Pho Saigon: A Symphony of Flavors and Fragrances

December 28, 2023 - 260 views

Pho is a traditional dish of Vietnam, supposedly originating from Nam Dinh, which can also be considered as one of the typical dishes for Vietnamese cuisine.

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Table of Contents

Overview of Pho Saigon
Some good place to eat Pho in Saigon

The main ingredients of pho are pho noodles and broth (or broth as the Southern way) with beef or thinly sliced chicken. There are also spices such as soy sauce, pepper, lemon, fish sauce, chili ... These spices are added according to the taste of each user. Pho is usually used for breakfast or at night, but in big cities, this dish is enjoyed throughout the day. In the southern provinces of Vietnam and some other regions, pho is served with herbs such as onion, bean sprouts, and coriander leaves, basil, etc.

Making Pho

Overview of Pho Saigon

Overview of Pho Saigon

Pho originated in Northern Vietnam. It invaded the Central and the South in the mid-1950s, after the French defeat in Indochina and Vietnam was divided into two regions. Vietnamese in the north who migrated to the south in 1954 carrying pho and pho began to have differences. In the South, especially in Saigon, beef in pho is often sold in 5 types depending on the taste of the guests, in addition to a cup of fatty water (fat of beef bone ) to separate if the guest wants. Pho in the South is often sold with sweet sauce (black sauce), red and lemon chili sauce, fresh chili, coriander, basil, bean sprouts (boiled or eaten raw), thinly sliced onions (maybe pickled with vinegar), these are the must-have vegetables, usually put separately in a plate or basket sold with each bowl of pho, any customer likes to put in his bowl. Later, many restaurants also added such dishes: cilantro (coriander), basil Lang, long green onions, other aromatic herbs, etc. Phuong pho is usually not put in monosodium glutamate like in Hanoi and has a slightly opaque color, sometimes sweeter, fatter and cooked with chicken bones, add dried squid or grilled onions and grilled ginger.

There are many famous pho restaurants in Saigon before 1975: Pho Cong Ly, Pho Bay Bay (whose real name is Pham Dang Nhan), Pho Thuy, Pho Dau (Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street in District 3), Phu Gia Pho (Ly Chinh Thang Street in District 3 specializes in north-flavored pho), Pasteur Pho Street (with lots of Pho noodle shops), Hien Vuong Pho (specializing in selling chicken noodle soup); Pho Cao Van (Mac Dinh Chi Street, District 1 of Mr. Tran Van Phong). Most of these Pho restaurants still exist.