How to Eat Pho, for Pho Virgins

If you’ve never tried Pho before then you are missing out. It is a very enjoyable experience. There isn’t much etiquette involved but there are ways to maximize your enjoyment…

Choosing, and Setting Up Your Pho

When you open your menu, it might look a little overwhelming with all the variations of Pho to choose from. The variety is simply personal preference. When in doubt, go for simple ‘Rare Beef Noodle Soup’! Don’t worry the beef is sliced so thinly that it cooks almost immediately after being immersed in the hot soup. After you make your order a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chillies will arrive at your table. These are options to sprinkle and squeeze over your main bowl till it suits your taste.

been sprouts, basil leaves, lime

Here is a list of some common combinations found on most menus:

Phở Đặc Biệt
Special Pho Noodle

Phở Tái
Rare Beef

Phở Tái Sách
Rare Beef and Tripe

Phở Tái Gân
Rare Beef and Tendon

Phở Tái Nạm
Rare Beef and Flank Brisket

Phở Tái Bò Viên
Rare Beef and Beef Balls

Phở Gà
Chicken Pho Noodle

Finally, an aromatic and steaming bowl of noodle soup is placed before you and if you are wondering where to begin then let your senses be your guide. What I always do is to try the soup first. Depending on how flavourful it already is, I add condiments accordingly. I usually immerse most of my bean sprouts and make sure they make their way under the noodles so they cook slightly. Tearing some basil leaves off the stem and sprinkling them over the noodles along with a squeeze of lime will probably give your tastebuds a lift from the deep flavour of the beef bone soup. Then you can experiment with the balance of the caramelized sweetness of hoisin sauce and the amount of heat from Sriracha hot sauce and/or chillies you like.

Spooning It Correctly

Now you are ready to eat but there is a highly efficient method that closely resembles the spoon and fork action when consuming spaghetti, except with chopsticks. Eating noodles in soup can be a slippery affair which could result in a less than satisfying mouthful that ends up back in the bowl. The solution is a two handed technique. Chopsticks have the agility and sensitivity to lift and select individual bitefuls while the Asian soup spoon is broad with a beveled edge which allows for more than just soup. To get all the flavor and texture of your precisely customized and balanced bowl of noodle soup into each mouthful is by always assembling the perfect pile of noodle to beef to soup ratio onto your spoon. This is done by using your chopsticks to nimbly arrange noodles, a slice of beef and depending what you feel like for that particular bite: basil, chilli or sprouts to top, onto your spoon. Then lower your spoon into the soup and proceed to bring it to an open mouth. Enjoy!

Apologies for the quality. It was difficult to concentrate on the task at hand!

another angle

When you feel more adventurous, do try the other combinations mentioned above. If you don’t eat beef there is sometimes a chicken option and if you don’t eat meat then there are vegetarian versions that come with fried tofu and vegetables. All can be eaten in the same manner. Have fun!

Tags: how to eat pho, pho, pho virgins

Category: The Whole Truth