How to Eat Pho

If you are coming to Ho Chi Minh City there is no way you should miss out on eating the most popular dish around…Pho. However,some people find it a bit daunting at first with all the “additional bits” so I thought I’d get a local to explain how to eat Pho.

At this stage some of you might be wondering what the hell “Pho” is and why on earth you would want to eat it. Pronounced “Fur”, it’s basically a type of Vietnamese noodle soup. Loads of locals eat it for breakfast, but it’s equally popular and delicious for lunch, dinner and any other time of the day you are feeling peckish. Pho Bo is beef noodle soup and there are various kinds. Pho Ga is chicken and Pho Ca, fish. There’s also vegetarian and other variations but I’ll leave all those for another post.

When you receive your pho you will also get a couple of plates of extras and have access to a number of different sauces and additives. Watch this video and you’ll see how it all comes together.

Good pho, like this one, has broth which has been boiled for hours. This recipe is made from beef bones that have been boiled for over seven hours with just the right amount of herbs and spices. Many pho recipes have been passed down through the generations.

You definitely don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant to get great pho. It’s readily available as a cheap delicious street food. Just choose which flavour you want and find the vendor selling that particular type. In no time at all you’ll be instructing others on how to eat pho properly.

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