In July, I wrote a post that involved pho. I was asked by EatJax.com (my “real” job) to review a pho place called “Bowl of Pho” this past week. There had been a great deal of confusion on that past post about exactly what pho is and how it is prepared, so I decided it would be a good time to bring all of you along with me.
If you're unfamiliar with pho, pronounced "fuh," it is a beef broth soup commonly served with various beef cuts, rice noodles and vegetables. Pho originated in Northern Vietnam during the mid-1880s. The dish was heavily influenced by both Chinese and French cooking. Rice noodles and spices were brought in from China and the French made the eating of red meat more popular. It is believed that the word "pho" is derived from "pot au feu," a French soup. Vietnamese cooks merged the Chinese, French and native influences to make a dish that is uniquely Vietnamese.
Normally, I have had rare beef pho. This is the pho broth, rice noodles, vegetables and slices of rare beef. Often, the beef is cooked solely by pouring the scalding broth over the beef pieces. Well-done beef is available for those who prefer it.
I ordered my pho with all of the possible meats - rare beef, beef flank, brisket, tendon, tripe (cow stomach) and meatballs. Pho is served in some places using other meats, but beef is most common.
First, there are quite a few condiments involved in eating pho.
Hoisin, Sriracha, ground chilies, salt and pepper are most common and are often on the table when you are seated.
Usually after any appetizers, your server will bring a plate of greenery which you may add to the pho according to your tastes.
This particular plate of garnishes includes lime wedges, sliced jalapeno, saw-leaf herb, sweet Thai basil and bean sprouts, which are all very common. Add these herbs and vegetables to the pho according to your taste. Some of these, especially the basil and saw-leaf, are strong flavors, so take a little nip of them before adding them to be sure what you’d like.
The heart of all pho is the slow-simmered broth. The broth should be fragrant, as many spices are used in the preparation. It should also contain just enough fat to make it tasty. The aromas of five-spice and beef are powerful and pleasing. The vegetables should be crisp and fresh while the noodles should be firm but not crunchy or mushy.
I do realize that not everyone is going to be willing to try tripe on their first trip to a pho purveyor.
Honestly, other than a chewy texture, I wouldn't have even noticed the tripe or tendon. But, for less daring folks, most restaurants offer various combinations of pho meats as well as other soup offerings. There are numerous salad, rice, noodle and dessert dishes as well as extensive soft drink menus at many Vietnamese restaurants.
I had a beautiful glass of limeade that was unlike any other I’ve had. It tasted like real lime rather than RealLime©!
Pho is yet another example of the worldly cuisine quickly making its way into the repertoires of American palates. Of course, your experiences with pho may vary from mine, but as our world expands, we owe it to ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and try the delicious menus showing up in every corner of our country. Remember, it wasn't so long ago that the majority of Americans refused to eat sushi!
Happy eating!
all photos copyright © 2009 by jodi a. kasten • all rights reserved
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Comments
I didn't know what was in it at the time and I didn't care. ::SLURP!::
very nice but what does "vomere" mean? "for mother"? "vomit"? "mother's vomited"? hmmm...I'm only on my first cup of coffee so forgive me.
monkey - The tripe really didn't taste like anything. Plus, the chewiest, most "offally" bit was surprisingly the meatball. Hmmm...
The Latin is "Gag me with a spoon." I posted the pho goodies photo on Facebook a few days ago and everyone went "EWWWW!"
Guess who reads OS? Jane Black.
She's as lucky as you. Except this:`
Jane B., is a food eater based in NYC.
I'll give her nasturtiums in her salad.
What a great job. Go eat all day long.
`
Pho is just not Pho unless a Vietnamese makes Pho. I can't ever make Pho as delicious as those Vietnamese eateries. I try to visit Miss Saigon in Georgetown, DC. It use to cost in Vietnamese 'dong' currency exchange rates - dollar to dong - In 1990, only 11- cents. I'd feel guilty. I buy a 333 bier. bali bali bali. Your in a sorta heaven on Earth.
Vietnamese know the perfect mix of fresh herbs. I notice you have a bottle of:`Sriracha Hot chilli sauce.
or,
TU'O'NG OT' -
It has a rooster crowing on the bottle. I use Nuc Man - squid brand fish sauce.
tease. Yea fish sauce,
it's good on gelato?
Ice creams?
feta cheese?
Ya marinate?
A good meal!
Pho makes Ya nose run. No eat Pho and drip on the keyboard. Jane Black may see this? I hope she stopped reading my comments. Jane?
Howdy. I read your Washington Post articles. The 'piece' about veal was sad to read.
Ay, Jodi and Jane.
You should e-mail?
You can eat all day?
Go to Miss Saigon?
I also would NEVER try to make this. There are some things that are best left to the experts!
Karin - I have seen it mentioned often on cooking and travel shows. Tony Bourdain comes to mind. It is unique and definitely worth a try!
Loved your tiara by the way!
I'm in DC tomorrow. I'll get two bowls.
Ya have secure gmail and email address?
The snoops eat Ya Pho and holy macaroni.
They come from Little Italy mafia villages.
They are released from psychiatric wards.
They eat @ K- Street with paranoid cops.
Lobby creeps.
They smoke cigars.
They smell like goats.
Goat meat cost more than beef.
Next life (karma) they ear rats.
Rats eat cold garbage pizza pie.
Ya see them in DC with crust.
They were former politicos.
They are a rat's carnivore.
They will see post-croak.
Reap what we sow, huh?
So, Visit DC? I'll buy Pho.
I got to scram- so, chatty.
Look at me go, Mom.
I'm in the bunker too. I don't want to get my tendons blown off.
Art - Now I have a mental picture of John Boener eating pizza out of a garbage can! HA!
Chris - I'm of British descent as well. If it couldn't be topped with mashed potatoes, my mother didn't make it. Now there's a conveyor belt sushi bar in Paddington Station! What a beautiful world...
aka - Aw, c'mon! Be a sport!
Deborah - Have you see haggis in a CAN?!?
Bob gets the cookie for the first PhoJoke.
Owl - It can't hurt!
Leeandra - Absolutely. For pete's sake, yesterday was National Scrapple Day. It's just another part of the MooCow.
moooooooo
and i put Sriracha on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!
I had to give it up for a while because my son didn't really like it when he was young. But now he loves steak. So we go and I give him half my meat and he gives me half his noodles.
But the broth sounds different. I've never had anything close to five spices in any of these restaurants (thank-god, I hate that stuff.) Maybe you have more of a southern vietnamese community? The greenery is pretty much the same, but we just get basil, not saw greens or Jalapeno.
But the condiments remain the same. Good ol' L.A. brewed Huy Fong sriracha sauce. Where would the world be without it?
i just want to add, pho is not pronounced exactly like fuh. i only know i can't pronounce it. i had a real vietnamese person try to teach me for half an hour, and eventually i just gave up. tonal languages are tough!
and they have the best drinks don't they?? try the lemon soda too, if you haven't yet! and the young coconut drink is fantastic.
Juliet - I love the pleasant buzz from a good helping of Sriracha!
bstrangely - There are many ways I've heard people pronounce it. (Including three different ways at the same restaurant alone - all by Vietnamese people)
Foo
Pha
Phoh
etc.
But, the pronunciation I chose to use ("fuh") came from a Vietnamese pho fan site (say THAT three times really fast) where none of the people commenting took issue with it. That's the best I could do.
emma & others - There's no judgment from me about food preferences. Why should you ingest something that you wouldn't enjoy? I think it's much worse to order something on a personal dare like you're on Fear Factor then waste it than to know what you're into and stick with that. So, no stress!
Thanks for posting!
(I know, wrong pronunciation, but I've always pronounced it that way, and it'll take me a while to reconfigure.)
And of course, you can't always get what you want, but if you tripe sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.
Rated, because I'm offal.
Some Vietnamese serve pho with a side dish of raw green onion soaked in oil. You're suposed to put the onion into the soup and let the soup soften it up, and then you can eat it.
I have since tried more traditional versions with the tripe and tendon and liked it very much. If only I could master the art of eating a bowl of it gracefully! I took a co-worker out for some recently and not only could she not bring herself to order it, I think she was a bit embarassed to be at the same table with me.
Sorry I haven't been able to individually comment on this one as much, I have a sick kiddo on my hands.
Silkstone - Yes, chicken and seafood pho does exist, but for the most part, beef is traditionally the meat. However, if you'd ever eaten dinner with my former father-in-law who was a USDA inspector at Tyson's, you'd feel differently about chicken, too.
The good news is that you're out on the west coast. You should be able to find a pho place that uses sustainable meats. It all depends on how much you're willing to spend to feel good about what you're eating.
If Americans were willing to eat things that were safe but outside of their comfort zones, we could cut WAY down on the packaging, shipping and abuse in the food production chain.
There's less beef in a regular-sized bowl of pho than there is in a quarter-pound hamburger. Yet, you get veggies, rice noodles and a beautiful soup that fills you up.
If all the parts of the cow didn't have to be shipped to a bazillion processing facilities, imagine the carbon reduction!
And don't even get me started on fish...
Ha!