Vietnamese cuisine comes to Winsted

WINSTED — Adding to the diversity of restaurants in town is Mama Pho Vietnamese restaurant, which has opened at 108 Main St.

The restaurant is owned by Toan Hang, who was born and raised in Vietnam and moved to Connecticut with his mother, father and sister in 2011.

Hang owned and operated a restaurant in Vietnam.

After he moved to Connecticut, he opened the Pho Ethan restaurant in 2015 in Wallingford with his sister, who still operates Pho Ethan with many of the same dishes Mama Pho offers.

As for the restaurant’s name, Hang said that he named the restaurant “mama” as a tribute to his mother and “pho” after a Vietnamese soup that is made from beef stock and noodles.

Hang offers 10 varieties of pho, including the Angus flank steak dish Pho Tai for $9, a shrimp pho dish called Pho Tom for $11 and the Pho Mama, a dish with brisket, tendon steak and meatballs for $10.

The restaurant offers six varieties of chicken soup, including the Mama Pork Noodle, made of chopped barbecued pork with a  quail egg for $9 and a seafood noodle soup, which includes shrimp, a fish ball, scallops and squid for $12.

On the pasta side, the restaurant offers eight varieties of vermicelli dishes, including the Vermicelli Mama Special Egg Roll made from grilled beef, pork, chicken and shrimp for $11. 

While the restaurant offers traditional Vietnamese dishes, Mama Pho also offers many of Hang’s unique culinary creations.

This includes the “Phorrito,” a burrito dish made of noodles, basil leaves, bean sprouts and a choice of steak, chicken or shrimp wrapped in a tortilla.

A steak Phorrito costs $10, a grilled chicken Phorrito costs $11, a Seafood Phorrito costs $15.

“I think since we’ve opened we have had a good reaction from customers,” Hang said. “I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but I think Winsted is a good town.”

Mama Pho, located at 108 Main St., is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, call 860-909-1120.