Viet Eat founder to launch two new Vietnamese restaurant concepts

The team behind Holborn’s Viet Eat restaurant are to launch two new Vietnamese street food concepts in the next two years, BigHospitality has learned.

Owner Andy Le is planning to open Pho & Bun in Soho this October and a Viet Eat to-go concept in the City in 2017, with the eventual aim of rolling-out at least one restaurant a year.

Pho & Bun will be an 80-cover site on Shaftesbury Avenue serving a ‘minimised’ 20 item menu focusing on traditional Pho Noodle Soup and Steamed Milky Bun Burger – which Le claims is the first of its kind in London.

The chef has launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of crowdfunding £35,000 towards new kitchen and bar equipment for the site.

Having raised £2,005 with 18 days to go, Le explained that it would not be ‘the end’ for the restaurant if the target wasn’t met.

“The Kickstarter is a good way to get people to know about our restaurant, so if we don’t reach our target it’s not going to be the end of the day for us – we can still open,” he said.

Pho-to-go

Le is also planning to roll out a new Viet Eat to-go concept in The City, targeting office workers around Liverpool Street and Cannon Street.

The menu is set to be a ‘simplified’ version of dishes at Viet Eat and Pho & Bun, with the option to eat-in or takeaway.

Le explained while he had plans to open at least one restaurant a year looking forward, further expansion of the Viet Eat and Pho & Bun brands depended on finding the right location.

“If people go to Soho they want something exciting - there are too many traditional Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese restaurants in the area at the moment,” he said.

“Pho & Bun is a good concept for Soho, but in East London Viet Eat might be a good option because the pricing is more reasonable and we don’t use as many expensive ingredients as Pho & Bun.”

To view Pho & Bun's Kickstarter page see here.