Pho in Hanoi, Viet Nam

The roots of Pho (noodle soup), Vietnam's renowned noodle soup, are supposed to have occurred during the late 1800s French colonial period. Pho, Vietnam's unofficial national food, may appear to be a simple noodle soup. However, the cuisine and history of the country are as diverse as the country itself.

Many Vietnamese chefs believe pho is a unique modification of "pot au feu," or "pot on the fire," a late-nineteenth-century French colonial dish.

Today, everyone in Vietnam consumes Pho from dawn to dusk. Workers, professionals, schoolchildren, and retirees alike are served sizzling bowls by neighborhood food vendors, pushcarts, restaurants, and luxury bistros.

"Pho is like our people's soul." It's our tradition, "says Nguyen Thanh Van, the executive sous chef at the Hanoi Metropole Hotel. Our parents take us to a Pho shop with the whole family the moment our feet first touch the ground. Even when we're sick, old, and bedridden, our loved ones will give us steamy Pho. "We miss our Pho like we miss a person when we vacation abroad," she adds.

Flat rice noodles in a rich beef or chicken broth are the main components. Creating the rich flavors of the perfect broth, on the other hand, is anything but straightforward.

Both pho bo (beef) and pho ga (chicken) require a clear broth (with chicken).

For pho bo broth, cartilaginous, marrow-rich cow bones are simmered for at least eight hours in a cloth bag. The foam and grease are thrown away. The chicken carcass is cooked for three hours in pho ga.

Leading Pho Restaurants/ Eateries in Hanoi:

Pho Bat Dan – 49 Bat Dan street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
Pho Thin Lo Duc – 13 Lo Duc street, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi
Pho Ly Quoc Su – 10 Ly Quoc Su street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi
Pho Thin Bo Ho – 61 Dinh Tien Hoang  street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi