Pho Vy Vietnamese Cuisine

Our verdict

Pho Vy Vietnamese Cuisine opened on International Boulevard in East Oakland in 2016, founded by Tuan Nguyen and Trang Truong, a couple who had previously operated a smaller phở shop in Livermore before bringing their kitchen to the East Bay. The restaurant's name came from their niece Vy, who spent her toddler years in the dining room, a detail that telegraphed the operation's character more accurately than any press description could. The menu centered on traditional Vietnamese phở with a commitment to broth quality that built a loyal following in a neighborhood with many competing bowls. One detail that set the kitchen apart: nuoc beo, scallion-infused rendered beef fat, was available by request, adding a layer of richness to the soup that most phở counters in the East Bay don't offer. Alongside the pho, the kitchen ran Bun Bo Hue, Bun Rieu, Nem Nuong Cuon, and a rice porridge, while Bò Kho, Vietnamese beef stew, appeared both as a bowl and folded into tacos, a fusion move that attracted a wider crowd without diluting the core menu. The restaurant closed permanently on May 18, 2025, after a lease dispute and rising rent made continued operation untenable. For nearly a decade, the address at 401 International Boulevard had served as a reliable anchor for Vietnamese home-style cooking in East Oakland, drawing regulars who came specifically for the broth and the atmosphere Nguyen and Truong had cultivated. The space has since been taken over by a cupcake pop-up run by Vy, now nine years old, and her mother, closing a particular loop on the restaurant's origin story.