At Pho Duy the wait time on the signature Vietnamese pho might be a few minutes. However, what customers might not know is how long it took the kitchen staff to make it. Every batch of broth takes up to seven hours to prepare. Forty gallons of broth mixed with beef bones, brisket, onions, ginger and other ingredients stew throughout the day before being stored in the freezer until it is needed. The broth lasts a few days before the time-consuming process has to be repeated. Manager Hiep Nguyen said in the summer the hot soup lasts a little longer. “In the wintertime a lot of people eat more pho than other items because it keeps them warm,” Nguyen said. With fall approaching, Nguyen said he expects to see the regulars once again keeping warm with a bowl of hot Pho Duy soup. Although it is located in Colleyville on Glade Road, the owners have brought elements of Asia to the restaurant. The dining room is decorated with paintings and prints depicting landscapes and scenes from East and Southeast Asia, and a large embroidered image of a koi pond hangs behind the front counter. Customers can also hear classical arrangements of Asian music as they eat. The restaurant expanded its menu earlier this year. Patrons are equally interested in the chicken avocado spring rolls ($5) and the pork stir-fry with egg noodles ($9), Nguyen said. The drinks are another cooler alternative. Avocado is one of the popular flavors for smoothies, and the mango green tea with boba ($3.95) is a favorite for customers, Nguyen said. All the food in the restaurant is made from fresh ingredients. Nguyen said that is a point of pride for the business, along with the service the wait staff provides. Kerah Maharaj is one of those servers. She has been on the staff since Pho Duy opened two years ago. Maharaj said she has seen Pho Duy grow in the amount of regular customers from the beginning. They like the authenticity of the food, she said, and they keep the business strong. “They keep coming back, and they keep spreading the word,” she said. Among the patrons the pho is definitely the popular item, both Maharaj and Nguyen said. “Pho is our specialty, right?” Maharaj said. She added that first-time customers sometimes need an explanation on what exactly the soup is. Maharaj said she starts with the broth process and works the conversation to the different textures involved. The pho can have up to six different cuts of meat that not all customers necessarily want. “Brisket is more meat,” she said. “Some people like more fat like a flank cut.” For those with no particular preference, the house special ($7) has all but one of the meat cuts and includes rice noodles, green onions and cilantro.

Pho Duy

3930 Glade Road, Ste. 126, Colleyville 817-684-8371 www.phoduycolleyville.com Hours: daily 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.