The Spot: A prominent corner of one of the Old Quarter's busier intersections where the traffic lights have been permanently switched off! Buses power through here, horns blasting. An antique fan repair shop is opposite, a temple of primary colours adjacent behind. Just up the street from "most famous" pho, at 1 Hang Dieu.
Space and Atmosphere: The cluttered interior is strangely triangular in shape, a pokey hole which can accommodate ten to twelve noodle-munchers, all elbows in! The major space is curbside where perhaps twenty patrons can sit. The pervading ambience is raw traffic chaos. Get ready to run from any rogue moto careening out of the path of a reckless bus driver.
Shopfront Style: A spidery shade-casting banyan dominates the shopfront. Erupting out of the concrete footpath, its hanging roots have been clipped, its branches claw at the power lines and scratch at the eatery's red signage.
Serving Station: A glass cabinet contains a bounty of assorted chicken bits. Dark meat, white meat, chewy sinewy bits, threads of boiled skin like bumpy rubber bands. The woman seated behind it is chief portioner, swivelling from side to side, dunking and separating noodles, pinching and arranging chook and spring onions, ladling soup. Crouched behind her is another woman, an expert in chicken anatomy, who cleavers at the birds, digging out every last edible shred of flesh from each carcass.
Sticks, Condiments and Crockery: The varnish is chipping off the sticks. Plastic plates of lime wedges and a stunning palette of fiery chilis and pin thin lime leaf strips make for a colourful table. It's comforting that the bowls are the usual floral numbers scalloped just above the base, just like Nana's.
Meat Generosity: Plenty of the sort I'm not all that fond of - chewy, attached to skin and favoured vehemently by the locals. I'm such a fussy ponce in this matter!
Service to Delivery Gap: A very popular joint, they shunt the punters in and out to maximise seat turnover. I drew breath a dozen times and the pho was before me.
Stock Factor: Slightly cloudy and not as comforting as I remembered from a previous visit.
Cost: 20,000VND (USD$1.05, AUD$1.15)
Rank: Not up there.
The soft and slithery texture of noodle is so attractive. Great comfort food!!
Posted by: the lacquer spoon | 18 March 2010 at 10:12 PM
I love sticky rice! So simple but so good.
Posted by: Franklin | 19 March 2010 at 09:52 AM
Wow, the price has really gone up since, I guess, 5 years ago.
Posted by: FlavorBoulevard | 21 March 2010 at 01:50 PM
Comfort food is right. It's my breakfast of choice. The price has been creeping up but still very affordable.
Posted by: Sticky | 22 March 2010 at 08:01 PM
wow is pho ever cheap there. You wont' find and vietnamese places that sell it for less than seven dollars a bowl here.
Posted by: Jennifer Mccool | 27 March 2010 at 01:40 PM
you made me remember the taste of Ha Noi's pho last year. Actually, Pho in HCMc is not more delicious than in HN. I love it's taste, frog of the morning cool air in Tet's days. I ate a bowl of pho's soup, so interesting with the price at 40.000 VND. I wonder if I am an HCM ppl so the price is so expensive. And the truth was going on with other foods in HN: Goi kho bo (Nom): 40.000d/plate :( So expensive. In HCMc it only cost 10.000d
Posted by: Lily | 29 March 2010 at 05:58 PM
there is a Pho place for breakfast on Nguyen Du st which has really good Pho Ga. Another place I really love is on Ngo~ Cha^n Cam which is a small st on Ly Quoc Su.
Have you ever tried Bun Thang or My Van than? there is one GREAT one on Hang Dieu st at night!
Let me know if you ever go there and what you think ;)
PS: you really make me feel like paying the airfare to go home for food hahaha
Posted by: Lan | 11 April 2010 at 04:38 AM
you made me remember the taste of Ha Noi's pho last year. Actually, Pho in HCMc
Posted by: Los Angeles | 12 September 2010 at 02:51 PM