In a roundup of 10 New York City restaurants serving standout bowls of pho, Gothamist included the Morris Park restaurant VPho and Pizzeria — a neighborhood spot that blends Vietnamese comfort food with old-school pizzeria fare.

The Gothamist list was compiled by longtime New York food writer Robert Sietsema, one of the city’s preeminent restaurant critics. Sietsema has spent more than three decades documenting New York’s dining scene, first gaining prominence as the restaurant critic for The Village Voice from 1993 to 2013. Known for championing affordable and under-the-radar eateries across the five boroughs, he later served as a senior critic at Eater and has contributed to publications including Gourmet. His writing often highlights immigrant cuisines and neighborhood restaurants that might otherwise go unnoticed, making his recommendations particularly influential for diners looking beyond Manhattan’s trendiest spots.

He writes of VPho and Pizzeria:

Sometimes restaurant real estate makes strange bedfellows – in this case a combination pizza parlor and Vietnamese restaurant in the Indian Village neighborhood of the Bronx. There’s lots of uncommon Vietnamese food to be found there – including three dishes featuring snails, a common snack back in Vietnam. With 10 combinations offered, the pho is a mixture of southern and northern styles, distinguished by the inclusion of a fresh herb you might not have had before: rau ram, tasting pungently of smoke and mud.

VPho and Pizzeria’s unique food combo came about when Vietnamese couple Michael Tran and Elizabeth Lee purchased Sorrento’s Pizzeria in Morris Park. The husband and wife slowly started introducing Vietnamese food to the menu. Ever since, the restaurants reputation has been growing, getting attention from numerous local media outlets.

We agree that the pho here is top notch, though we wouldn’t describe the flavors as “smoke and mud.” We would call it rich and flavorful due to the expert use of herbs and slowly simmered broth. We also recommend exploring some of the less well-known dishes like the bbq beef rolls or the sea snails. A popular order is to include a few garlic knots with your Vietnamese dishes. Try it!

It’s worth noting that VPho and Pizzeria isn’t the only game in town. It’s a wonder why Seitsema didn’t also recommend Cơm Tấm Ninh Kiều, located on Jerome Avenue. He included it on 2023 list for Eater called “17 Flavor-Packed Bowls of Pho to Try in NYC.”