Enjoying the first anniversary of its second location in Conroe, V Bistro Vietnamese Noodles & Grill is a quaint, clean culinary delight. Nestled in a shopping center on Hwy 105, the family-owned business serves traditional Vietnamese fare with more than a dash of Southern hospitality. Though this new location is only a year old, V Bistro has enjoyed serving customers in its original location for 16 years.
General manager Julie Vo thoroughly enjoys spending her days filling the stomachs and sating the palates of Conroe area diners.
Originally, Julie had her hands full with the first location of V Bistro in Humble, established in 2008. For more than a decade, she and her two sisters served that neighborhood until she and her husband moved to the Conroe area three years ago.
“We were meant to be here in Conroe. I noticed that there was not Vietnamese food to be offered around here, and I thought I would like to bring comfort food for the neighbors. Then I found this location for our second location, and we grew from there,” she said.
Julie’s two sisters remain at the original location while Julie oversees operations in Conroe, which she readily and happily embraced as her new home.
“We’ve been very welcome,” she said. “The businesses and the community are very, very warm. Everyone has welcomed us here, the customers and neighbors alike. They come here, they enjoy the food and give honest reviews and honest comments, and they thank us for being here. So that means a lot.”
It was 34 years ago when Julie moved with her parents from Vietnam. “We came here with empty hands, but my parents had a background in cooking and selling food. They knew this type of business. Of course, in the beginning, we had no financial resources, and my parents worked for other people. After my sisters and I graduated college, we decided that we had to do something for our parents.”
This traditional sense of family was and remains to be a driving force for Julie in life and business. “We started out in Dallas in1998 and eventually moved to Houston, and in 2008 we opened our first location in Humble, by the Bush Intercontinental Airport,” she said. When asked if there might be any plans for a third location, she smiled. “We’re not sure yet; we’re busy enjoying our first year here in Conroe.”
It's readily apparent that family, honor, and hard work are paramount to Julie. “We are very proud of our accomplishments,” she said. “My sisters and I, we’re proud of our heritage, and we’re proud of our parents for giving us the skill and the passion to succeed in the restaurant business. They removed our fear, and now here we are.” As she spoke, over her shoulder was a hand-painted mural that depicts V Bistro’s humble origin story: her parents serving people from a food cart in Vietnam. The mural is not only a talking point for diners, but also a visual representation of the entire theme of the restaurant.
“My parents live in Houston; I see them when I can, which sadly isn’t often. But I see them here in this drawing,” said Julie. Meanwhile, her family life is filled with her husband and two daughters. “My husband is my backbone support, and my girls help me in many ways, especially when it comes to interacting with people,” she proudly asserted.
V Bistro’s menu is filled with traditional Vietnamese cuisine that is hearty, hot, and heartwarming. In keeping with the sense of community, most ingredients are purchased from local markets and vendors and created on-site. “We make our broth right here, from scratch, using the best bones and meats,” said Julie. “It’s important for the food to taste like it is comforting.”
Top of the popularity list of dishes is the traditional Vietnamese pho (pronounced “fuh”), served in a large bowl and extraordinarily filling. “Our pho is good for all meals – lunch and dinner, and even breakfast,” she said. “It’s nutritious and filled with protein, providing lots of energy, but light enough that you don’t feel overfed.”
The restaurant’s vermicelli noodle bowl (rice noodles with fresh vegetables and grilled meat on top) is also wildly popular. For something that doesn’t require chopsticks or spoons, the bistro also boasts a selection of banh mi, the Vietnamese equivalent of a hero sandwich, laden with meats and condiments. The menu also features several gluten-free dishes.
V Bistro is located at 4489 W Davis Street in Conroe and is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. VBistro.net
“We were meant to be here in Conroe to bring comfort food for our neighbors".