LINCOLN PARK — An upcoming Vietnamese spot in Lincoln Park seeks to not only introduce newcomers to the cuisine, but also provide a lesson in the pronunciation of its most famed dish.
FUH — the phonetic version of pho (yes, that's how you say it) — is an effort to make the food more approachable in a fast-casual setting.
The restaurant, which is currently under construction in the former Edzo's Burger Shop, will feature an order-at-the-counter style allowing guests to add to their dish as they walk down the line.
"It's kind of like Chipotle meets Vietnamese," said 35-year-old Quan Dao, co-owner of FUH, 2218 N. Lincoln Ave.
Guests will start with a base of rice noodles, choose their protein, typical pho vegetables such as herbs, bean sprouts and onions, and finally chose a broth, either beef (traditional), chicken or veggie.
Those who chose veggie can add additional vegetables along the way.
Bowls will start around $8.50.
"People want to come in and eat pho and not go through the whole sit-down ordeal," Dao said.
Dao, who is opening the restaurant with his high-school pal Ngoc Le, hopes to open to the public sometime in the next few weeks.
The two partners attended Von Steuben High School together and are both Vietnamese American. Their heritage, along with their Chicago upbringing, is exemplified in the fast-casual concept.
"It's an extension of us," Dao said.
While the ordering style and restaurant layout might not be traditional, the restaurateurs are not cutting corners on the food and plan to spend between 12 and 14 hours on each broth.
For those who don't want hot pho soup, FUH will also offer cold blanched rice noodles similar to soba noodles that can be topped with a number of dressings. Another option for the base is goi, which is a chicken and cabbage salad, instead of noodles.
FUH also will be offering traditional Vietnamese coffee.
The owners of FUH decked out the interior in reclaimed wood from the Rebuilding Exchange.
They'll also have red stools, which are depicted in the logo. Much smaller versions of the red stools can be found on the streets of Vietnam where diners slurp their pho.
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