Somehow, a week had gone by in Ho Chi Minh. An entire week – we’d gone to the grocery store, eaten the unique (to us) fruits, tried Vietnamese coffee (which is great), authentic Vietnamese tea (also good), and had a few smoothies. But I hadn’t yet had a single authentic Vietnamese food dish. My intention was to get a Bahn Mi right off the plane, but plans never seem to follow through quite right. But finally, I got myself some pho.

My First Bowl of Vietnamese Pho

On The Prowl For Some Food

But after a stroll through the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh earlier in the day, visiting a temple, a cathedral, a park and a nice cat cafe with naught but drinks – I was hungry. I’d been on the search for something on our walk back to the apartment, but had not really seen anything that caught my eye.

Once we got back, I decided I was going to head out and get something, and not come back until I ate. Briana didn’t feel like trying to bother with trying to find a vegetarian place, so did not join me and ate at our apartment.

Setting off, I made my way down the busy street, passing the numerous dogs, chickens, and locals searching for a Bahn Mi. No luck though, every stall seemed to be empty of food, except the fruit stalls which I wasn’t interested in.

I had walked nearly the entire city block and hadn’t come across the right thing. Just before getting back to our place, and having made a near full circle, I saw a place across the street “Van Hien Pho Hien”. I knew what Pho was, so I decided it would be suitable and I might as well give it a shot.

Wow, This Is Good!

For those not in the know, Pho is a traditional Vietnamese dish, created in the early 20th century. Inspired by the French colonists’ meat stews it consists of noodles, a clear beef broth, various spices and herbs, and some form of meat. Typically it is beef, but sometimes is pork or chicken. Some places will even offer vegetarian options with tofu.

It was originally a northern dish, but during the Vietnam war, many Vietnamese travelled south and brought the dish with them. Today, you can find Pho being served from food carts on the side of the road and full-fledged restaurants alike. It’s even made it’s way to the US and abroad, possibly being the most well recognized dishes from Vietnam. While it is traditionally a beef broth, some places will now offer vegetarian broths with tofu instead of meat if you ask.

Pronounce It Correctly Please

On a side-note, Pho is pronounce “fu” or “fuh”. It is not pronounce “foe” as it sometimes called in the states. This is very important to know – because pronouncing it “foe” means a prostitute. And no, that is not something you should be asking for. At best, you’ll get a very confused look – at worst, you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do to the authorities and everyone else. Don’t do that (no I didn’t make that mistake, I already knew better).

Anyways, entering the small restaurant I was greeted by the servers who spoke no English. Luckily this was not a problem, as there were pictures on the wall displaying the different types that they had. I chose the Nam Pho, which is a flank steak Pho.

The Basics

I was seated and brought a basket full of various herbs. I identified Mint, Cinnamon Basil, and Culantro (not cilantro). A bowl of thai chilies, limes, and some sort of honey-chili sauce was then brought out. A plate of steamed bean sprouts followed, and finally came the bowl of pho. I can best describe it as “American” sized, much to my delight.

The broth was a rich, yet light flavor, with cinnamon, star anise, garlic, fennel, cardamom, and clove. Fresh onion and flank steak filled the rest of the bowl. Following the lead of fellow eaters, I picked leaves herb basket and dumped them into my bowl. Then added the bean sprouts, a few chilis, a dash of the honey-chili sauce, and a fresh squeezed lime.

The taste was delectable. Rich, light, and very spicy. The herbs complimented the heat nicely – the mint surprised me as I’m used to it only in desserts. The bowl kept me occupied for a good fifteen minutes or more with no break. The heat steadily built, my mouth was on fire, but it was much too good to want to stop eating.

Go Get Some Pho!

Finally, I had finished, down to the last drop. Luckily they provided wet napkins, something very much needed after such as spicy dish and I left to pay. A total of 62,000 dong (~$3), not a bad price considering how filling it was.

This was by far one of the best meals I’ve had abroad. If you find yourself here, try the Pho – you won’t regret it.