Eating Pho like a Vietnamese

In Hanoi street food tour, Viet Expert Travel will introduce you the country’s most iconic dish: pho, is the best traditional Vietnamese food. But before you join, you should know how to eat Pho like a local.

According to Business Insider’s Statistics, Pho is in the list of “40 Meals You Should Eat In Your Lifetime”. Most of Vietnamese restaurants over the world serve this dish as a favourite food.

Yet, there is nothing better than the origin Pho because of different tastes and styles. If you have been to Vietnam and taken a bowl of Pho in Hanoi once, you would know why it is complimented as local icons.

Phở Việt Nam

Enjoy the real bowl of Pho doesn’t only mean you enjoy the traditional Vietnamese foods but also you discover taste of culture and culinary specialties. But how do you perform it like the locals do?

How the Hanois do

Pho is original from Nam Dinh but it has become popular with Hanoi hundred years ago. You usually see chili sauce and fresh chili, lime, and some kinds of garlic vinegar on the table. The locals mix them together to get especial taste in the bowl. Yet, everyone has different taste, you can use the homemade vinegar instead of lime. You should taste the broth first that then put extras as suitable as your flavor in order to make perfect bowl.

If you want to choose any drinks, the top choice is iced tea or “tra da” because Pho goes well with light taste rather than any soft drinks. If you got full experience with Pho, don’t forget to order the fried dough sticks or “quẩy”. Eating together with Pho by dipping it the broth but don’t take it too long in the broth. It will break your bowl taste at first.

And more to show totally your local knowledge, you can order extra bowl of soft boiled egg. It is callequad “trung tran”. You don’t be surprised if you try Pho in another region because each restaurant has their own recipe. But the good one will come with equally tasty spices.

Phở with quẩy

Please remember Try everything if you can

Saigonese’s Pho

After French War, lots of Hanoi people move to Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, Pho has become common in the South. Like Hanoi, it is also served with chili and vinegar. But they are some different points. The broth is not as clear as the North does. Their broth always has a little sugar, dense which is boiled together with chicken bone and dried shrimp because Saigonese prefers sweet things.

Some of locals will order Pho with a bowl of “nước béo or nước trong”. It means fat or clear broth. It depends on your taste. Pho Sai gon has a vegetable dish to eat together. When the waiter brings Pho to you, submerge vegetable in your bowl when it still hot. Lastly, enjoy Pho after you have done all above steps.

Phở Saigon

After the article, you prepare enough Pho knowledge when visiting Vietnam. Walking in the street, stop before any Pho shop then come in and make your order. Now you can experience your own bowl of Pho.

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