Did you know that Pho is traditionally a BREAKFAST food in Vietnam? Me neither.. I discovered Pho around 2006 in Las Vegas and immediately became addicted to it. I was on the 5 bowls a week run for months. Yup... I had a PROBLEM.
These days you can find Pho Bo (Beef noodle soup) and Pho Ga (Chicken noodle soup) open all day long across Vietnam, although some of the more popular soup restaurants close for the day after they run out of meat or broth. Also.. In Vietnam, a lot of restaurants serve only one dish, rather than a lot of dishes. Here, a Pho Bo restaurant serves Pho Bo and a Pho Ga restaurant serves Pho Ga and Pho Tron, which is the dry version of Pho Ga. Do one thing and do it well is a lesson that can be taken literally here.
After spending a significant amount time in Vietnam, I've also learned that Pho tastes differently depending on where you are in the country. Even the condiments and side sauces vary by geography. The Pho we typically eat in the USA is the 'southern' version which is a little more sweet than its northern counterpart, and the southern Pho is accompanied by a plate of fresh veggies and hoisin and chili sauces to lather your meat in. Who knew there was so much to learn about noodle soup?
Finally, Pho noodles in Northern Vietnam are flat, almost like a fettuccini rice noodle, where the Southern Pho is typically square. So the dish can actually even look different depending on where you order it. Who knew a bowl of soup known around the world could be so different inside its own countries borders? Wherever you are, hopefully you'll look at your next bowl of Pho a whole new way.
T&L
