Phenomenal Pho-ughkeepsie: Pho 96 NY Brings Authentic, Inviting Eats Locally
The outside of Pho 96 NY. Photo by Andrew Breen '25
Just off an unassuming corner past the Walkway Over the Hudson is 96 Washington St., the home of Pho 96 NY. Having just opened four months ago, this Vietnamese restaurant may already be one of the best new hotspots the Poughkeepsie culinary scene has to offer. However, it's not just great food that Pho 96 NY is serving, but the passion of a family-run business.
Helena and Chi Nguyen, two of the faces behind Pho 96 NY, are bringing traditional family cooking and history out of the home and into your stomach. However, this process hasn’t been an easy one. The restaurant business is traditionally a hard one, and the Nguyen family has had to overcome many hurdles to make their dreams come to reality.
The process of opening the restaurant was much longer than they expected. Originally planned to start up in September, their opening day didn’t come until Dec. 15 of last year. The Nguyens have stuck to some core principles as they navigate this new culinary world: blending health and taste, maintaining tradition, but more than anything, a desire to share with other people.
Chi Nguyen noted how they love customers coming in person, “We can tell them how the food is and give them an introduction.” When you go to Pho 96 NY, it's like stepping into their home for dinner. He went on to add, “years, years, years of family cooking are being shared with the customers… Any food we put together is with love.”
Much like its namesake suggests, Pho is the star of the show at Pho 96 NY. The broth is meticulously crafted and cared for hours, resulting in rich yet also customizable flavor as you are encouraged to tweak the soup to your liking. Furthermore, each region of Vietnam is home to different broths and styles, which can be seen throughout the menu.
The restaurant specializes in bringing an authentic experience to the table. Chi explained that the restaurant is experimenting with flavors that are both unique and unexpected, truly enhancing the authentic homestyle feel.
There's a wide variety of pho, from classic brisket and sliced steak, which come with a phenomenal helping of rice noodles in perfected beef broth.
If soup isn’t your style, there is a wide variety of fresh, house-made dishes for you to try–all at more than affordable prices for the sheer amount of food you get. There are delicious starters like their dumplings to wonderfully prepared rice dishes.
And for those of you who love coffee, Pho 96 NY brews traditional-style Vietnamese coffee right in front of you, a practice Chi Nguyen learned from his aunt, who sold her coffee on the street back in Vietnam. For coffee drinkers, it's very similar to espresso but is also extremely unique. It's strong yet balanced in its sweetness and has the perfect amount of milk; in short, it's the best iced coffee we’ve had.
While we haven’t had all the dishes Pho 96 NY has to offer, from their bánh mì to eggrolls, we’ll be coming back not only for the flavors but its unique, homey feel. Pho 96 NY’s commitment to authenticity and exemplary flavors makes it a must-visit local restaurant.