Although Pho has traveled beyond the border of Vietnam, most people in the world only recognize the dish as a type of rice noodle soup. Little do they know, the noodle itself is also called “Pho”, and this dish has around 40 different variants. Let’s take a look at the best dishes from Pho and where you can try them all!
The Original And Most Popular Version of Pho
Although there have been several arguments about the origin of Pho, all the theories share one common thing about the very first version of this dish: a noodle soup. Among the best dishes from Pho, this is the one that easily springs to everyone’s mind first when mentioning Pho. But even for the noodle soup, there are a plethora of versions based on the area they come from or their main ingredient, which is usually the type of meat: beef, chicken, seafood, or even vegetarian Pho.
Chicken Pho is not as popular as Beef Pho, but the taste is totally not less attractive
Pho Chay – Vegan Pho for the vegetarian
Beef Pho, the version that most people are similar with
Mainly, there are two types of Pho noodle soup that are put into comparison: Northern Pho (represented by Hanoi Pho) and Southern Pho (represented by Saigon Pho). They might look similar at first glance, but in fact, they bear major differences from the crucial ingredients such as the noodles, the broth, to the details like herbs, and spices or side dishes.
Check out Best Places to Try An Authentic Pho in Ho Chi Minh City and Places to Try Authentic Hanoi Cuisine in Saigon to see the differences between Northern-style and Southern-style Pho. You can also take a look at the addresses below:
Ho Chi Minh City
Pho Chay Nhu – Vegan Pho
Address: 54 Truong Quyen, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6 AM – 10:30 PM
Price: VND 30,000
Pho Trinh
Address: 44 Nguyen Dang Giai, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6 AM – 11 AM, 4 PM – 9 PM
Price: from VND 40,000
Hanoi
Pho Bat Dan
Address: 49 Bat Dan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 6 AM – 10 AM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM
Price: VND 40,000-50,000
Pho Suong
Address: 1/26 Nguyen Hong, Dong Da District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 9:30 PM
Price: VND 45,000-80,000
More places to try Pho in Hanoi
Where to Find The Best Dishes from Pho
Pho Kho – Dried Pho
Pho Kho, or Dried Pho, is a specialty of a mountainous Vietnamese province called Gia Lai. It is also known as Two-Bowl Pho since a complete serving includes two separate bowls: one with the noodles with minced pork and spices, the other with the broth and different types of meat.
Pho Kho is always served in (at least) two bowls
The noodles in Pho Kho are round and thin, similar to the Hu Tieu noodles. What makes it more special is the side sauce made from soybean, which enhances the flavors of Pho Kho.
See more Types of Vietnamese Noodles
There are not many restaurants that serve Pho Kho in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but they all provide a good taste of this dish.
Ho Chi Minh City
Pho Hoa Po Lang
Address: 207 Tan Son Nhi, Tan Son Nhi Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6 AM – 2 PM, 5:30 PM – 10 PM
Price: VND 35,000 – 62,000
Hanoi
Pleiku Quan
Address: 17 Alley 40 Ta Quang Buu Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 6 AM – 9 PM
Price: VND 40,000
Pho Xao/Chien – Fried Pho
There are three popular versions you can try: Pho Xao (Stir-fried Pho), Pho Xao Gion (Crispily Pan-fried Pho), and Pho Chien Phong (Deep-fried Pho). They are all served without any soup. Beef and various vegetables such as bok choy, carrots, onions,… are commonly fried along with the noodles.
Among these three best dishes from Pho, Pho Xao is the one that can keep the soft, chewy texture of the Pho noodles like ones of the original soup version.
Pho Xao
The two other dishes both have a crispy texture. With Pho Xao Gion, or Pho Ap Chao, before the noodles are pan-fried, they are mixed with rice flour and tapioca flour, so the final product looks like a flat, yellow cake. Noodles in Pho Chien Phong, on the other hand, are thin pieces of Pho that have not been sliced into strings yet. They are then cut into bite-sized squares and deep-fried.
Pho Xao Gion
Pho Chien Phong
Places to try this trio of Pho dishes:
Ho Chi Minh City
Mama Pho
Address: 111 Ho Tung Mau, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 8 AM – 11 PM
Price: VND 72,000-86,000/serving of Pho Xao, Pho Xao Gion, Pho Chien Phong
Pho Thanh
Address: 140E Ly Chinh Thang, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 55,000/serving of Pho Xao or Pho Xao Gion
Hanoi
Pho Xao – 32 Bat Dan
Address: 32 Bat Dan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 11 AM – 3 PM, 5 PM – 10 PM
Price: VND 65,000/serving of Pho Xao
Restaurants on Ngu Xa Street
Address: Ngu Xa, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 6 AM – 11 PM (varied for each place)
Price: VND 20,000-55,000
Pho Tron – Mixed Pho
Pho Tron is a child of Hanoi cuisine, which is so widely adored that many people are willing to line up to enjoy it.
Pho Tron is one of the unofficial specialties of Hanoi
The ingredients of Pho Tron are far from exotic: normal Pho noodles, stir-fried beef, lettuce, and minced roasted peanuts. Its unique taste comes from the sweet and sour sauce of which every chef would have their secret recipe.
So far, this dish is still hard to find in Ho Chi Minh City, but it has been able to maintain its popularity in Hanoi for years.
Ho Chi Minh City
Diep Beo – Pho Tron Hanoi
Address: 481/7A Truong Chinh, Ward 14, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6 AM – 1:30 PM, 6 PM – 12 AM (midnight)
Price: VND 40,000
Hanoi
Pho Huan
Address: 62 Tho Nhuom, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 5 PM – 10:30 PM
Price: VND 40,000
Co Nguyen
Address: 182 Phuc Tan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 7 AM – 2 PM
Price: VND 40,000
Pho Cuon – Pho Rolls
Like Pho Tron, Pho Cuon is also a dish that is closely associated with the cuisine of the capital of Vietnam.
Pho Cuon – the colorful version
It requires thin, flat, unsliced noodles like the ones of Pho Chien Phong to wrap other ingredients including meat and vegetables. Pho Rolls is not only delicious but also healthy and balanced in nutrition.
A small roll that has all the nutrients you need
Some restaurants that offer Pho Cuon in their menu:
Ho Chi Minh City
Pho Hai Thien
Address: 14 Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 6:30 AM – 11:45 PM
Price: VND 49,000-55,000
Hanoi
Pho Cuon Huong Mai
Address: 32-34 Ngu Xa, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 9 AM – 10 PM
Price: VND 60,000
Pho Chua – Sour Pho
Pho Chua comes from a province in Northern Vietnam named Lang Son. It may look simple but the cooking process includes lots of delicate steps and the recipe needs a multitude of ingredients. The unique sour taste is imparted from the sauce of tamarind or the mixture of vinegar and sugar, which makes you just want to eat more and more.
It is not easy to name all the ingredients in a serving of Pho Chua
Compared to other best dishes from Pho, Pho Chua is not so widely sold in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi since not many people know about its secret recipe. Here are some places that have managed to introduce this dish to more people:
Ho Chi Minh City
Pho Chua Lang Son
Address: 242/101 Nguyen Thien Thuat, Ward 3, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 3 PM – 8:30 PM
Price: VND 50,000
Hanoi
Pho Hung Ben
Address: 26 Nguyen Khac Hieu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 9 AM – 11 PM
Price: VND 65,000
Summary of Best Dishes from Pho and Where to Try Them
The family of Pho is more crowded than you can imagine, and each member has a charisma that will unceasingly amaze you. If you’re feeling hungry, book our food tour in Ho Chi Minh led by local tour guides to experience the full wonder of Vietnamese cuisine.