2 vietnamese restaurants shutter
Dim sum destination Kim Son — Stafford and Houston pho favorite announce surprising shutters
Kim Son will close this Sunday.
Two prominent Vietnamese restaurants announced they will close by the end of the month. Both Kim Son’s Stafford location and Pho Binh by Night will soon serve their final meals.
Kim Son revealed in a social media post that its location in The Fountains shopping center will close this Sunday, September 24. Open since 1999, the restaurant is Kim Son’s third location, joining its original location in EaDo and a restaurant in Chinatown.
“This decision was not made lightly, and it comes with mixed emotions,” the statement reads in part. “We have cherished every moment of serving you, creating memorable dining experiences, and being part of your celebrations and gatherings.”
Kim Son COO Tao La told the Houston Chronicle that the company chose to close the Stafford location due to a proposed rent increase from the landlord. Known for its lively dim sum service, the restaurant has been a staple for diners through Stafford, Sugar Land, and Missouri City.
To partially compensate for the closure, Kim Son’s Chinatown location (10603 Bellaire Blvd) will begin serving dim sum for lunch on October 2.
Pho Binh by Night will close Sunday, October 1, one week after Kim Son, according to a social media post announcing the closure.
“This decision was extremely hard for us to make as we have fed off of this foundation for so long,” the post reads in part. “The challenges we’ve faced in recent times have made it increasingly difficult to continue our journey. It is heart-wrenching to bid farewell to a place that has been our passion and purpose for so long.”
Open since 2010, Pho Binh by Night continued the legacy of the original Pho Binh Trailer that recently closed after 40 years in business. The restaurant’s well-seasoned broth — which could be upgraded with an optional side of bone marrow — and late night hours made it popular with members of Houston’s restaurant community.
James Beard Award winner Justin Yu visited the restaurant for an episode of the Youtube series “Worth It” that’s garnered more than 11 million views since it debuted in 2018. He explained why he drove from his downtown restaurant Theodore Rex to the western edge of Chinatown to visit Pho Binh Night.
“It’s such a clean broth. They’ve obviously taken the time to blanch the bones or skim the bones,” he says. Later, he adds, “This broth is perfect.”
Although both Pho Binh’s original location recently closed and Pho Binh by Night is closing soon, Houstonians still have four other locations at which to dine. They’re all run by different members of the same extended family.
