After working in the welding industry for over 10 years, Tu Hoang opened his own restaurant Yummy Pho & Bo Ne alongside the franchise owner Tony Dong on Jan. 16. The restaurant is located at the Willowbrook Plaza and is known for its fast service and Vietnamese-style cuisine.

“The welding industry was taking a toll on my brother's health, which is why he decided to switch paths,” Tu Hoang’s younger brother Luc Hoang said.

The backstory

The Hoang brothers moved from Vietnam to America when they were 2 and 15 years old. Due to Tu Hoang’s difficulty learning English, he decided to choose a job in the labor industry.

Once the welding sector began causing health issues, Tu Hoang decided to choose another career path.


Tu Hoang originally intended to open up a food truck; however, when the opportunity to open a restaurant arose, he decided to switch gears and open his restaurant in a more permanent location. The location was previously LA Crawfish.

Yummy Pho & Bo Ne is a franchise owned by Tony Dong with locations in Katy and Pearland. Dong is a silent partner for the Willowbrook Plaza location, which is run by Tu and Luc Hoang.

The specifics

Tu and Luc Hoang run the front end while their kitchen staff handles the food. Yummy Pho & Bo Ne serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine, including pho, vermicelli noodles, banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese iced coffee.


The restaurant specializes in its bo ne, a Vietnamese-French fusion consisting of Vietnamese steak and eggs served in a sizzling pan with Spam, as well as its Yummy Pho, a combination pho with beef cuts plus a big beef dino rib.

Yummy Pho & Bo Ne also offers chicken wings, a customer favorite. Wing flavors include lemon pepper, spicy lemon pepper, spicy garlic, Cajun and hot buffalo.

“Our wing recipe came from the previous owner of LA Crawfish,” Tu Hoang said.

The brothers decided to replicate the wing recipe due to its popularity and customer demand. The restaurant also serves crawfish when it's in season to cater to its customers.


A closer look

Luc Hoang said, Yummy Pho & Bo Ne provides unique recipes and ensures high-quality food made in a fast manner. The restaurant is ideal for family gatherings as well as for busy people on their lunch break.

“We are very flexible with our menu and welcome customer modifications upon reasonable requests,” Luc Hoang said.

The restaurant offers large portions of food and allows anyone to order from the kids menu if they prefer a smaller quantity of food. Yummy Pho & Bo Ne also provides lunch specials Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.


“We have nearly perfected the Yummy Pho & Bo Ne recipes. Not only do we use the best ingredients, but the recipes have gone through vigorous alterations throughout the year. I believe we have gotten it down to the T where it's loved by every pho enthusiast along with first-time pho customers,” Luc Hoang said.