Small Business Feature: Pho Ly
July 15, 2023
Written by: Kim Nguyen
Pho Ly Dining Room
Step into Pho Ly in Vernon, Connecticut and the first thing that might take your breath away is the decor, especially the mural on the walls. Gazing at the mural, surrounded by the ambiance the light gives off from the nón lá (Vietnamese Hat) shaped shades might make you feel as immersed in the presence of Vietnam as the food that’s offered at this establishment. The mural was a project by the owners’ daughter, Myan Ly, when she was a student at the University of Connecticut.
Pho Ly Owners’ An Ly (Left) and Namtran Huyentonnu (Right) with their daughter Myan Ly (Middle)
“The reason we opened this restaurant is to try to get Vietnamese food to the Vernon community.”
Husband and wife duo, An Ly and Namtran Huyentonnu, started their restaurant in July of 2017 to introduce Vietnamese cuisine to the Vernon community. Myan remembers growing up and seeing her dad thinking about food related industries, taking a keen interest in food trucks, when he was working in the construction industry. With his passion for giving back to the community, it was a natural progression into the restaurant world. An considered it a challenge that he was up for. “The first time we had a hard time starting off and getting customers,” he said. But as time went on and word spread (the business never invested in any advertising), Pho Ly began seeing a steady stream of customers, both new and old. An shared there are even one or two dedicated customers that come every day to eat their food. Most come at least three to four times a week to dine in or take out from the restaurant.
Although customers come in and already know exactly what they like, Myan, who often takes care of the front-of-house, definitely has recommendations to share from her parents' great set of recipes. Pho, a popular Vietnamese soup, is also a popular customer choice. That is a top recommendation for Myan, as well as the pork chops. Bringing children with you? The marinated chicken with white rice is a crowd pleaser with young and old alike. Either way, An and Namtran are prepping and making the dishes in the kitchen with care alongside their staff.
A word of advice from Pho Ly? “Just come down and have a talk with us. All of our servers are super friendly…we have a good sense of what people who are new might be interested in.”
Be sure to tag us and let us know if you gave them a try (or are a loyal customer who can’t stop going back)!.
Thank you so much for reading about Pho Ly! For more, be sure to check out their directory page here.