The Ultimate Comfort Food for Any Occassion: Pho
From a snowy winter day in Virginia to a humid summer day in Saigon, Pho is the ultimate comfort food for any time of the day and any season of the year. I may be slightly biased as I grew up eating this soup all the time. When I was sick, my mom would make it; when it was snowing outside, or even if we had a craving in the middle of a hot July. Coming to New York for college and being a huge foodie, I was excited to explore the new foods I would discover in the city. However, I was disappointed by the lack of options for authentic Vietnamese Food. Today, I am going to be breaking down the touch points of two different Pho restaurants in the city. One in Brooklyn near Tandon, and the other very popular Manhattan Pho Bar.
Hanco’s store has a very simplistic design. When you enter the store there is signage hanging from the top indicating where to order and where to pick up. On the wall, there are large versions of the menu placed making it easy for customers to order. The prices are listed and the menu is organized based on the type of food offered at the restaurant. After ordering, customers can find a seat while waiting for their number to be called. Once called, the customers go to the pick-up station to pick up their order. They can eat inside the restaurant or order to-go.
Hanco’s online system works through a third party service such as Seamless or UberEats. This process is very streamlined and easy to use. The restaurant has reviews that customers can look at as well as percent ratings. The ratings detail specifics such as accuracy of orders. At the top of the orders is the top listed items from the restaurant, this makes it easy for first time customers to see what is most popular. Following, the foods are listed based on category: appetizers, noodle soups, sandwiches, drinks, etc. The organization of the menu makes the customer’s journey to ordering Pho easy and simple.
PhoBar’s interior is captivating with colors and design. For a Vietnamese restaurant it is on the more colorful side, however for New York its nothing new. The restaurant’s website reflects the fun nature of the place with vibrant colors and bold text. The photos on the website represent the different Vietnamese dishes that are offered at the restaurant from Pho to Bun Bo Hue. The restaurant has a lot to offer. The website is sleek in design and has the right about of information. Users can easily find the menu which is laid out in a simple way. Both sides of the menu are displayed on the website. Users can also find out about the story behind the restaurant and where it all started. At the top right of the website, users see can click to see the location and hours of the restaurant to find which one they might be closer to. There is also a contact page if users wanted to provide feedback or call with questions. One thing about the website that is different is the nav bar is split into two. On the left there is the Home, About, and Menu, then on the right is the Location, Press and Contact. While this is not a large difference or inconvenience but rather an interesting choice.
I know this journal talked more about the touch points of places rather than the delicious soup itself, so if you have yet to try it, this is your sign to go to one of these places and give it a try. Then maybe you can write an entry on the savory comfort soup.
