Pho Bo is beef noodle soup. This version above was had at the famous noodle house at 13 Lo Duc Street, a mere 10,000VND xe om trip from the old quarter. I'm always dubious of famous pho establishments for a few reasons. For starters, what if the experience doesn't live up to the recommendations? What if aloofness is the prevailing attitude upon entry? What if it's so darn popular that the proprietors don't care if you're there or not, won't show you where to park, bark about paying up before you've scanned the scene for a spare seat and make you wait a good ten minutes for your fill (a ten-minute wait being seriously an hour in a pho cave)? What if the soup's, god forbid, crap?
Would the skeptic in me be quelled on these counts?
On all but one, the most important.
The soup is pretty good.
The kitchen is front of house, assembly line and bubbling cauldron activity frenetic enough without the added calculations of the 'buy before try' check in procedure. In any five second interval, the proprietress on shift was tearing dangling noodles from bowls' edges, digging a steaming meat portion out of a bamboo basket with a saucer, doing a herb scatter and a broth pour and, first but not least, whipping dong out of the patrons hands. Multi-skilled yet eternally frowned. I would pick my moment before requesting anything out of the ordinary from this formidable woman.
Not that it's possible. It's one pho fits all here. The broth is all beef, meaty flecks afloat on clear liquid, a tad salty for my tastes. The kitchen is testament to the scientific research project that is pho stock preparation, with every member of the Pot family in residence, and it makes my attempt a few weeks back a *ha ha* laughing stock! The slivers of beef in the bowl have been briefly stirfried, not done rare as in other pho joints nor is there any chin (slices of corned beef) on offer. Condiment offerings here are heavy on the chili, light on the lime.
That's the beauty of pho in Vietnam, the variation from one shack to the next, one city to another.
Everyone has their favourites, right?
This is not mine. But I wouldn't rule out a return visit.
Famous Pho Dough
Two bowls - 20,000VND (payable on admission)
Pho Thin
13 Lo Duc St
Hai Ba Trung District
Hanoi
Finally... Always throw an egg in too. I tried a lot of pho in Hanoi and TBH I found it disappointing. Actually, I found it crap. Saigon was a revelation on that front. But, I do have a soft spot for Lo Duc and a few other joints in the area.
Posted by: Graham Holliday | 06 April 2006 at 09:41 AM
I have found some good ones and I'm sure there must be plenty out there. I reckon it wouldn't matter how many I tried, I'd still only be scratching the pho surface. I must say I do like the herb extravaganza of the pho experience in the south.
Posted by: Sticky | 06 April 2006 at 09:47 PM
Yes, it's bit greenfree in the north. A bit of a brubbier experience too. After four years in Hanoi I went to a Pho resto in Saigon and I remember being shocked that the place was clean, no shit on the floor and no SHOUTING.
Have you found the Pho Map to Hanoi? I believe there are 80 listed. I've always thought a dedicated blog that covers the map (and more) would be a great, if challenging, thing to do. I've also considered blogging a 'pho month'. A different Pho every day for one month. Just not sure I'm a big enough fan to muster up the stamina. You?
Posted by: pieman | 11 April 2006 at 09:47 AM
One a week for six months might be more realistic for me. I'll do some investigating about the pho map. I've got other documents about a range of dishes but nothing devoted to pho alone.
Posted by: Sticky | 13 April 2006 at 01:28 PM
Debt consolidation entails taking out one loan to pay off many others. This is often done to secure a lower interest rate, secure a fixed interest rate or for the convenience of servicing only one loan.
Visit site:
[url=http://paydaymortgagelive.com]fast cash payday loan[/url]
and
[url=http://mydebtmanagementonline.com]reliable debt settlement company[/url]
Posted by: OveceDeetle | 09 August 2007 at 07:55 PM
This article is about the legal mechanism used to secure property in favor of a creditor. For loans secured by mortgages, such as residential housing loans, see mortgage loan.
[url=http://easypaydaymortgage.com]home mortgage refinance loan[/url]
Posted by: prevyeves | 10 August 2007 at 05:36 PM
Compare insurance quotes & save today!
America’s #1 Online Auto Insurance Resource. Compare multiple rates and find the policy that’s right for you. Buy online or over the phone with a licensed agent. Insurance.com is here to help.
We have over a dozen of the nation's top insurance companies competing for your business... Find out more!
[url=http://lifemoneyinsurance.com]life insurance company[/url]
Posted by: OrandClarne | 14 August 2007 at 03:38 PM
Nice.
Keep up the great work.
Posted by: JamesCooks | 25 November 2007 at 06:21 AM
Many business managers and principals entrusted with [url=college-paid.com]student loan debt consolidation[/url], have had problems with their own finances...
Posted by: geroldhht | 14 December 2007 at 01:51 PM
That looks pretty good.
Posted by: Fred333 | 13 February 2008 at 03:47 AM
Hi There, I found your website on Lycoas, does it support Firefox?
Posted by: Lycoas | 10 May 2009 at 11:33 PM
umcZlo hfN2cnPosa82GhrpCayYr
Posted by: paul | 19 June 2009 at 03:07 AM
It is like the tale of a sporting hero who springs from relative obscurity to triumph over a string of worthy opponents, often by assimilating their techniques.
Posted by: Air Jordan Fusion 12 | 26 February 2011 at 09:01 AM
I apologize for the bad links. Linking to anything at the Library of Congress is a bit of a trick. I should have restarted the browser or emptied the cache and tested them. This morning, they didn't work for me either. If anyone has a problem with the links, please let me know.
Posted by: no fax payday loans | 27 April 2011 at 07:22 PM
This is an excellent site for nail fungus .
ZetaClear
Posted by: ZetaClear | 20 December 2011 at 10:11 AM
The waiter could not say any English word, never smile, not helpful, many people used tissue to clean their chopstick then throw under the table where they were sitting. The place to sit is not comfortable with the foreign.
Posted by: Warner | 22 June 2012 at 05:45 PM