Tucked away in a quiet alley in Phu Tho Ward (former District 11), Ho Chi Minh City, Pizza PHU offers the warmth of a family-style eatery where Ho Tuan Phu puts heart and skill into every handcrafted pizza.

First-time visitors might be surprised by the simplicity of the shop located inside Alley 377 Le Dai Hanh Street, where diners sit at stainless steel tables on plastic chairs to enjoy traditional Italian-style Neapolitan pizzas with a twist of local taste.

Neapolitan pizza with crispy roast pork

Pizza PHU’s menu is compact, featuring just one salad and eight pizza varieties, including Margherita, seafood, four cheese, Hawaiian, carbonara, parma ham and rocket, vegetarian, and crispy roasted pork belly with pickled mustard greens.

Prices are affordable, with two sizes available: small (six slices) and medium (eight slices), ranging from VND109,000 to VND229,000 (US$4.16 to 8.73).

Each pizza can also be ordered half-and-half, combining two toppings on one base.

Though limited in number, the menu includes photos and full ingredient lists, helping customers visualize each flavor before ordering.

For example, the parma ham and rocket pizza features cream sauce, mozzarella, parma ham, rocket leaves, grapes (or cherry tomatoes), and balsamic vinegar.

The seafood pizza combines tomato sauce, mozzarella, shrimp, squid, red onions, pesto, and lemon zest.

The dish stands out for its fresh seafood and the distinctive fragrance of pesto and citrus.

The star dish, however, is the crispy pork belly and pickled mustard greens pizza.

Made with cream sauce, mozzarella, crispy-skinned roasted pork, button mushrooms, pickled mustard greens, and chili powder, the pizza delivers a balanced mix of creamy, crunchy, tangy, and gently spicy flavors.

“While testing different recipes, I tried various ingredients and found that crispy-skinned roasted pork belly has a uniquely satisfying crunch,” said Ho Tuan Phu, owner of Pizza PHU.

“I want each element on the pizza to stand out: a bit of crunch, a touch of tanginess, and a variety of textures in every bite.”

The 26-year-old owner has adapted his recipes to suit local tastes.

“I’ve tried pizzas made by Italians but they tend to be quite salty for the Vietnamese palate,” Phu said.

“Our shop is located in an area where most of the customers are Vietnamese and Chinese-Vietnamese, so I keep the ingredients high-quality but adjust the flavors to suit local tastes,” he shared.

Phu’s shop opens from 3:30 pm to 9:30 pm and is closed on Tuesdays.

He starts preparing ingredients early in the day, with dough-crafting beginning around 2:00 pm.

However, the dough itself is made two days in advance, as it requires a 48-hour fermentation.

For fresh ingredients like shrimp and squid, Phu goes to the market every three days to buy in bulk.

He then preps, briefly boils, and portions them for freezing.

“At first, I wasn’t sure whether to use frozen shrimp or crystal shrimp (shrimp treated for a firmer, crunchier texture, often seen in Chinese cooking) to ensure consistent quality and better cost control,” Phu said.

“But I ultimately chose fresh shrimp and squid, because traditional Neapolitan pizza is all about simple ingredients with a focus on quality,” he added. “That’s the only way the flavors can truly stand out.”

Practicing pizza tosses with a towel 

Phu’s journey of learning to make pizza and opening his shop might feel familiar to many, as he has shared the entire process on his TikTok channel @Tuanphupastry, which has over 24,000 followers.

Over 200 videos capture Phu’s journey from his early days of experimenting with pizza at home, to opening his first shop, pursuing master pizza training, and eventually moving to a new location.

The series has attracted thousands of views and strong support from the online community.

Viewers were drawn to the pizza maker for his dedication, persistence, and clear passion for the craft.

Yet pizza wasn’t part of his original plan.

In November 2023, Phu enrolled in a general European pastry course and later worked in the cold kitchen of a bakery in Ho Chi Minh City.

It all started when Phu and a friend entered a pizza-making contest for the sake of fun and ended up winning first prize, he recalled.

Still, Phu said he wasn’t truly passionate about pizza at the time. That changed when he came across videos about Neapolitan-style pizza, which sparked his inspiration.

According to Phu, what makes Neapolitan-style pizza distinctive is also what makes it so challenging: the dough requires long fermentation, the crust should puff up and be airy as well as tender with a light crisp on the outside, and when eaten, it should have a subtle tang.

The cornicione, in particular, must be light and puffed-up.

For months, whenever he had free time, Phu practiced shaping, flipping, and spinning pizzas using a towel.

Only on weekends, when he had more time, would he practice with real dough.

By October 2024, after leaving his job at the bakery, he opened his very first pizza shop.

Now operating from a new location, he recalls the early challenges. There were days he had to close early or offer a 50 percent discount because a batch of dough didn’t turn out right.

At times, short-staffed and working alone, Phu struggled to keep up, with some customers waiting nearly an hour for their pizza.

Gradually, though, things began to fall into place. The team grew, and the menu expanded from the original four types of pizza to eight.

Phu’s famous video series on his TikTok titled “Countless days before I could make a good pizza” once captured wide attention, and now, it finally has an answer.

Still, Phu continues to dream of a bigger restaurant and hopes to one day teach his own pizza-making classes.