Pho Recipe & Pho T-Shirts

Pho Bo (Hanoi Beef Noodle Soup) Recipe

* 6 cups beef broth
* 1 (1/4-inch thick) slice ginger
* 2 whole star anise*
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1/2 pound piece boneless beef sirloin, trimmed of any fat
* 3 ounces dried flat rice noodles*
* 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce*
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
* 1/8 cup minced scallions
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs, washed and finely chopped
* 1 small thin fresh red or green Asian chilie, sliced very thin
* 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
* Lime wedges for garnish

*Available at Asian Markets

In a 2 quart saucepan bring broth, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

With a very sharp knife cut sirloin across the grain into very thin slices.

In a large bowl soak noodles in hot water to cover 15 minutes, or until softened and pliable.
While noodles are soaking, bring a kettle of salted water to a boil for noodles. Drain noodles in a colander and cook in boiling water, stirring 45 seconds, or until tender. Drain noodles in a colander. Set aside.

Strain broth into saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in fish sauce, salt and pepper. Add sirloin and sprouts and cook 30 to 45 seconds, or until sirloin changes color. Skim any froth from soup.

To serve, divide noodles into 4 bowls. Ladle soup over noodles. Sprinkle scallion greens, cilantro, chilies and basil over soup and serve with lime wedges


Pho T-Shirts


$25.00 Got Pho? Shirt

* 4.3 oz. Ultra-fine combed ring spun cotton
* Vintage fit (size up for a looser fit)
* Made in the U.S.A.

Read more »

Pho

Pho, pronounced “fuuh” is the national dish of Vietnam. It’s a highly-flavoured beef broth with noodles, garnished with a selection of fresh herbs and condiments. A typical pho is served with a platter containing slivered red chillis, fresh limes, onion, coriander and mint. The diner is also provided with a selection of condiments including nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce), soy bean paste, chilli sauce and white pepper. The idea is that the diner is able to adjust the dish according to their own taste. It’s usually a breakfast dish, but it is eaten at all hours of the day.

My first pho encounter was at a famous Saigon chain restaurant called Pho 24. It’s founders vision was to take street food indoors, offering diners a clean, air-conditioned environment to experience this great street food. We ordered two large bowls which comes with two types of beef: brisket and fillet, brisket offering lots more flavour and fillet practically melting into the soup. The beef is barely cooked, the chef dipping the meat into a ladle of hot broth, just before serving. This ensure the beef is still tender and slightly rare.


The star of the show is the dish of garnishes. Vietnamese red chillis are seriously hot! Vietnamese mint doesn’t taste like our common or garden mint; rather it tastes a little like liquorice. I exercised no restraint with my choice of garnishes. Everything went in; all the herbs and beansprouts pictured above, some chilli sauce and huge blob of soy bean paste. It was absolutely delicious, I’d recommend you visit Pho 24 if you find yourself in Saigon or Hanoi. Just be careful when you receive the bill; I ate here 3 times in two different cities and every time I ended up with ‘extras’ added to my bill. Not huge amounts, a dollar or two, but enough to irritate me. (I understand that most people in Vietnam earn very little money, but I’m the kind of tourist who’ll gladly tip if I see someone putting some effort into the service. Just don’t steal from me!)

I also visited a place called Pho 2000 near Ben Thanh market whose claim to fame is that they fed no less than Bill Clinton. It’s true, his photo (in fact, several!) is on the wall of the restaurant. The pho here is pretty good too, the broth is stronger and tastier, but the meat was tougher. Somehow this place felt a little more authentic than Pho 24. Nice friendly service.

Read more »

Travel Vietnamese - eat "pho"

Vietnam is an agricultural civilization based on wet rice cultivation with ancient Dong Son culture as one of its defining aspects. The major stimulation of Vietnamese culture’s development comes from indigenous factors, with Chinese and Indian influence serving to further enrich it. Through history, Cham culture and the cultures of other minority ethnic groups in Vietnam have been integrated with Vietnamese culture in correlated effects. The official spoken and written language of Vietnam is Vietnamese.

Vietnam is considered a part of the East Asian Cultural Sphere, or Sinosphere, due to highly significant cultural influences from China throughout its history. In the socialist era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and the cultural influences of socialist programs. For many decades, foreign cultural influences were shunned and emphasis placed on appreciating and sharing the culture of communist nations such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and others. Since the 1990s, Vietnam has seen a greater exposure to Southeast Asian, European and American culture and media.

Vietnamese phở noodle soup is made by sliced rare beef and well done beef brisket. Rice noodles are noodles that are made from rice. Their principal ingredients are rice flour and water. However, sometimes other ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are also added in order to improve the transparency or increase the gelatinous and chewy texture of the noodles.

Rice noodles are most commonly used in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia, and are available fresh, frozen, or dried, in various shapes and thicknesses. In Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Idiappam, a type of rice noodle, is usually freshly made at home and tends to be far more tender with distinctive texture, as opposed to the dried form of Chinese noodles. A variation of Idiappam, known as sevai in Tamil Nadu, is used as the base in savoury preparations; it is also called santhakai or sandhavai in the Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu. A similar mode of preparation called savige is popular in Karnataka.

Phở is served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles (called bánh phở’) in clear beef broth, with slim cuts of beef (steak, fatty flank, lean flank, brisket). Variations feature tendon, tripe, meatballs,chicken leg, chicken breast, or other chicken organs. “With the lot” (made with chicken broth and all or most of the shop’s chicken and cattle offerings, including chicken hearts and livers and beef tripe and tendons) is known as phở đặc biệt (“specialty phở”)

Vietnamese dishes are meals typically served with lots of greens, herbs, vegetables, and various other accompaniments such as dipping sauces, hot and spicy pastes, and flavor enhancements, such as a squeeze of lime or lemon. The dish is garnished with ingredients such as green onions, white onions, coriander, Thai basil (húng quế) (not be confused with sweet basil, Vietnamese: húng chó or húng dổi), fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon orlime wedges, bean sprouts, and coriander (ngò rí) or cilantro (ngò gai).

Several ingredients that are not generally served with phở may be ordered by request. Extra fatty broth (nước béo) can be ordered and comes with scallions to sweeten it. A popular side dish ordered upon request is hành dấm, or vinegared white onions. The dish is sometimes flavoured with cà cuống, which is a pheromone, collected from the male giant water bug.

Read more »

How to make chicken (pho') noodle soup

1.

Use the chicken stock to cook partially water use, most goods are sold separately chicken head chicken. 1 kg of standard distribution use cleaning the chicken stock (squeeze blood bruises, viscosity) tunnel with 5 liters of water 200g onions, peeled shrimp 1 cup tablespoons salt. Simmer stew, but not to boiling hot flare slightly stunned, picked right from the continuous foam bubbles up, if for boiling bubble burst will be routed back into the water make the water cloudy. Tunnel of about 2 hours until you see the chicken as soft as water to about age 4 liters of water used. Picked out the chicken bones, properly operating, water re-use strategy through a sieve. Want to have better water used in the comb once more through a clean cloth bag. If using a pressure cooker, the water tunnel will not wear much just cleaned properly boiled bones, one after the tunnel. Water used to cool, remove scum to float on its own fat into a bowl or the bowl, after removal of fat scum keep hot water on the stove.

2.

- In Vietnam, the type of chicken noodle soup are usually chosen as chicken farming (each about 1.3 to 1.7 kg) chicken meat of this had less fat than similar European and American chicken farming industry (each about 2 , 5 - 3 kg) lean not sure, a lot of fat.

- Chicken cleaning, custom cut for four or boiled whole for beautiful eyes (used to hook up for nice if business). Boil chicken in boiling water, for every kilo of chicken into a pot of boiling water, then add half a liter of boiling water. Chicken after boiling, take out to cool. Chicken parts as our primordial, cleaned gizzard, liver, heart ... and boiling in water.

3.

Chicken noodle soup spices used in somewhat similar but less spicy beef noodle soup and the quality better, lighter flavor. Spicy grilled onion first washed coal dust released into the water pot used for distribution of about 10 g to 1.5 liters of water. Distribution of only the distance since it depends on the quality of boiler water quality issue ... as well as your own sense of smell. But further down in a few grams is enough to flavor the broth fragrant.

- The spices include: Return (also known as anise - Anise), coriander seeds (seeds of the plant buds cilantro - Coriander), broken pieces of cinnamon bark (Cinnamon bark), cardamom (Cardamon). This spices to the pan, over low heat first gold stars, listen up and smell that is, not to fire. Customized to your taste, each made in reducing per pack 20g / 3 liters of water. Seasoning packet cloth nets, only columns, drop into the water pot used to cook low heat until the water smells pleasant, take a spice packet.

- On the spicy noodle soup is quite sensitive about every taste. If you want to taste your noodles as a flavor ... there not two, there is no other way that you have to try and decreasing cooking. For example in one package is 20g 6g cinnamon, cardamom 8g; repatriation 3g, 3g coriander seeds and a few other packages, you change the distribution amounts for each individual package and then try to cook with water and then tasted a certain smell, comparisons to reach its own decision. Note repatriation always make the evaluation using colored black (if you use a lot) so users with chicken noodle soup repatriation of at least compared to other spices or not.

- The latter is quite important that the water wedge. If you notice the taste of the soup was delicious are his flesh, seasoning salt ... then just add about 1 ½ teaspoon non / 1 liter of water. Be bold taste to water, not salty, the customers will own custom seasoning with fish sauce. Warmer water on the stove. (Here, please open a parenthesis on the issue that people use MSG North Vietnam known as seasoning, Hue called the crystal. Most of the Vietnamese in the U.S. for example is very limited and almost not in use MSG, but if you've eaten at Pho ... from North to South Vietnam, then confirm the most pho restaurants use MSG to taste more of the water used. Distribution of more or less depending on taste perception of cooking, custom calculation depends both business and customers because many pho shop in Hanoi to the cup is such sweet dough on the table for guests to add seasoning as you like. The harm in the use of MSG with the number and duration How is it that everyone knows but you miss the cooking noodles in the U.S. such that it just something missing from eating pho in Vietnam, this may be due to MSG!).

4.

Green onions, cilantro, onion, chopped. The bitter herbs such as basil, basil, cilantro hemp, maize. Black and red chili sauce, fresh lemon pepper. Sprout. Pure fish sauce to taste. Take the first part of the scallions. Thick or thin noodles.

5.

A chicken can phase out the meat here and you like to use each type or all.

- Boneless: Filtering out the breast meat, cut the thigh, cut along the thigh to get ripped ... Part lean meat cut into slices the skin slanted (slanted cut, the meat will be longer and more beautiful).

- Meat wings: Cut chicken wings into three songs in three out of bone, bone and bone in the wing tip. Custom songs using such resources or sharp knife edge to get every little lean and bone skin in this field.

- Pork chops: Preferences of chicken breast cut into small pieces with bones or just get the lean edge.

- Liver, gizzard sliced, individual primordial off a huge impact if both ovaries or to small.

6.

- For the auto 80g - 100g medium egg noodles with soft mesh patch. Optional parts containing meat, for little more face gear; the middle two, squeeze one side of bowl, cover at least the ... chopped parsley, used the filling from boiling meat to heat up again until tails on the water wheel, adding a little more of cilantro, sprinkle a little pepper powder added.

- If you want a fat chicken broth lightheadedness, get a little fat and how to separate water into a saucepan, water bowls want to just skim fat little more fat into a bowl. Where do need to go there, do not use grease in the pot too much water.

- Serve noodle dish with vegetables, bean sprout dish identical or not, black and red chili paste, fish sauce, lemon and fresh chilli.

Read more »

Pho BatDan – Ha Noi

"Re-bucket" - a noodle house shouting. A step up his pay, took the bucket and then re beef bowls on the table self-extracting. Prussia constant hot air burns your hands, but he seems happy customers too!

Hang up the progress after each step of the home pho reefs. I came to traditional brand noodles, No. 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem District, it was 9 o'clock and consumer lines remain frozen to eat pho. After my long line of people out themselves.

But also do not have to wait long

Kitchen to the left signal pho noodle soup. A 50-year-old man carrying apron Trac cantering out five sets to cut the size of 5 kg of small slices, beside a woman for bread, meat and spices into a bowl and then pass for a young man standing behind bucket water noodle, sometimes for more firewood in the oven. But also do not have to wait long, about 5 minutes is my turn to pay and bring beef bowls on the table near re.

Surface water bowls floating fat layer of chopped leaves. Pho Hanoi is not served with genuine value, herbs, bay leaves, ngo gai ... as in Saigon. Spices can be added to the same fiery chili and lime. Mouth tasting noodle house just so you do not need more fish sauce. Thin noodles, meat is tender and fragrant, but especially near the very soft cooked to melt in the mouth to mouth.

Pho is one of the main breakfast dishes in Hanoi. One of my friend Ha Noi, said in Hanoi has many restaurants cook very tasty but people like to keep it in line to eat pho. You've also eaten here many times. Chao pho water once burned hands I made him mad you swear not to shop anymore. Yet the opportunity to visit Hanoi is how do you enlist a bowl.

So this traditional noodle shop is nothing special to pull people in line here? Observed relatively small restaurant, low-built house style of Hanoi, within a mere six sets of tables and chairs. From layout to appliances racing cars are popular, even with the slightly worn. Pub little tight compared to some diners at McDonald's out there. Why do not people see the ground or open more branches? Were not the noodle business acumen as Saigon?

According to my friend, 49 restaurants lining this forced from the 60s of last century, nearly half-century existence as the old customs are still almost unchanged. At that time, pho line is familiar images of Hanoi. It has become memories, ingrained in the memories of many generations.

Well, when the Hanoi pho line, remember to buy more newspapers to wait their turn to read, and it is important to be mixed in the cookery of the Ha Noi!
Bean vermicelli shrimp sauce - expensive gifts lunch guests

Read more »

"Pho 24" in Vietnam

Pho 24 is a noodle shop chain of 14 shops in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang and Jakarta - Indonesia from the time of July 2005. Some stores in the United States, Indonesia, Korea, Australia ... We are prepared to put into operation in 2006.

This is a chain of luxury restaurants and is on the rise of Vietnam due to product quality and unique business model, scalable. Long strategy of the company will continue to replicate restaurants in Vietnam and abroad through the sale of franchise and business cooperation.

In the first 2 years, through the first noodle shop, Pho 24, a strong focus on building uniformity throughout all phases of business operations for the purpose of Pho 24 strong foundation for the franchise term strategy term future. In other words, Pho 24 selected direction to focus on quality and depth of the general business model and franchise model in particular before expanding the width.

To ensure the legal procedures are tight in the first place, Pho 24 has invested significantly in the process of trademark registration and abroad, lawyer consultants drafting the franchise agreement sample ... The stage of organization, training, training is also taking steps to prepare the transfer and can effectively support the purchase of franchise partners. Pho 24 decision to apply the franchise business model, in which the partners bought the franchise brand franchise and is used to guide and train details how the organization, administration and management model Pho 24 restaurant has proven successful in the past 2 years.

Training programs for Pho 24 franchise partners to buy time for 2-3 weeks, including training at the training center of the group in the form of classroom theory and practical work at noodle shops. Buying a franchise partner is required to send at least one administrative staff, a kitchen and a staff representative to the training center to be free. The staff will then along with a team of corporate professionals trained all staff remaining franchise stores. Our Team of this Group will be present at the first franchise store opening and after at least 3 days.

To be granted the right to use trademark and operating a restaurant recipe Pho 24 with uniform standards, buying a franchise partner must pay the franchisor a Pho 24 initial fee (paid once only) plus a monthly fee. This monthly cost is the cost of using (or rather rent it) brands, trademarks and other support services such as promotions, advertising, marketing, training, consulting, ... from business owners Pho 24 performance during the five years of the franchise contract.

Due emphasis should develop depth before Pho 24 to accept the replication rate is much slower than the business needs of the market, and this also creates a risk to the franchisor: the the risk of competitors copying its business model. To cope with this risk, the franchisor Pho 24 just to polish their brand and build it strong because only brand that can not be copied. Network marketing and advertising coverage throughout the country is also an advantage that the new competition can not compared.

One of the tactical importance of branding Pho 24 is the continuous strengthening of stability and uniformity of chain restaurants, especially for food quality, service quality, interior, employee uniforms, signs and virtually all of the tools and equipment in the shop, though very small. Build a common culture throughout the company's class (central office, the company's stores, franchise stores ...) are also top priority.

The core management force is calculated based on size companies that want to strive for at least 2 to 3 years later. In other words, the policy must always prepare corporate training and recruiting sufficient skilled personnel and have experience relevant to companies willing to take 2-3 years time, not when you need a new start recruitment. Thus the cost of the administration, operating ahead always seems to be bulky compared to the noodle shop business!

One of the biggest challenges facing Pho 24 in the process lies in the franchise without the franchise partners who bought the operator of franchised restaurants. Indeed, despite all the restaurants are franchised to comply with the standards of Pho 24, but if the owner does not care or lack of experience because only a single investor is difficult to make decisions Such right and franchise business model will not achieve optimal results, influenced more or less to the overall brand image. Conversely, in some instances where buying a franchise partner with experience in the areas restaurants tend to do their way, since his was so pure.

Training staff or management staff training is not difficult, and guide the new franchise restaurants is really a big problem because they both are just as investors and partners often do not have much time employees. And for the food industry, the bartender plays a crucial role. Therefore, the study documents and interview to "choose to send in gold" to buy a franchise partner must be placed on top. But like the selection of employees, whether the test was over very carefully, but companies can still choose the "wrong" people. And this is a risk, a price to pay for the franchisor to sell franchises.

Read more »

Pho Recipe

Assemble These Ingredients: 

3 medium unpeeled yellow onions (approx 1 pound)
4-inch piece unpeeled ginger (approx 4 ounces)
5 to 6 pounds beef soup bones (leg and knuckle bones - have butcher cut into 2-3 in sections)
1 lb flank steak. cut into bite-sized pieces.
5 star anise
6 whole cloves
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup Hot chili sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Freshly ground Black pepper
1 ounce rock sugar (duong phen) or 1 tablespoon white sugar
For The Bowl Itself:
1/2 lb sirloin or round steak
1 TBS Cilantro-chopped
2 14 ounce packages of small ( 1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles
2-3 scallions, with green tops sliced into small rings.
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
2 Limes cut in wedges
1 bunch Fresh mint
1 bunch Fresh Asian or regular basil
2 Fresh chili peppers, thinly sliced (Thai dragon or bird preferred)
To Make The Broth:
Char 2 of the onions (reserve the other onion for bowl preparation) and ginger over an open flame to release essential oils and fragrances. They do not need to be blackened - only char to soften. (This can be done under a broiler if no open flame is available). Remove skin and blackened pieces from onions and ginger, remove stem ends from onions and discard. Set aside.
In a large stock pot, place leg bones and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, and rinse under cold running water. Thoroughly clean stock pot, and return cleaned bones to pot. Add 6 quarts of water bring to a rolling boil, and reduce to a gentle simmer. Add onions, ginger, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, cut up flank steak, salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Simmer about 1 1/2 hours, and remove flank steak. (Steak should be done through but chewy) Cool steak in bowl of cold water to keep it from drying out and turning brown. Refrigerate flank steak. Continue simmering broth for approximately 3 hours, skimming scum and fat from broth occasionally, and stirring bones from time to time.
When done, strain broth through double-folded cheesecloth in a colander to remove any impurities and pieces of tendon. Discard bones. To make preparation of Pho much easier, refrigerate broth overnight. When cold, any excess fat can be easily removed from the cold broth. The idea here is to have a very clear, fat-free broth.
To Prepare The Bowls:

Slice the sirloin or round steak against the grain in very thin slices.
(Freezing for a half-hour makes this easier)
Thinly slice cooked flank steak
Heat broth to boiling over medium heat.
Blanch noodles in 3-4 quarts of boiling water, and use a strainer to remove each bowl portion. Blanching should only take about 10-20 seconds, until the noodles have lost their stiffness, and are easily managed.
If using fresh noodles, simply untangle and rinse in cold water.
Blanch bean sprouts in same water until wilted but crunchy.
Fill each bowl approximately 1/4 full with noodles, place cooked flank steak and slices of raw sirloin or round steak on top of noodles. Garnish this with sliced scallions, thinly sliced onions, and chopped cilantro.
Ladle seasoned broth into bowl. The idea here is to have the boiling broth cook the thinly sliced raw steak. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
A garnish plate is served with the completed Pho. It is customary for the diner to pull the leaves from the stalk of the basil and mint to season their meal. Take thinly sliced peppers, swirl them into the soup for added flavor. Add the slice of pepper if you like it very spicy. Lime wedges are used to add a tartness to the soup. Bean sprouts are also used as a garnish.
This variation of Pho is typically served in South Viet Nam. In the North, Pho is a much simpler dish, minus a lot of the ingredients found in this recipe. In the North, Pho is served without the herbs and bean sprouts. Green chilies and lime only are used as condiments. In the South, Pho can be served with a dozen different ingredients.
Pho has become very popular in the United States. There are at last count over 500 Pho restaurants scattered across the US. Pho is often served with spring rolls and egg rolls.

Read more »

Pho fascinated many American fans

Nothing helps dispel the cold of winter in the U.S. as fast as a hot bowl of pho. Food is considered as national spirit of Vietnam drug is present throughout the major cities of America.

Eight suspected of immense water evaporates, the beef slices interspersed with strands sliced bread made from rice, along with price and chili sauce, pepper, rice noodle dish makes a light and nutritious.

In the U.S., noodles are sometimes mistakenly pronounced as "surgical" or "genealogy." But its flavor can not be mistaken, North Jersey.com page commentary. In recent years, noodle cuisine takes up more space in big cities like New York, Washington, DC, and of course at the "base" of California. Before coming to the Western Hemisphere, is pho dishes everyday folk of Vietnam, commonly sold in kiosks on the street rather than cooking at home.

"In Vietnam in the past, when I have him in the house and call the seller on the island city, they will draw their own sale," Andrea Nguyen, a cooking instructor and author of award-winning book each bring called "the Vietnamese Kitchen", said. "Now every spectrum is less, but you can to the market, how well a noodle stall."

Noodle was sold in the U.S. a more formal way, the restaurant specializes in noodle dishes, or much more. K.T. Tran, owner of two restaurants Saigon R in Englewood and restaurants Mo 'Pho' in Fort Lee, said more people in North Jersey (northern New Jersey charge) like pho.

Pho "Mo" opened in 2004 with diverse menus. "Kids are eating well, like old people because it is easy to eat, but the price affordable. Everyone is eating," Chen said.

Mrs. Nguyen then explain the rise of the noodle as a result of young diners, who live in cities and often have to travel far.

"There are many knowledgeable people aged 20-35 in many cultures, they understand that culture is not immutable," she said. "So many young people in America today really care about the taste is not only a tradition."

Pho is not only delicious but also complementary. These things come with pho spices such as onions, ginger, cinnamon helps digestion, bacteria and good for the entire body. Vegetables served with sweet and hot bowl of pho makes things hard to be forced to pedestrians.

Read more »

The legend of pho Vietnam

According to Alain Guillmin, French, Vietnam is pho creative results of the three - mistress of Francois Pierre Vidcoq - a commissioned naval officer lived in Saigon from 1910-1914, grandfather of the author - when she had to pot au feu processing of France for his food.

By the subtle aroma of the vegetables Vietnam, she has made rapid pho and widely known in Saigon at that time. This is just one of many areas of pho, to introduce readers to reference.

There is something specific to Vietnam more than pho, delicious dishes that Bich, skillfully cooked it makes our taste buds are excited. Along with the bronze drum, elected and Tale of Kieu, no doubt, it is one of the essential contribution of Vietnam to the human civilization. That the debate about the value of the different types of noodles become a way of testing a large pen, but the writers of Vietnam expressed with rapture, much less the average of the best poems by Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ho Xuan Huong, Nguyen Du or Xuan Dieu.

For example, in The Cat Who vacuum cleaner, Hoai recounted for us a debate, if you can call that, between and Thach Nguyen Tuan Lam: "These fun culinary likes and not only by Nguyen Tuan pieces for easy eating drinking luxurious pieces, which is to the palate, and delicious in its sole discretion Pho ... Well put pen to paper on the author of the extremely competent hands of this gift. Few people know Nguyen Tuan only eat one noodles, cooked noodles, beef noodles cooked. is not anything against the other noodles. Ground beef cooked, studded or fat, brown bread is not just bow up-wheeled machines, such as maternity or state in Saigon, Nguyen Compliance dubbed Pho Van Than. Promotion finished cake, cut up meat and presentation, sprinkle the flowers and pepper - not chili, like chili pepper though ... Sliding quick, hot food, to end noodle quality, interesting Best. No onions, bow, inspired, do not add fish sauce, vinegar peppers, chili sauce, not mine, do not enjoy pasta the core essence of bone broth. The memoir "36 streets" of Thach commended as a good pho restaurants burden of a stick of incense in the yard parked next to the hospital Phu Doan, pho a few drops of tomato stems clearly. The city has only one stem was found tomato noodle soup. Nguyen Tuan always laugh: "The only fresh water hot lips, a sweet green bean cake Nazi neck, back to the noodle tomato stems, so the addict just like his solo let down, since it is worth writing for the light. "

What Vietnam over noodles! But no! Need to restore the truth, whether it is national pride. Pho is one of the products of the French colonial period, the result of a collaboration is certainly unwillingly, among the indigenous population with (or, rather, between a colonial hands with a native woman) . I do not dare to lose face to open your time reading my own grandfather, Francois Pierre Vidcoq, a commissioned naval officer lived in Saigon from 1910 to 1914, along with her three beautiful Thi his devise ways to cook the noodles. He himself told me, after sneaking her grandmother, a Mrs. Dam, about it. I will try to faithfully convey the words he said. Please say more, even the name of this dish absolutely nothing gates are only transcribed into Vietnamese by the French phrase "pot au feu" - po-auto-euphoria - as easy to understand after read the line below ...

Stories like this: After you have stabilized in Saigon, from body panels are excellent spring time of the origin of Normandy and his wife, Francois Pierre soon filled with desire again. Even under the tropical heat, the body also needs to pleasure, also need to clean house and dinner table should also have food! Francois Pierre find a girl, brought to live in his house. Several months passed and not so bad: Francois Pierre was not a cruel man, he is not scolding the girl to prove to white authority, do not beat her to hustle at times frustrating, but Three competition for the everyday needs of his West. He sometimes lets her go out with her friends, while other stories are not too week a couple of times, remains to soothe the normal demands of the flesh.

But then suddenly fell ill Pierre Francois homesick. He became moody, irritable and quick-pulse. The network, not just at the upper three or lower leg with her arm because of silly reasons, his nose into the bottle back down by him, eyes searching in vain blue streaks of Vosges range, it can not do land from this remote South. In a state of drowsiness say so, a statement on persistent ear when he does not stop, "pot au feu Du, I crave po-auto-dress, wish I was an meal at this po-auto-dress! ".

"Vice, euphoria, euphoria" Thi Ba has only heard that and did not know what to do. She had made friends of the three children in the house a French officer, an official luxury hard to imagine, to bring to the whole Indo her French chef, explained to understand the Thi Ba tail things. The second po-auto-euphoria is doing his Marines kgo office turned out to be a soup, but soup is cooking Thi Ba said. If you know the formula of it. Thi Ba pay only babbling in French, Francois Pierre knew no more than two dozen words in Vietnamese. Finally, thanks to a young sheep annamite know the language of Voltaire-by the way the author added that the missionaries were forbidden to read the official Thi Ba-envision what it must be done. Materials, preparation, cooking methods and spices, nothing like the art of Vietnamese cooking, add more, Francois Pierre insisted that want Thi Ba cooking pot au feu is identical to that his mother is cooking . Eventually, after numerous tests, the failures and fighting, the soup pot broken down channel, she went to a temporary result is acceptable Pierre Francois. Of course, pho Thi Ba's pot au feu is different in his hometown, but, as often is the French proverb saying: "Faute de grives on mange des merles". Vietnamese translation, means: "take shrimps do not have personal importance."

Instead of the traditional spices of Normandy, the art of cooking, she uses subtle aroma of vegetables in Vietnam. The new dish was originally two enthusiasts enjoy, then to friends, then friends of friends. All Marines who had to stop at the food at the port of Saigon before the war, the first world will tell you, a poetic about her soup, three beautiful girls of Francois Pierre Vidcoq .

My grandfather was then returned to Normandy, leaving allowances, three discharged their meager. With this money, she returned to Hanoi, where the buried umbilical cut vegetables, to open a restaurant and it quickly became a favorite of gourmet hand capital Hanoi and crowded or something. Her reputation and of pho on a spread. When my grandfather died, my grandmother found on his neck a small silk bag, inside a photo of a woman dressed in traditional Annamite with a few herbs. She cried all night and buried him along with him the talisman.

The story of her beautiful Thi Ba, Francois Pierre Vidcoq and pho is. Do not know which is the real story or a story made up? It is important that it makes you enjoy and remember when your nose you smell sweet fragrance from a big bowl of hot noodles fly.

Read more »

Vietnam's National Soup

Far Hanoi has many things to remember, to hook the back. The historical evidence of thousands of years, the Trang An elegant man, the days of summer "season scattered shower", the incipient cold afternoon with a "golden autumn Daisy" ... And even with the pho Nguyen Tuan, "Hanoi's me" again ...

Before boarding the plane from Hanoi, I still keep up the Thin noodles, pho restaurants for breakfast intestine, says his parents told to remember the taste of Hanoi.

I'm sure the majority of Hanoi, pho is not fussy like a particular way or Thach Nguyen Tuan Lam praised the work that forever after known from Hanoi when I read, it's as simple as people in Hanoi is pho, a noodle like breakfast, eat at night.

I do not know why, Mr Nguyen said that only last September called pho noodle soup, I just like to re-noodle, sometimes switch to change the bucket, or even years. Although eating pho alley near his home early, or later when the time is a series of pho restaurants are famous people begin proceedings: From Dwarf, Bat Dan, "Trade" Ly Quoc Su, very observant to notice the new the difference between the pho restaurants in Hanoi.

It seems that poor quality noodles will not exist with the capital Hanoi was known gourmet. I've never been to Saigon, to enjoy the noodles are sweet brackish estuaries north of capital through the times just to enjoy hearing. Also going out in various places around Hanoi, only a few times to eat something called a "noodle", i never eat again, if there is too fussy and not biased?

A friend of the South Hanoi me wonder why more restaurants in Hanoi did not have people serving bowl until lowland areas. Know how, as has become habit, holding a bowl like it when standing in line at the counter next to the pho box, was looking to sell his own flesh and Lowland Thai seating bowl of hot food quickly to sweat and clear broth, then you will not soon going to be feeling relaxed service dedicated distinctive South.

Pho where I was, people referred to by full name, street, Hanoi capital city, Pho Bac, etc. .. but I recognized as my Hanoi, never! My Hanoi, noodle cake is fresh, soft and tough, no price or winning bid live through boiling water, basil, "dog" or have you put in the bowl of brackish estuaries "train" to look like a bowl but bored. The first day I eat pho in Hanoi from halfway around the world, I call it bread boiled, so that five years without a home, I got used. When eating noodles saw blades when not eating vegetables, sprouts and basil that is quite pleasant. If suddenly startled when I eat pho Ha Noi on light mode, or step into publishing as pho restaurants are Vietnamese who live here? Who knows!

So right about it. My Hanoi after 5 years, many changes too! But fortunately, pho noodle soup and found my still, there is a reasonable cost by 2, 3 trillion due to inflation. I still bowl, but now I have enough to eat two bowls of it, no cost, no basil, no more meat, but the soft flesh, the smell of noodles and noodle shops and smoky coal dust I find that familiar feeling of many years to get it. My Hanoi, even if I have to change how, still pristine, pure vice, the ginger, anise, mingled smells of beef fat renders a distinctive flavor. And I, after a few days new to apartment houses, new streets, returned to Hanoi familiar as I lived, with the streets of childhood.

A short time back, I knew that I was in Hanoi to Hanoi's old, has me feeling calm and comfortable. Although this future McDonald fast food, KFC grows, people have to eat in Hanoi to try the pho 24, pho Cali for "lifestyle" of the shiny diner, to the process of pho, the noodle industry's I, with bowl offspring, consistent with the saggy old fell slightly and found the queue will still exist as pho, but the identity of the value of Thang Long thousand years from now, but forever remain so. And the children of Hanoi from the countryside, including me, would ever date back to Hanoi, to be held in line pho, "the re-cooked dishes, a thousand back ...".

Read more »