Pho Number 4
NileGuide Expert Says:
Best for Pho
Address:
217 Bui Vien
Ho Chi Minh,
NileGuide Expert tip:
Upsize to a large bowl for an extra 5000 dong.
Description:
The Vietnamese (or at least the north Vietnamese) generally insist that the pho in Saigon is second rate but the version of the country's de facto national dish proffered here is as good as any you will find in Hanoi. The key to quality pho lies in the broth and the base is faultless at this place. Beef bones, charred onion and a variety of spices including star anise, ginger and cinnamon have been simmered for hours to create the perfect platform for noodles and tender slivers of rare beef to be added to. The ample servings look and taste just great without adornment but the addition of a dash of lime, some nuoc mam (fish sauce), crispy warm beansprouts and a veritable hedgerow of fragrant herbs nudges the soup towards the stratosphere. The service at this simple hole in the wall is unfailingly charming and prices of around $1 for a bowl of the beefy manna make this a pho to reckon with.
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