Type of business: Vietnamese, Thai and Lao restaurant

Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: 503 N. Golden State Blvd.

Contact information: 209-620-8022

Specialty: Pho noodles

History of business:

Lam Nguyen, Timmy Ho, Brock Chanthakone and Thanh Tran have always loved to cook, especially dishes that reflect the rich cultures of their roots. The foursome specializes in creating savory Vietnamese, Thai and Lao cuisine and recently opened Pho 7 Anh to share their delicious recipes.

“We turned a hobby into a business,” said Chanthakone. “We love to cook and to please people, so that’s why we opened the restaurant.”

All of the dishes, from their pho noodles to Thai fried rice, are made from scratch in the Pho 7 Anh kitchen. According to Chanthakone, each recipe and its ingredients come straight from the minds of himself, Ho, Tran and main chef Nguyen.

The must-try dish at Pho 7 Anh is the drunken noodles, said Chanthakone, which includes bell pepper, shredded carrots, onion, green onion, basil, noodles and a choice of chicken, beef, pork or shrimp. The pad thai is another popular dish, which consists of tofu, green onion, bean sprouts, egg and a choice of meat.

 Along with the drunken noodles and pad thai, the restaurant’s wide selection of pho is a hit among customers as well. Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles called bánh ph, a few herbs and meat, primarily served with either beef or chicken.

In comparison to other pho restaurants in town, Chanthakone believes that Pho 7 Anh has a more modern feel. He described the restaurant as the perfect environment for college students, with its large televisions and mini bar. The location also serves beer and wine with their noodles, upon request.

Though the restaurant has only been open for about a month, Nguyen, Ho, Chanthakone and Tran have found success in Turlock.

“Business is good,” said Chanthakone. “We are very blessed.”