Pho La Vache
Korean-owned Vietnamese restaurant “The Cow” Pho 🍲 where Muraya used to be.
Address: 125 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone Number: (323) 366-2941
Pho is believed to have originated in northern Vietnam in the late 19th or early 20th century, during the French colonial period. Many historians think pho was adapted from the French beef and vegetable stew “pot-au-feu”, which has a similar phonetic sound to “pho.”
Before the French arrived, Vietnamese cuisine did not commonly feature beef, as the Vietnamese traditionally used water buffalo as draft animals. It was the French demand for beef that led to the rise in beef consumption and production in Vietnam, which in turn allowed the development of beef-based pho.
The earliest versions of pho were made by street vendors in northern Vietnam, who started using the leftover beef bones and scraps from the French-driven beef industry to make a broth for their noodle soups, creating the foundation for modern pho.
Over time, pho evolved to feature different cuts of beef, including rare beef slices, which became a common topping by the 1930s. The use of beef is considered a key defining characteristic of pho, differentiating it from other Vietnamese noodle soups.
* Despite its name’s emphasis on beef, Pho La Vache does have menu items for the vegetarian and vegan denizens of Larchmont! 🌱
The $18 House Vegan Pho is a generous serving of tofu, kabocha, baby bokchoy, and king oyster mushrooms. 🍲
Among the beverages on the menu are Vietnamese coffee, Thai tea, Calpico, Ramune, beer, and wine. 🍷
Hours: 11 am – 8 pm, every day
🐮 HOLY COW!
