Pho Cong Noodles & Grill, one of Covington's most beloved Vietnamese restaurants, will close its doors Thursday through Saturday as owners Cong Thanh Pham and Uyen Vu mourn the death of their four-year-old son, Tyler Pham, who died last Saturday. The cause of his death has not been disclosed. The restaurant plans to reopen Monday, August 24.
The couple announced the closure themselves, according to NOLA.com, saying they will spend the coming days with family and hosting memorial services for their son. Tyler was born June 8, 2022, in Covington and is remembered in his obituary from Bagnell & Son Funeral Home for his curious nature, his love of numbers, and his passion for building blocks. He was the youngest child of the restaurant's owners.
Visitation for Tyler is scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Bagnell & Son Funeral Home, located at 75212 Lee Road in Covington, where the Pham family will receive friends, neighbors, and Pho Cong customers. A second visitation follows Friday from 11 a.m. to noon at the funeral home, before a procession carries the family to Saint Joseph Abbey for an additional visitation at 1 p.m. Mass will begin at 2 p.m., and Tyler will be buried at Saint Joseph Abbey Cemetery. All of the services are open to the public.
A Family Business Built on Long Commutes and Slow-Cooked Broth
Tyler is survived by his parents and his older sisters, Tracy Vu Pham and Kaylee Vu Pham, according to the same report. The family has described Tyler's presence as leaving a lasting impact on his family and everyone around him, remembering him for his sweetness, innocence, and happiness. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that community members instead make donations directly to Saint Joseph Abbey, which is hosting both the funeral Mass and the burial.
Pho Cong has grown into a fixture of Covington's dining scene since Cong Thanh Pham and Uyen Vu opened it in the Claiborne Shopping Center in 2018. In the restaurant's early days, the couple made a daily two-hour round-trip commute between New Orleans East and Covington after dropping their two older daughters off at school, stopping at international markets for fresh produce and at Dong Phuong Bakery for banh mi bread, as reported by NOLA.com at the time.
A Northshore Institution With Deep New Orleans Roots
That dedication shaped the restaurant's kitchen routine. Chef Cong Thanh Pham prepares stock for the restaurant's 15 varieties of Vietnamese soup by slow-cooking three 50-quart pots per week with beef bones and fresh ginger, a process that takes a full day per batch, the outlet's earlier coverage noted. The restaurant sits along U.S. Highway 190 Business, a major commercial corridor serving Covington and neighboring Mandeville, in a shopping plaza that houses several other long-standing local businesses.
Pho Cong's ties to New Orleans' Vietnamese culinary tradition run further than the daily supply runs. A 2023 dining guide from Eater New Orleans noted that the restaurant is operated by members connected to the family behind Dong Phuong Bakery, the James Beard Award-winning New Orleans institution founded by Vietnamese immigrants more than 30 years ago. Pho Cong also serves as an official Northshore distribution point for Dong Phuong's highly sought-after king cakes during Carnival season, according to NOLA Now.
The restaurant's reputation has translated into strong community support: dining aggregator Restaurant Guru shows Pho Cong holding a 4.7 out of 5 rating across more than 600 online reviews. St. Tammany Parish is home to roughly 1,299 Vietnamese-American residents, per U.S. Census Bureau estimates, part of a Greater New Orleans area that has long maintained one of the most prominent Vietnamese diaspora populations along the Gulf Coast.
In their statement, the Pham family thanked customers for their understanding, kindness, prayers, and continued support, and asked the community to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers during this time. Pho Cong Noodles & Grill is expected to resume normal operations on Monday, August 24.
