A South Korean who grew up in China, Lee opened the first Phodaiz in July 2007 at The Place in Beijing with his Chinese friends Feng Chunlei, Ding Peng, and Zhang Wei. Feng and Ding both serve as deputy managers, while Zhang Wei is the senior chef.
Feng, the 26-year-old deputy manager of the Wudaokou Phodaiz, said that business at Wudaokou is better because many university students frequent the restaurant. The Place, in contrast, hosts mostly white collar workers.
"Our food is healthy and chic," Feng said. "We import all of our seasonings. The aromatic and fresh pho (a rice noodle dish) requires the highest level of technique and effort. Every restaurant has its own secret recipe for beef pho soup, which needs at least eight hours on the stew." The Phodaiz version of the tasty pho is called "all in one beef".
Hanoi spring roll is another Vietnamese speciality. "Many Vietnamese restaurants in America serve just rolls and pho," Zou said. Phodaiz's rolls have at least 10 ingredients and include do-it-yourself versions and pizza rolls.
Zhang Wei learned how to make Southeast Asian food before refining his Vietnamese cooking skills. "We learned the whole combination of Southeast Asian cuisine. There isn't a place in Beijing for chefs to learn Vietnamese food yet."
Similarly, Ding Peng worked as a chef since 1993 for many different types of cuisine before learning how to make Vietnamese food.
Phodaiz chefs have chances to exhibit their talents and creativity every three to six months, when managers decide to update its menu. "They invent new dishes for the managers to taste and judge," Feng said. "We just filled several long tables with new dishes on June 24."
According to Ding, the process was successful and Phodaiz will update the menu again in mid-July. "We will not only work on improving the quality of our dishes, but also our service and dining environment," he said.
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