Pham Quyen Vietnamese Street Food traces its roots to 1945, with humble beginnings as a push cart on the streets of Vietnam. Their food attracted a great following, and today they have a few restaurants in Vietnam. Fortunately for the foodies here, a branch of the family migrated to Singapore and started to grow.
Mrs Aira Pham is from the third generation of this branch, and has been involved in the family trade since she was 6. She later converted to Islam, and partnered with co-founder Fahmy Nasir to start Pham Quyen. The recipes were modified to be Muslim-friendly, so even more people can enjoy a taste of Vietnam. The business was initially home-based, but quickly expanded into its current premises at 6 Clementi Road in 2021 to cater to growing demand. Their specialties include favourites like Banh Mi, Pho, Guoi Cuon and Cha Gio. To ensure the freshness and quality of their dishes, 80% of their ingredients are sourced from their farm in Vietnam.
Unfortunately, this pillar of their business was shaken when Covid struck. When parts of Vietnam went into lockdown and travel restrictions set in, supplies became inconsistent. Staffing posed another problem, as it was difficult to hire locally or bring in staff from Vietnam. They eventually roped in colleagues who worked full-time jobs elsewhere. Settling for unique operation hours to keep going also earned them the ire of some customers. Add the changing restrictions imposed on the local FnB industry, and this burgeoning business found itself in a tough spot.
This did not deter the close-knit team. They reduced their menu items to dishes they could create from locally-sourced ingredients without affecting quality and authenticity. In addition, they focused on corporate catering and used technology to market and streamline their business.
Whilst it has been painful not to see family back home, the family-nature of the staff has given them the strength to carry on. Their supporters also came to encourage them, arranging group buys and even coming from the East to make bulk orders. In the meantime, the Pham Quyen team looks forward to serving their full menu to the community again in the near future.
Website
https://pham-quyen.business.site
Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/pqdragons
Written by: Denise Eng