Comments on: Gimme Mo' Pho

Gimme Mo' Pho

CunningLinguist — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:42:03 -0800

Pho (pronounced fuh), Hanoi's signature beef broth scented with ginger and anise, is one of the world's great culinary glories. Turns out it's not an ancient dish, but a 1950s-era syncretic product of the French occupation of Vietnam, which introduced the notion of boiling beef in a pot au feu (which may be the origin of the name). The heady, fragrant noodle soup is a global hit, prompting an international pho conference, several good blogs, and a sensual national obsession: "When Vietnamese talk of pho they think of sex: 'We say that rice is a spouse, whereas pho is a lover.' " "Pho is life, love and all things that matter." Tips on eating and cooking pho - recipes and more inside.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:42:20 -0800

Pho's global appeal: "In San Jose there's a Taco Bell next to a pho shop," she recalls. "The Taco Bell was not busy, but the pho shop was mobbed with Mexican families." How to read a pho menu. Pho discussion at eGullet Pho finder (US only) Nicole Routhier's pho recipe, a 30-minute version (which assumes you already have good broth) and lots more.

By: SBMike

SBMike — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:47:20 -0800

Thanks for the post. I've been curiously eyeing the Vietnamese place nearby for a while. Think I'll maybe stop in sometime this week.

By: empath

empath — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:49:46 -0800

i know what i'm eating tonight.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:51:00 -0800

Don't forget glorious Pho puns!

By: empath

empath — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:51:10 -0800

btw, for experienced pho eaters-- the pho places around here offer a lot of uhm, 'unusual' cuts of meat in pho-- tripe and various other organs and whatnot. Are any of them actually good to eat or should i just stick with like 'flank steak'.

By: The Straightener

The Straightener — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:53:22 -0800

Obligatory Pho Bich Nga picture

By: hal9k

hal9k — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:54:16 -0800

If you order it with anise, take great care in your pronounciation.

By: Iron Rat

Iron Rat — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:55:38 -0800

Time for a #86, large. I am not getting enough tendons in my diet. *drools*

By: Malor

Malor — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 11:56:10 -0800

I don't know if it's still there, but about eight years ago, dead downtown San Jose had an excellent pho kitchen. It was called, amusingly, Pho Kyu.

By: CKmtl

CKmtl — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:00:14 -0800

As far as 'unusual' things, I'm not a big fan of tripe and tendon... it's a textural thing. You could order a bowl with the usual beef *and* the tripe, if you want to try it without going for an all-out tripefest. I had conch pho once, which was pretty damn good. It wasn't listed on the menu though.

By: yeloson

yeloson — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:01:57 -0800

Thanks for noting the pronunciation. I get tired of hearing folks wanting to go eat some "foe".

By: treepour

treepour — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:02:17 -0800

After I gave up eating beef -- how my heart longed for pho. Fortunately, if you look hard enough, you can find it in chicken and tofu varieties that are, surprisingly, almost as good.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:05:28 -0800

Way cool, just in time for this year's go-round of Atkins. Beef spiced with ginger and anise. Whoda thunk? Sounds yum.

By: milnak

milnak — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:06:52 -0800

What the Pho?

By: breakfast_yeti

breakfast_yeti — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:09:49 -0800

If you're in Austin, there's a terrific Pho place called 'Hai Ky' on E. Oltorf. I've probably eaten there 100 times or more, and have established a 'pho window' when the broth is reduced and more flavorful, but not too salty... about 3pm. Try the P14! Delectable!

By: TungstenChef

TungstenChef — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:11:01 -0800

That's funny, I just made pho for the first time on sunday. I used this recipe which is fan-pho-tastic. This soup is one of the great sensual pleasures in life.

By: vorfeed

vorfeed — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:17:40 -0800

Pho is definitely great, but to me, this salad is the epitome of Vietnamese cooking. Just about every Vietnamese place I've ever been to serves it, with chicken, shrimp, or both. It's good for you, and it tastes just so damn fresh (fu-fu-fresh)! I think it's called Gỏi Gă for the chicken one and Tôm Gỏi for the shrimp (sorry if I made a mistake with the accent marks). The best part is, it's often only about $4 or $5 for a massive plate of it, which leaves plenty of cash for iced coffee!

By: anthill

anthill — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:21:58 -0800

Pho Bich N'ga is in Vancouver, BC... also home to Pho King Bich. Mmm, soup. Piles of sprouts, lime, and basil make it great.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:22:18 -0800

I don't want to be exposed to anise.

By: MaxVonCretin

MaxVonCretin — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:23:18 -0800

After a ten-year obsession with pho, I visited Vietnam last year, in part to try the "real" thing. During my two weeks sampling pho EVERY DAY in Hanoi, Saigon and various points in between, I was pleased to conclude that nearly all pho joints here in the US are very authentic. The primary Americanization seems to be that instead of serving accompanying slices of fresh chilies, Vietnamese restaurants here provide Sriracha and Tương Ớt (Chili Garlic) sauces from Huy Fong foods - which is an American brand founded by by a Vietnamese immigrant. I love those sauces in my pho just fine, but the fresh chilis are where it's at!

By: porpoise

porpoise — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:25:53 -0800

Tripe and tendon is very yummy. Brisket is close, texture wise. Vietnamese (and many other Asian cuisine) meatballs are polymerized by stirring which give them that 'crunchy' texture. Fish/squid balls are also quite good. I love bruising the fresh sweet basil and fresh squeezed lime juice really complements the rice noodle. Still haven't figured out the exact recipe for the fried spring-roll dip except that there's fish sauce in it. There's also quite a bit to commend Vietnamese subs (sandwiches), too.

By: cmicali

cmicali — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:26:09 -0800

Pho Xe Lua, no tendon no tripe. Sure you could get the Dac Biet, but you get the flavor of the tendon/tripe without having to actually eat them.

By: MonkeySaltedNuts

MonkeySaltedNuts — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:32:26 -0800

#porpoise: Still haven't figured out the exact recipe for the fried spring-roll dip Could iti be this?

By: Powerful Religious Baby

Powerful Religious Baby — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:34:26 -0800

I love bruising the fresh sweet basil Hott!

By: alicesshoe

alicesshoe — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:40:39 -0800

Absolutely addictive. I love the dry Pho, on a bed of cold cooked vermicelli noodles ]rice based[, with the salad type stuff ]julienned, + sprouts etc[ underneath, topped with hot grilled pork, no broth, topped liberally with the hot sauce. Did I mention how addictive it is¿ I swear they add a ton of sugar there somewhere, why else can I not resist when I walk by the Vietnamese place then¿ Funny there's a Taco Bell across the street too ]Toronto[. Yes the names are funny, Pho Hung, Pho Pasteur... some are open serving all night and I've seen families at all odd hours.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:41:26 -0800

Great post! I love pho, but didn't know any of the history. But as for "Turns out it's not an ancient dish, but a 1950s-era syncretic product of the French occupation of Vietnam," your very first link says: Phở was born in Northern Vietnam during the mid-1880s. The dish was heavily influenced by both Chinese and French cooking. [My emphasis.]

By: Cat Pie Hurts

Cat Pie Hurts — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:45:43 -0800

I've had Pho countless times, but only at a single restaurant (the various Pho Pasteur's around Boston), so I really don't have anything else to compare it to. But I will certainly agree with "Pho is life" as well as equating it with sex (I guess, especially considering that my favorite is Bo Vien - beef balls). Porpoise - thanks for the info as to how the balls get that amazing texture!

By: Cat Pie Hurts

Cat Pie Hurts — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:46:32 -0800

Oh yes..in my excitement, I forgot to add: Great post! Going to make sure I get pho for dinner!

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:47:27 -0800

I meant the variation we all know, with sprouts and lime atnd herb garnishes - developments apparently added after the 1954 partition.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:48:25 -0800

That was to L-hat.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:50:30 -0800

By: Ogre Lawless

Ogre Lawless — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:53:56 -0800

Man, you tripe and tendon wussies don't know what you are missing out on. Granted, I had to be stoned and convinced by my Vietnamese friend that all that "and more" would have been served by his moms before trying it in my pho, but I've never looked back. Tendon is kind of glutenousy as cooked in pho, tripe is definately a textural extravaganza if you can unload your cultural baggage on the subject. Neither alone has much flavor but add interesting components to the dish. Same friend also touched on the "train bowl" subject sort of ham-handedly dealt with here: his claim was that it dated back to the days of rail travel when journeys were long and accomodations on the train short in coming. One was well-advised to eat hearty before the trip, hence "train bowl". As for for the pronunciation, chances are unless you've got some tonal language background in your past, "fuh" is going to sound about as correct as "foe". The "uh" is definately on an uptick, almost a question.

By: kdar

kdar — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:55:08 -0800

Mmmmm, Pho 75. Perhaps I'll go there for dinner.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:01:44 -0800

If you live north of Boston, Pho 99 is a great little place in Malden.

By: jeblis

jeblis — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:06:33 -0800

I remember the first time I had it I thought it tasted like dirt. Turns out it's the cilantro in it. Maybe sans cilantro I could deal with this.

By: crepeMyrtle

crepeMyrtle — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:08:23 -0800

yum - I had pho last night - the version with vegetarian egg rolls on top of rice vermicelli, with fresh cucumber, bean sprouts and other crunchy greens underneath - delicious! In Richmond, Virginia, the best place is Pho So 1

By: probablysteve

probablysteve — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:11:42 -0800

i usually get the #12. it's the #12 in about 90% of pho places. they must all use the same menu.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:13:11 -0800

I say it's spinach, and to hell with it.

By: saladin

saladin — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:23:27 -0800

Anyone got any downtown Manhattan pho recommendations? I've been meaning to try this stuff for quite some time, and I think this thread is just the impetus I need to finally make it happen.

By: saladin

saladin — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:25:34 -0800

Hmmm, by downtown, I actually mean Village/LES/Chinatown area.

By: veritas que

veritas que — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:32:21 -0800

Pho2000 is where it's at (at least in los angeles).

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:38:22 -0800

saladin, there are Vietnamese joints all over Chinatown and I've never had a bad pho. Do yourself a favor and try it. I guarantee you'll love (unless you have that weird cilantro problem.) Now if only I could find a place that serves both pho and bahn mi. It's always one or the other - never both.

By: fet

fet — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:38:53 -0800

Downtown Manhattan... Thai Son on Baxter south of Canal is next door to both Nha Trang and Pho Pasteur. I personally think that Thai Son is the best of the three, but it seems to flip back and forth between Thai Son and Nha Trang -- whoever wins a Cheap Eats award from one of the mags/newspapers locally tends to go down in quality as more people go.. pho xe lua is where it's at.

By: taliaferro

taliaferro — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:42:30 -0800

crepeMyrtle: I used to live in Richmond, and my family still does...where is Pho So 1? Send me an email if you're still around this post...

By: zog

zog — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:44:47 -0800

Yes, I am hooked on Rice Noodle Soup, both the Vietnamese take on it (pho), and the Thai version (guyteo nam gai, etc?). Lucky Melbourne has a massive array of excellent Vietnamese restaurants (they line one side of Victoria Street, Richmond) so a big bowl is never far away, starting at about $7. In Thailand nothing like a small bowl of guyteo with lots of chilli for breakfast at a streetside stall in the shade for a good start to the day. In the Vietnamese version you get a lemon to add zing, and fresh chillis to add with the fish sauce.. while in Thailand generally you get dried chilli, vinigar with chilli, plus sugar and nuts to add flavour. Picture of guyteo here

By: poq

poq — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:44:53 -0800

I'm fully convinced that when I die, I'll know I'm in heaven cos there'll be a huge, steaming bowl of pho there, tripe and all. Pho tickles all my senses; the aroma of beef and basil, the crunch of the tripe and the bean sprouts, the taste -- my God, the TASTE! No diggity. No doubt. Pair that with a tall glass of Vietnamese iced coffee and I'm beyond heaven.

By: WinnipegDragon

WinnipegDragon — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:51:26 -0800

I miss the stuff... Been vegetarian for about 6 years now, and there is no replacement for it. Has anyone ever been able to make a reasonable veggie version?

By: yodelingisfun

yodelingisfun — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:53:38 -0800

Pho Van in Portland is one of my favorite places to eat EVER. Also the 7 courses of beef is pretty darn tasty.

By: tu11ym0n

tu11ym0n — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:58:53 -0800

anyone know if this stuff is actually good for you? certainly rare beef can't be. what kind of noodles are they?

By: gompa

gompa — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:01:43 -0800

Pho's some tasty stuff, no question about it, but just to sound a contrarian note, I've always thought of bun cha as the real culinary star of Vietnam. Marinated grilled pork over vermicelli, often with cut-up deep-fried spring rolls. Another Hanoi specialty - I went to the same-hole-in-the-wall joint in Hanoi every other day when I was there back in '99. Place was always packed to overflowing at lunch. You didn't have to order; it was the only thing they served. You wouldn't have wanted anything else. A buck fifty for a meal and a half-litre bottle of great beer. Damn, I miss Hanoi.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:05:53 -0800

Ack! I went to check the Pho finder for somehwere local and it misled me, coming up with a surgeon named Pho Ba Da, Md. Great post and I am craving pho madly now! Gotta find a good seafood only version or recipe!

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:10:37 -0800

tu11ym0n: it's pretty low calorie in the incantations I've had, depending of course on the kind of meat you use. The rice noodles are positively empty calories, with no fiber either, but I ate this often as I lost weight because it comes in big, hot, satisfying bowls. My estimate was 400-500 calories with 3 oz. lean meat. If making it at home, I would totally add spinach and carrots to get some more nutrition.

By: Flashman

Flashman — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:16:07 -0800

But why the hell can't you get it in the UK? I've said it before and I'll say it again - Vietnamese food is the thing I miss most about Canada. My mouth waters just reading this thread.

By: bardic

bardic — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:19:03 -0800

Great post.

By: MaxVonCretin

MaxVonCretin — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:22:46 -0800

Downtown Manhattan: either Doyers Street or Pho Tu Do.

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:23:15 -0800

CunningLinguist writes "Now if only I could find a place that serves both pho and bahn mi." Man, bahn mi. The best two dollars you'll ever spend on lunch.

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:34:15 -0800

Flashman - What part of the UK? Theres some pretty good (and cheap!) places in London. Viet Ahn in camden was my reguar spo.

By: bardic

bardic — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:37:04 -0800

(I obviously spend too much time here, because I read "bahn mi" as "ban me" and all of a sudden want to drop c-bombs in an FPP about fat people not getting circumcised.)

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:44:48 -0800

certainly rare beef can't be. It's sliced wafer thin and cooks in the broth.

By: modernsquid

modernsquid — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:46:37 -0800

OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD i'm vietnamese, so my blood is made of pho. now i'm starving. thanks so much for posting this, i had no idea pho had such a great following outside of vietnamese culture!

By: rokusan

rokusan — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:53:15 -0800

Crepe, based on your description, you didn't have Pho. You had Bun. Which is also great.

By: evilangela

evilangela — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:57:46 -0800

Pho and bun are two of the best things I've found about moving to Seattle. I'd never even heard of the stuff until about 4 years ago, and it just so happened that a place had opened up in the Chicago suburbs near where I lived that served pho - when I finally got to try it, I totally understood what people were saying. Then to move to Seattle and find that there are quite a few Vietnamese places around... wonderful! Never a shortage of good places to eat pho. I also discovered the rice noodle bowls - bun - over a summer, and found they're just about the warm weather equivalent to pho, also very tasty, and cool you down the way pho warms you up in the winter. Pho is so good that even though I have almost completely given up beef, I never even considered giving up pho. Can't do it. And the non-beef variants just aren't the same.

By: Dick Paris

Dick Paris — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:59:03 -0800

Damn! Thanks CL.

By: laze

laze — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:02:51 -0800

WinnipegDragon -- I miss the stuff... Been vegetarian for about 6 years now, and there is no replacement for it. Has anyone ever been able to make a reasonable veggie version? Here's a piece I wrote a while back, with a link to this recipe which works quite well. (Pardon the goofy photo.)

By: bardic

bardic — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:03:07 -0800

Ugh. Just the phrase "non-beef variant" makes me sad. I have no problems with vegetarians (a few with vegans), but sorry -- if you won't eat meat, there are a number of delicacies that you can never ever replicate. Even if you take the pieces of meat out of a good pho, it's all about the broth -- the liquid essence of the cow. Mmm. I predict pho in my near future.

By: luriete

luriete — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:12:13 -0800

my single favorite food in the world. delicious, nutritious and all around wonderful. no other comfort food comes close. and who the hell serves it with spinach or lemons? lime, sawleaf, chiles and viet basil forever. i never understood the deal with the giant mound of beansprouts ... good to snack on while you wait for your soup, i guess, but i never liked them in the soup too much - detracts from the purity and sublime subtlety of a really good broth. same with more than a little dot of sriracha. this alone is a great argument against vegetarianism. and thanks for linking to me in the FPP!

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:14:17 -0800

Heh. I had no idea. Hi luriete! (I like the sprouts for crunch, since I am too wussy to order the apparently crunchy tripe.)

By: knave

knave — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:14:32 -0800

A nice presentation on making Pho.

By: knave

knave — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:20:34 -0800

The above link potentially NSFW.

By: TungstenChef

TungstenChef — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:51 -0800

I miss the stuff... Been vegetarian for about 6 years now, and there is no replacement for it. Has anyone ever been able to make a reasonable veggie version? It wouldn't be pho, but you could make a soup that's good in its own right replacing the beef broth with a hearty mushroom broth. If you wanted to omit the fish sauce that would be more difficult, it's so packed full of glutimate that pure MSG would be about the only substitute. Soy sauce and miso have too much of their own unique flavor.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:29:22 -0800

knave, i'm cracking up here.

By: snap, crackle and pop

snap, crackle and pop — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:56:53 -0800

I also love alicesshoe's "dry pho" variant... but like many I'm a total tripe-and-tendon wuss. Unlike my boyfriend who goes absolutely nuts over the stuff (the more the better, apparently!) We tried a place in Melbourne called Mekong last week, which made great Pho with "the lot" (marrow, tendon, tripe, brisket, etc.), and here in Brisbane we often head off to a place in West End for it.

By: Jikido

Jikido — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:33:57 -0800

Pho Van (an old Portland Mercury review) I agree with yodelingisfun. The folks that own the restaurants (I believe there are 3 now) are good people too. Pho will cure the common cold, best medicine ever. Pho Ga (chicken) is good as well, be sure to ask for extra lime...

By: BarePaw

BarePaw — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:40:31 -0800

The best pho I've ever had was at Minh's Bakery in Pullman, Washington near the WSU campus. I took a Vietnamese classmate there once and she said it was just like home.

By: duende

duende — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:42:49 -0800

Is there any vegetarian pho/variant worth bothering for?

By: The Power Nap

The Power Nap — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:04:52 -0800

I tried Pho the other day, to see what the hype was all about. Ended up doubled up on my bed when I wasn't evacuating massive amounts of liquid from various orafices. Friends of mine tried pho at different restaraunts and ended up sick also. So, is pho like sex? In my experience, yes.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:05:58 -0800

Nice post - I am going to try and make it this weekend.

By: avriette

avriette — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:36:32 -0800

Regarding pronunciation, it's pretty typical to hear people refer to it as 'pho' (as in 'photon'). Note that the spelling is actually phở. Because English is atonal, it's hard for us to understand a (pardon me) phoneme that has a falling tone. It isn't pronounced 'fuh' as in 'fuhk', but it's approximately the easiest way for anglophones to pronounce it. Consider the word 'bag' or 'orange' in American English. You'll hear different pronunciations for both in Alabama, Minnesota, and California (probably at least a couple different ones in California, too). The same is true for 'pho' in Viet Nam. We prefer our pho from northern joints, such as one locally from Ha Tay, which has both its own distinct pronunciation and recipe. We also live in DC, though, and it's possible to find regionally prepared pho here. I just spent a couple weeks in San Diego, and to my horror, not only did the place take credit (it is not an authentic pho joint if they take credit), but they completely murdered the soup, everywhere. I don't imagine there are many places (although Boston is one, Honolulu another) where one can obtain different styles of pho. And, of course, pronunciations. Lastly, I promise I'm not on crack. You can check out the A Cook's Tour episode in Viet Nam (which may be a separate episode from the one in Cambodia, I forget), in which Tony gets authentic pho — cold (there is of course the book). He's discussed it in numerous interviews, as well, and has listed it as one of the "desert island" foods, along with a particularly simple linguine and sashimi. Okay, actually, one more thing. On preview, I see a lot of people suggesting they'd make it at home. It's not especially possible to do. Our favorite place locally has a 150k BTU stove they use to prepare stock for the soup. One closer to home has a stove which is only 50k BTU, and the difference is remarkable. Most of us don't have that kind of equipment at home. So do yourself a favor, and support your local asian. It's only $7. One must truly become a scholar of food before one can enjoy it fully. :)

By: porpoise

porpoise — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:40:49 -0800

MonkeySaltedNuts - Could iti be this? Lime juice. I gotta try adding lime juice. CunningLinguist, I've had bad pho. In Iowa. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I've never even considered vegetarian pho. Is the broth vegetable based? The secret to good pho is the broth; the best have been cooking continuously for years with bits of animals. I'll have to give vegetarian a try.

By: mrzarquon

mrzarquon — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:50:14 -0800

Any suggetions for the Seattle crowd? It is just about everywhere around here, the Tham brothers are pretty good in my experience, especially the cream pastrys they give for dessert, but as a newish resident of the city (only 9 months) was wondering if there was any dyed in the wool consensious on the best Pho in the city. Specifically on capitol hill, because now I am hungry and willing to go investigate.

By: oxford blue

oxford blue — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:21:44 -0800

Tripe is indeed tripe. Eww. Phở seems to be a rather syncretic dish, if what said above is true.

By: snickerdoodle

snickerdoodle — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:45:18 -0800

Don't forgot pho's sister soup, bun bo hue. The spicy lemongrass broth is perfect for those cold winter lunches.

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:49:35 -0800

A nice presentation on making Pho. posted by knave at 6:14 PM EST on January 10 [+] [!] That link was posted in the Blue a year ago or so... and deleted for being some kind of racist. I still maintain that if you get all the foreign-language food jokes, it's fucking hilarious. And not at the expense of Asians or Vietnamese.

By: avriette

avriette — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:50:41 -0800

mrzarquon: I found it very hard to find Pho in Redmond, but I didn't try down in the city. I used to eat at What the Pho when I was out there. It's on 8th St, but from the Google map, it looks like it's gotten pretty bad reviews. I was last out there in December of 05. Also, from looking at the map, there are a bunch of new places, including one at Redmond Town Center, which has a pretty good Indian place upstairs across from the Marriott. porpoise: pho is beef noodle soup. There are chicken varieties, curried varieties, different noodles, and so on. In this regard, it's something like hummus in the middle east: everyone has their own preparation. The problem with using a vegetable broth is that it won't have as much flavor. You might be able to get away with using vegetable broth and msg, or lots of onion, etc. It wouldn't really be the same. Perhaps you're looking for saimin? It's a little more flexible. There are also udon/ramen preparations which are vegetarian.

By: knave

knave — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:58:32 -0800

I still maintain that if you get all the foreign-language food jokes, it's fucking hilarious. And not at the expense of Asians or Vietnamese. Indeed, it was sent to me by my Chinese friend. Some people need to relax.

By: gimonca

gimonca — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:25:22 -0800

Tripe isn't that bad, but it's not all that flavorful either. Tender buttery slices of tendon that have been simmering for hours--that's where it's really at. Pho 79 or Pho Tau Bay ("Airplane Pho") in Minneapolis are my spots. I'm told there are great places in St. Paul too, on University Avenue, but that's beyond my lunch radius. Another sort-of related possibility in Minneapolis is Hong Kong Noodles by the U of M campus. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of possible combinations of broth and noodles, as well as a monster selection of regular Chinese items and daily specials. I usually get shrimp soup with fun noodles--simple and delicious. Tough to get a lunch table when school's in session, though. Want to try something a little different at a pho restaurant? Order the mi vit tiem: duck soup with egg noodles. Rich, hearty and wonderful. Definitely not lipitor-friendly, though.

By: euphorb

euphorb — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:33:38 -0800

The Pho 1 on Sepulveda in Van Nuys is my place. I tried the pho with clotted pork blood once. It had the consistency of jello and came in little cubes in the bowl. I don't remember the exact taste but it wasn't bad.

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:37:39 -0800

Zog, if you're paying $7 you're paying too much. Try Thy Thy 1, upstairs at 148 Victoria St.

By: shoepal

shoepal — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:52:05 -0800

If you're in Northern VA or DC, The Eden Center at 7 corners has many a pho. And Four Sisters had been highly rated, but it seems their popularity has brought the quality down a bit according to recent reviews.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:10:18 -0800

I wish I know how Than Bros in Seattle make their vegetarian pho, because it's damn good. Even carnivorous friends of mine agree that it is damn good. The flavor is strong and good and on a night like tonight (when I am snowed in!) a bowl of that would hit the spot for sure.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:10:37 -0800

Argh, that should be "I wish I knew how..."

By: patricio

patricio — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:33:51 -0800

Adding the Kingsland Roadas the centre of all Pho goodness in London. I'm looking forward to changing jobs on Monday so I can get my Pho lunch going again at Au Lac.

By: poxuppit

poxuppit — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:36:13 -0800

I see a lot of people suggesting they'd make it at home. It's not especially possible to do. I have to agree with this. I've tried making it over the years - most recently another Pho Ga attempt yesterday - and I have all the right ingredients but it just never comes out right. I just wish I lived closer to Chinatown.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:59:01 -0800

shoepal, Pho 75 down Rt. 50 at Graham Road is my (and my very picky-eating daughter's) favorite in that area. They don't even bring us menus anymore. Plus, there's an excellent (and cheap) banh mi place right next door. I've been to most of the Eden Center places, and Pho 75 is still the winner!

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 08:00:38 -0800

International Avenue in Calgary has about 6 Pho places to the block. This post convinced my to give them a try. Thanks CunningLinguist.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 09:06:52 -0800

If anyone really tries pho because of this post, will you let me know what you think? I just posted because I discovered the soup's history was interesting, but now I love the idea of spreading the soupy gospel.

By: WinnipegDragon

WinnipegDragon — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 09:50:55 -0800

Laze, Thanks for the recipe! I'll give it a shot this weekend.

By: gompa

gompa — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:50:21 -0800

Mitheral: The place right across the street from the Co-op on International Ave (in the strip mall next to the excellent El Bombazo Latin Market, which does fantastic pupusas) is very good. Skip over Deerfoot to 9th Ave in Inglewood, though, for my preferred pho haunt: Pho Minh Chau. Or else Golden Bell across from Chinook Centre on Macleod. Both are sublime. Also - shameless self-promotion - I recently landed a biweekly food-column gig with Swerve (the abysmal Herald's very good freebie Friday magazine), and I'll be doing a piece sometime in February about how Vietnamese joints are to Calgary as curry houses are to English cities. You know, if you're interested.

By: gompa

gompa — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:57:45 -0800

Also, a question for anyone still reading: Ever heard of pho sate? This is pho with a broth flavoured in the manner of the peanutty dipping sauce generally associated with Indonesian sate. It's de rigueur in Calgary pho joints, but I don't recall seeing it elsewhere. I'm wondering if it is, like ginger beef, a local invention by Calgary's Vietnamese restauranteurs to cater to staid prairie tastes.

By: bardic

bardic — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 11:21:03 -0800

I have to agree with this. I've tried making it over the years - most recently another Pho Ga attempt yesterday - and I have all the right ingredients but it just never comes out right. I just wish I lived closer to Chinatown. You don't have enough BTU's on your kitchen stove (most mortals don't.)

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:28:48 -0800

What kind of heat do you need? Propane powered turkey fryers and crab cookers are availalbe from ~100,000 BTU to 300,000BTU. You know, if your going to get serious.

By: johngumbo

johngumbo — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:23:10 -0800

In LA, my fave is a dive (aren't they all?) at the corner of Coldwater and Sherman Way in Van Nuys (or is that NoHo). I've had it in many places, but this one edges out the rest. Haven't tried it in Westminster, however, which is probably where the best in the US would be found (most disgraced generals per sq. mile in the world).

By: icathing

icathing — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:46:31 -0800

Sadly, Pho Bich Nga changed owners and name some time last year, and a Vancouver landmark is no more.

By: empath

empath — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 06:12:26 -0800

I think we should have a pho meet-up in DC.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 07:11:01 -0800

Are there any pho shops that serve beer? A meet-up without beer is like, well, eating soup with people you met on the internet.