the founders.

“We saw a lot of growth in the area and bought this land four years ago,” Nguyen said. “We built a commercial building and while everything was coming up, we thought ‘Why not open our own restaurant?’. We also own OMG Tacos.”

The Celina menu features approximately 80% of what the other Simply Pho House locations offer including pho and stir fry dishes. However, the other 20% are Nguyen's recipes.

“We added more traditional Thai and Vietnamese dishes,” Wong said. “We noticed a lot of customers were dousing their soup with chili oil, because they wanted that spice—that kick. That’s when Tony [Nguyen] thought of adding Bun Bo Cay, a traditional Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup.”


Going forward

Nguyen and Wong are looking to continue to develop the business alongside the city’s growth, and also participate in city events.

“We want to become a household name,” Wong said. “We're an easy option. You don't have to dress up to come here. It doesn't have to be a special occasion. Just come and grab dinner at Simply Pho House.”