Long Phung Secret Menu
Let us be honest up front: there is no official long phung secret menu. Long Phung is a Saigon-style shophouse with the whole menu on the wall in photos, not a chain hiding a second menu. But the full Long Phung menu rewards people who know how to order it. Regulars have a set of well-known tweaks and combos, the raw egg cracked into the pho dac biet, the loaded hu tieu kho build, the bo kho with baguette pairing, that turn standard orders into the bowls the kitchen is actually proud of. This guide collects them.
Does Long Phung have a secret menu?
No, not in the way chains do it. There is no hidden board, no password dish, no off-menu code words. What Long Phung has is something better: a big menu, a flexible kitchen, and a crowd of Vietnamese regulars who have spent years working out the best combinations. The “secret menu” is really the regulars’ menu, the orders that people who eat there weekly have settled on. Everything below is a customization or combination of items that already exist on the wall, plus a few things the kitchen will happily make if you ask nicely.
The ground rules: the staff are brisk but accommodating, so be direct and polite. Ask the price of any add-on before it hits the table, since add-ons are where small surprises live. And come outside the peak lunch rush if you want the kitchen to have time for your special request.
Which pho upgrades do regulars ask for?
The pho dac biet already comes with a soft egg, but the true regular move is asking for a raw egg to crack in yourself at the table. The hot broth cooks it gently and the yolk enriches the whole bowl. Other standard upgrades:
| Upgrade | How to Ask | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Raw egg in pho | Ask for an extra egg with your pho dac biet | the classic tweak |
| Extra herbs | Ask for more basil and bean sprouts | usually free |
| Chilli top-up | Ask for extra cut chillies | free, go easy |
| No coriander | Say so when ordering | they will accommodate |
| Broth on the side | For takeaway pho | keeps noodles firm |
The herb plate is the soul of the bowl, so the extra-herbs request is the one that changes the meal most for the least money. And the coriander note matters: one well-known reviewer learned the hard way that the kitchen defaults to a generous herb load, so speak up at ordering time if you have a dislike.
What off-menu combos are worth asking about?
These are the combinations regulars swear by, none of them printed as sets:
| Combo | What to Order | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Bo kho and baguette | Hu tieu bo kho, baguette option (~$10) | bread soaks up the stew |
| Loaded hu tieu kho | Dry noodle with extra prawn, quail egg, pork | everything topping |
| Pho plus cha gio | Any pho, one fried spring roll on the side | crunch with soup |
| Bun thit nuong upgrade | Bun thit nuong cha gio ($7.50, older) | grilled pork plus crunch |
The bo kho with baguette is the sleeper star of this whole list. The bread arrives crisp-crusted with a soft interior, and it is built for dragging through the rust-coloured stew. See the full official list in our Long Phung Menu Card guide.
The hu tieu kho special build
The hu tieu kho, dry noodle with prawn, quail egg, pork and innards, is already the regulars’ order. The special build is asking for it loaded: extra of everything, well mixed at the table with the chilli and the sweet syrup. It is not on the wall as a set item, but the kitchen knows exactly what you mean, and it eats like a completely different dish from the standard bowl. Confirm the add-on price at the counter.
What seafood add-ons do regulars order?
The seafood corner of the menu is where the real Saigon energy lives. Regulars order the cockles as a shared table dish with drinks, exactly the way it works on the streets of Saigon. The xo huyet xao toi, cockles stir-fried with garlic and chilli, comes with the salt-pepper-lime dip on the side, and the tamarind version, xo huyet xao me, is the sourer, fruitier alternative:
| Seafood Pick | What It Is | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Xo huyet xao toi | Garlic and chilli cockles | share with drinks |
| Xo huyet xao me | Tamarind cockles | sourer, fruitier |
| Lemongrass shellfish | Steamed shellfish, listed must-try | ask what is fresh |
| Hotpot | Vietnamese-style shared hotpot | for 2 to 4 people |
One honest warning from diner reports: the crab dishes get mixed reviews, with some diners finding the crab meagre for the money. The cockles and the hotpot are the safer bets, and the hotpot is the move for a group that wants to make an evening of it.
What drink tweaks can you ask for?
The coffee is strong by default, robusta through a phin filter, and the kitchen will adjust it if you ask. Common tweaks:
| Tweak | How to Ask | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Less sweet | Ask for less condensed milk | default is sweet |
| Ca phe sua da | The iced version (~$4) | cuts beef richness |
| Hot drip | Ask for ca phe phin hot (~$4) | arrives still dripping |
| Egg coffee | Ask if available | not always on the card |
The default coffee is strong enough to keep you up past midnight, so the less-sweet request is genuinely useful if you are sensitive to caffeine or sugar. Pair the iced coffee with the bun bo hue and you have the best-balanced meal in the building.
Want more ways to bundle? Our Long Phung Combo Meals guide covers the shareable combinations.
Ca phe sua da, the regular’s way
Regulars treat the coffee as part of the meal, not an afterthought: iced coffee ordered with the food, sipped between bites of pho. The condensed milk sweetness balances the salty, herbal broth, and the caffeine hits just as the meal winds down. Order it hot if you want the theatre of the phin still dripping at the table.
Long Phung Secret Menu FAQ
Does Long Phung really have a secret menu?
No official one. The “secret menu” is the set of tweaks and combos regulars have settled on over the years: a raw egg in the pho dac biet, the loaded hu tieu kho build, bo kho with baguette, extra herbs, and customized coffee.
What is the most popular secret menu hack?
A raw egg cracked into the pho dac biet at the table. The hot broth cooks it gently and the yolk enriches the soup. Ask for an extra egg with your order.
Can you customize your pho at Long Phung?
Yes. Extra herbs and bean sprouts, extra chillies, no coriander, and broth packed separately for takeaway are all routine requests. Be direct and polite; the staff are brisk but accommodating.
Are secret menu items more expensive?
Sometimes slightly. Add-ons like an extra egg or extra toppings cost a little more, so confirm the price at the counter before ordering. Most tweaks are modest.
Do the staff mind special requests?
No, they handle them daily. Come outside the peak lunch rush if you want the kitchen to have time for a special build, and point at the wall photos to avoid any language mix-ups.