歪歪漫画

BEMIDJI 鈥� A Vietnamese restaurant is being planned at 414 Beltrami Ave. NW in the space recently vacated by Table for 7.

Pho Bemidji will open in early 2025. That鈥檚 the word from Patcharin 鈥淢eow鈥� Nuankhao, owner of Kin Asian Market and Kin Poke of Bemidji. Meow and her husband, Watcharin 鈥淭ek鈥� Jaichuen, are partnering with a woman from their native Thailand to prepare the space.

Pho (pronounced 鈥渇uh鈥�) is the national dish of Vietnam, and has become popular around the world. Pho is a soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, and thinly sliced meat. It may also be served with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, limes, chiles and other garnishes.

Dennis Doeden / Bemidji Pioneer

Meow said customers of her market and restaurant at Bemidji Avenue and 15th Street have often asked if she could serve pho, but the Kin Poke kitchen is only allowed to serve cold dishes like sandwiches, sushi and poke bowls.

鈥淭hey say if we want to eat pho we have to go to Fargo or Minneapolis,鈥� Meow said.

She said Pho Bemidji鈥檚 new owner is part of a family that has been in the restaurant business for 50 years in northeast Thailand, near the Laotian and Vietnamese borders. In addition to pho, Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, rice and noodle dishes, and Vietnamese coffee will be offered. Meow and Tek plan to help her get the new restaurant open, perhaps as soon as February.

鈥淚t鈥檚 good timing,鈥� Meow said. 鈥淢y husband can help her with the recipe and the training.鈥�

Meow and Tek moved here about four years ago to work at Tara Bemidji, a Thai restaurant started in 2016 by Keng Dechawuth. While Tek cooked at Tara, Meow went on to manage Kin Asian Market when it opened in 2023, and later bought the market from Dechawuth. She opened Kin Poke earlier this year. Her sister, Nachpanicha Nuankhao, also works at the market.

Meanwhile, Dechawuth鈥檚 newest venture, The Blue Oyster, is nearing completion in the former Elks Lodge at Beltrami Avenue and Fourth Street. He said it is scheduled to open in December or January.

He also owns the Puposky Pearl mushroom farm, the Blue Oyster and Chick N Rice in Brainerd, Minn.; Drunken Noodle in Crosby, Minn.; and Wasabi Sushi and Asian Grill in Fargo, N.D. Dechawuth started Wasabi and Slurp Ramen in Bemidji and later sold them to his managers. Slurp Ramen initially was located in the space where Pho Bemidji will open, but has since been moved across the street to join Wasabi.