Pho - What Am I Missing?

[Ulysses G.]

I worked, traveled and lived in Vietnam for a while in the 90s. I had Pho every once in a while, but did not particularly like it. I thought Thai Gwai Tio was better. Of course, that was became it became famous internationally. I had it in the USA and they used much better beef, but it was so expensive it seemed like a rip-off. Japanese ramen soup is usually a better deal IMO. 

[Chou Anou]

On 8/10/2017 at 7:22 PM, tonray said:

Pho should be rich and flavorful with the hints of anise and broth made from simmering bones for hours and hours. It usually has a high salt/msg content which may have been what's missing in the ones you tasted...that really snaps the flavor out.

 

Also you are intended to augment it with hoisin and chile sauce before tucking in.

 

I miss it...time for a trip 

You hit the nail on the head: anise is very important, and tends to be one of the ingredients left out when non-Vietnamese people make the dish.  And, as you also pointed out, a rich, complex broth that can only be made with time and care is also key.  And yes--like much Asian food, you need the MSG, too.  Which is just a spice, after all--things like "MSG headaches" are myths, and no scientific evidence has been found for such a thing.

 

I've had my best bowls of pho in Vietnamese restaurants (in Vietnamese neighborhoods) in the US; I've had decent pho in Vietnam as well, but certainly, my travels there haven't been extensive, so I'm sure there are superb versions I just haven't run into.  Thailand is NOT the place to look for Vietnamese food, especially authentic Vietnamese food.  Thais have a way of "Thai-ifying" every dish they cook, so always keep that in mind.  That said, however, places in Thailand with a large historical Vietnamese population, like Ubon, have created their own unique versions of Vietnamese cuisine, which, while some of it wouldn't be recognized or approved of by Vietnamese people from Vietnam, it can still be quite interesting and tasty if you keep an open mind.

 

The truly superior soup to try in Thailand, in my book, is keng awm, a Lao (Isan) dish, which is actually not that far off from good pho, but minus the noodles.  Good keng awm has a very rich, highly complex broth, in which anise, once again, plays a big role, as does dill...the dill, or phak sii lao, that's an integral part of keng awm is not eaten as a spice, but rather as a vegetable in the soup; you'll find huge amounts of it.  Warning: authentic keng awm is usually quite spicy, often too spicy for Central Thai tastebuds.  It can be made with virtually any meat, but my favorite is beef (the Lao of Isan don't have that quasi-religious beef hangup that many Central Thais do).  You can find great keng awm at many roadside stands in Bangkok and throughout Isan, and many Isan restaurants as well--the well-known restaurant Sabai Jai Gai Yang, on Sukhumvit soi 63, does a decent version, though it's far from the best that I've had.

[NewGuy]

Pho Hoa, 260C on Pasteur, is my favourite by far. It's fun to eat cheek by jowl on the first floor though they've got levels up stairs. Outstanding, really. Always get the Shanghai donuts too. Even though Pho 2000 has added more locations, to me it is just 'okay'. Pho 24, the large chain is horrid - food has no soul.  Pho Quynh is okay, corner of Pham Ngu Lau and Quang Doa, if only to watch tourists walk by and wonder if it's safe. There's a place that apparently was a front for the VC but I can't find it.

 

The next time we go I'm going to use a 'top 10 pho joints' list, haha.

Edited November 14, 2017 by NewGuy

[tutsiwarrior]

5 hours ago, NewGuy said:

Pho Hoa, 260C on Pasteur, is my favourite by far. It's fun to eat cheek by jowl on the first floor though they've got levels up stairs. Outstanding, really. Always get the Shanghai donuts too. Even though Pho 2000 has added more locations, to me it is just 'okay'. Pho 24, the large chain is horrid - food has no soul.  Pho Quynh is okay, corner of Pham Ngu Lau and Quang Doa, if only to watch tourists walk by and wonder if it's safe. There's a place that apparently was a front for the VC but I can't find it.

 

The next time we go I'm going to use a 'top 10 pho joints' list, haha.

 

head down to Mac Dinh Chi in district 1 near Le Duan...4 pho places side by side, I useta live across the street...can't go wrong...but this was 10 years ago...

 

There's a place that apparently was a front for the VC but I can't find it. sit down to yer breakfast and then the guerillas emerge and open fire...it can ruin yer whole day...

 

 

Edited November 14, 2017 by tutsiwarrior

[torrzent]

On 11/14/2017 at 8:02 PM, NewGuy said:

Pho Hoa, 260C on Pasteur, is my favourite by far. It's fun to eat cheek by jowl on the first floor though they've got levels up stairs. Outstanding, really. Always get the Shanghai donuts too. Even though Pho 2000 has added more locations, to me it is just 'okay'. Pho 24, the large chain is horrid - food has no soul.  Pho Quynh is okay, corner of Pham Ngu Lau and Quang Doa, if only to watch tourists walk by and wonder if it's safe. There's a place that apparently was a front for the VC but I can't find it.

 

The next time we go I'm going to use a 'top 10 pho joints' list, haha.

This is one of those foods that is ruined by commercialization.  I wouldn't eat at a joint with "Pho" in the name, has to be a no-name street place recommended by the locals.  Stateside?  Fuhget about it.  Thai kuai tiao and Japanese ramen win hands down.