Talk:Phở

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[edit] Noodles

Hate to break it to you all but Pho is actually traditionally made with fresh cut flat rice "hor fun" noodles, not vermicelli as claimed in this article. Maybe that's the way they make it in the United States and Canada but here in Australia and in both Hanoi and Saigon, where I have eaten Pho in numerous establishments, even from local street vendors, it is always served with cut flat rice noodle. ADD: sorry, i'm a wiki newb, i posted this at work then when I came home I read the reference to the chinese noodle and thought I must have missed it the 1st time ;) Not realising that someone had edited it in the 15 minutes it takes to get home. This is good, I would still call it "flat white rice noodle" not "thin white rice noodle", and removing the reference to vermicelli is definitely correct. Also, I do believe the noodles are actually made in sheets and cut to a desired width, but that is more appropriate for the Shahe fen article, not this one. Registered myself vespine 07/02/2006

Great, welcome! Question: can you add the right diacritic markings for "banh"? Also, what kind of banh is used for pho? Is it called "banh pho"? Also, what is the width of original northern pho noodles? I don't think they're very wide, but wider than southern style. The southern style pho noodles I'm familiar with are flat and fairly thin (about the width of Italian linguini), definitely not vermicelli which is very thin and round. Thanks for helping to clarify. Badagnani 09:37, 17 February 2006 (UTC)
Thanks:) I'm hopeless with diacritics, but I have a relationship with a few of the restaurants I visit which I can ask. Where I live the culture is very mixed between Chinese and Vietnamese (in fact, many Pho restaurants are actually owned by Chinese proprietors including one of the most famous CBD Pho restaurants "Me Kong" http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayObject.cfm/objectid.429446A0-1AAB-48C3-ABEBC2579B1D9D13/vvt.vhtml) so I've known the noodles simply as hor fun. The noodles which I've most commonly come across are definitely considerably thicker then linguini, they would be almost kway teow width. Though it has been about 4 years since I was in Vietnam and I've had a lot of Australian pho since then. Which by the way, becasue of Australian produce, even my vietnamese friends admit is better here ;) vespine 09:55, 17 February 2006 (UTC)
Interesting, the pho noodles they use here (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) are linguini width. Pho has only just been introduced here a few years ago and has become very popular, also among Chinese. The wide kind are just found in stir-fried dishes (including the kind where the noodles curl up in little tubular spirals--I like these. Badagnani 10:01, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Properties of bánh phở

  • Width: I have not seen bánh phở that is wider than 1/4". The thinnest I have seen is probably 1/16".
  • Shape: bánh phở is definitely a "cut" noodle i.e. cut from a flat thin sheet, not a round noodle i.e. not extruded, like spaghetti or bún (rice vermicelli).

Andy 19:44, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Restaurant signs

Is it a common case around the world that Phở restaurants often have signs shaped as a cow? That's fairly common in Paris. David.Monniaux 22:48, 29 Apr 2004 (UTC)

In Little Saigon southern California, chicken Ph&#7903 is more common than beef or pork -- those that don't serve all three specialize in chicken. I don't notice a particular shape or graphic used for the signs here. GUllman 23:21, 1 May 2004 (UTC)

I live in the city of San Gabriel in California (United States) where there's a sizable Vietnamese American community. Little Saigon in Orange County is way off for me, so this is the closest access to Vietnamese cuisine. The pho restaurants here serve mainly the beef variety. I normally ask several waiters in each and every Pho restaurants. Some Vietnamese restaurants I've seen have a picture of a cow on their windows but it's not entirely widespread.

Comment above written by User:172.193.17.99; please sign your posts.

I live in the South San Francisco Bay Area, where there's a large Vietnamese American community, especially in San Jose. I haven't seen any cow shaped signs on Pho restuarants in my area. — J3ff 04:15, 22 Nov 2004 (UTC)

i don't believe i have ever seen a phở restaurant sign with a cow on it. the ones i see usually involve a bowl and/or chopsticks. lalalalalala (talk) 20:19, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

<******moved rest of discusion to origins because it better fits. Also they guy that started origins seems to be continuing the above discusion so it's confusing*****>

[edit] Pronunciation

Could someone check out IPA in Unicode and make a proper IPA transcription? I'm terribly dissatisfied with just the "fuh" right now. I don't think the pronunciation is really clear to non-native English speakers.

Peter Isotalo June 29, 2005 03:38 (UTC)

I haven't heard any Vietnamese pronounce it, but from the description in this article, I think /fə/ might be close. I'll put it in, if anyone knows better, please correct. —Michael Z. 2005-08-15 17:05 Z
According to the Vietnamese alphabet article, the hook over the ơ represents a dipping-rising tone. Anyone have a clue how to transcribe that properly? For now, I've labelled it as "pronounced /fə/ by English-speakers". —Michael Z. 2005-08-15 17:12 Z
On Boingboing.net they say it's supposed to be pronounced "fur?" There is a videoclip here [1] with people talking about it, but I can't get it to load...they say the letters are like "fuh" but the tone is even, then drops, then rises...Katsam 10:00, 20 December 2005 (UTC)
Ok, I found a flash movie where they pronounce and mispronounce it for comic effect. But beware, the movie is stupid and full of cursing and dumb ethnic jokes. Here it is:[2]Katsam 10:17, 20 December 2005 (UTC)
Might be racist but the guy hosting it is Chinese. =S
"Fur" is a good approximation for the word phơ. The word phở requires a bit more gymnastics with the pronunciation. The above recommendation of "even, then drops, then rises" is a good start. Andy 19:34, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

No it shouldn't be "fur" cause I'm vietnamese and I know how. It's more like the u sound in "tub," plus the "ph" sound. --—Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.229.5.245 (talk • contribs)

[edit] Origin

The fact of pho originating from North Vietnam is a misconception. Actually pho "noodles" themselves were around south east asia long before, probably dating hundreds of years. It's quite noticeable in where pho is enjoyed, such as countries like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia ect. Not likley vietnamese influence spread to these countries in such short a time that each country developed such a diverse style. Acutally the majority of the culture/food/ect of the region is directley influenced either by china or thai/siamese. Most ingredients (including the noodles) are written with Thai/Chinese labels. Just in the recent couple decades has pho actually made its way into the USA. Most in part of the influx of South East Asians into the USA, most notible are the Vietanamese refugees from the 60-70's. Prior to that, the South East Asian population was low and Pho was unheard of to the western world. Some shops in California is starting to go beyond "basic" Pho. Just ask a Lao or Thai friend to make some Pho, you'll understand. One thing is for sure, without the Vietnamese, America would have not been able to discover the greatest jewl of South East Asia, Pho.

I tend to agree, I live in San Francisco and I have Vietnamese, Thiland and Laos friends and I admit the Laos version is much better. A little sweet + sour, garlicky and very very hot. The Thailand one with a hint of coconut is great also. [jay415]

The information came from several newspaper articles (including several English and Vietnamese-language ones). Another theory claimed that it was the French in Vietnam that came up with the noodles. If you have other theories, then add them.

No way that the French created rice noodles. Most likely, Chinese created white and rice noodles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.70.150.203 (talk) 03:52, 16 May 2008 (UTC)


in thailand, called "kuay tiow" or simply "bowl of noodles" and made of pure rice (no flour). my grandma is 80 and she says she learned how to make it from her grandparents so it must be old. i think pho is just generic term for it but the same thing is eaten all over south asia with different name. must be a really old dish before europe invader i think, maybe china made it up they been eating noodles for thousand years and cultivated rice for even longer. makes sense it might of came from china. saying vietnam or france made up rice noodle is just like saying japan invented the "rice ball" yeah right. (the moviedude)


Almost all Asian countries have a noodle dish. Where the hell does it say the Vietnamese invented noodles? What they invented was this particular noodle DISH. Of course if you add other crap like coconut juice then it's not pho anymore now, is it?

Hey people here's a question. What if I had a burger and added other crap like bacon to it, would it still be called a burger? Pho came from Laos


If I make spaghetti and instead of using tomato sauce I decide to use apple sauce, is it still considered spaghetti? And will the dish be considered Chinese because the Chinese invented noodles?

This discussion is laughable. In Vietnamese "pho" is not synonymous with noodle; rather, it is the name of a specific noodle dish prepared with a specific kind of rice noodle and specific kind of soup. The Vietnamese have different names for different kinds of noodles (besides "pho", there are also "bun", "mien", "mi",and "banh da") so please don't lump every noodle dish that you know together under the name "pho". If a noodle dish looks different and tastes different from the Vietnamese "pho" then of course it's NOT "pho". Call it by the name it's called in its native country. I don't think the Laotians or the Chinese would be pleased to hear that their noodle dishes are labeled "pho" by some people. (A native Vietnamese)

Italians developed that type of noodle, just as the Chineese developed the common "rice stick" noodle. Americans took the Italian invention and made thier own version of "Spaghetti and Meatballs". Just others did the same thing with common Pho (the dish). People call it different things, some call it Pho. It's just mainstream to call it that nowadays (which would be too long to describe why). Same ingredients, same way to prepare, (well depends on how many ways one can steam a rice noodle), but in my opinon, just different name. My arugement is that this dish might have not originated in Vietnam, but rather just alot of Vietnamese brought it around the world as well as its Vietnamesed version of its name. Vietnamese capitalized on it overseas as in the case of America.

Lets face it, steamed rice stick, beef broth, and a local few spices. In my opinion, "Pho" as we know it is a product of the greater South East Asia, (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China) and not exclusive to Vietnam (except the name). Just like the Chili Dog in Chicago, Bratwurst in Wisconson, all just minor variations of good ol fashioned Hot Dog. Come to think of it, there was actually a debate and press conference between Vietnamese and Eurpoeans about this wonderful foods origins. You can see it right here: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/features/pho-corlou.htm

Just my opinion of course, but makes for a nice debate you think?

Interesting discussion. I can only compare Pho to Thai cuisine. But I would like to point out that while similar noodle dishes have existed in Thailand for centuries, Thais consider Pho to be a different dish. Pho is actually fairly popular in Bangkok and is served at Vietnamese restaurants.

Use of beef in particular is pretty uncommon in Thailand ( in the past) because cattle were traditionally used as a draught animal. Not until recently has it been popularly bread for meat. I suppose it might have come more quickly in Vietnam due to French rule.

A lot of the other spices and flavours in Thai noodle dishes are pretty different even if you don't consider beef. Though most roadside vendors tend to have chicken, seafood, or pork (chicken not so much anymore with bird flu). The bean sprouts are usually cooked in broth a bit before serving and other vegetables will also vary.

The broth is a primary difference. It may vary depending on the chef but the average pho is quite different from the average keuteuw nam.

Noodles from Laos may be more similar to pho, but as a previous poster suggested I would agree that there is also a distinctiveness to the Lao noodle soup. I've been to a lot of Laotian restaurants in Bangkok and you can definitly taste a difference. While all of our countries are neighboring we may have some common influences but we bring our own distinctiveness to the dishes. --—Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.109.157.132 (talk • contribs)

[edit] "Traditional" or "inherited"?

Someone removed the word "traditional" from "...phở is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup dish" saying that phở is "(Not traditional, but inherited.)"
Here we go again! I won't argue about whether phở is inherited because in matters culinary, just about everything is "inherited" from somewhere/something else. However, phở is as "traditional" and as "Vietnamese" as it gets. You can find many similar noodle soups but you will not find anything exactly like phở.
Saying that phở is not "traditional" Vietnamese food because it is "inherited" is like arguing that spaghetti and bolognese sauce is not "traditional" Italian food because pasta did not originate in Italy.
Andy Nguyen 19:34, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Comments

A few comments:
  • "Pho" (actually "bánh phở" when referring to the noodles themselves) is a Vietnamese word for rice noodles of Chinese origin. These rice noodles, called Shahe fen in Chinese, are believed to have been developed in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China in the 1800s. Earlier than this, the Chinese had noodles made out of wheat and before that, thousands of years ago, they used millet. I'm not why, if it's true that the Shahe fen were developed in the 1800s, they never thought of using rice before that. Any new scholarship on this would be welcome.
  • The Vietnamese term "pho" probably comes from the last syllable of the Chinese name, "fen" (粉), pronounced "fěn" (with low-rising tone in Mandarin and "fan2" (with mid-rising tone) in Cantonese. "Banh pho" can be used to prepare pho soup or stir-fried pho, which is very similar to the southern Chinese dish char kway tiao (and also somewhat similar to pad Thai).
  • The Vietnamese noodle soup colloquially called "pho" is similar to hot Chinese noodle soups but uses local Vietnamese ingredients. It's very likely that it originated after the introduction of the Shahe fen noodles from China, then local chefs developed the soup using local Vietnamese ingredients (including the beef and local spices). The spices and beef are used in both southern and northern Vietnamese versions of pho. I believe cassia (cinnamon) trees are grown primarily in central and northern Vietnam. As scallions are used to garnish the dish in northern pho, this would be more similar to a Chinese noodle soup garnish, and the southern use of basil and other herbs would give it a more Southeast Asian flavor.
  • What is the evidence that, within Vietnam, the northern region was not the first to create the recipe for pho soup? That is generally accepted, I think, though many Vietnamese I know agree that the Southern version is much more elaborate and yummier, with the addition of more varieties of herbs. Badagnani 15:57, 7 July 2006 (UTC)
  • The main article states that the Pho restaurants in the US are catering to foreign tastes and are sometimes making Pho with chicken; I'm in Nha Trang at the moment, travelling north, and so far throughout Vietnam I've seen Pho Bo (Beef), Pho Heo (Pork) and Pho Ga (Chicken) in all the cities I've visited, including street side vendors catering almost exclusively to the Vietnamese. Has this spread back to Vietnam or is the statement incorrect and it originated here? -- Liam, liam@elyobo.net (203.210.252.20)
Hope you're having a good time (how did you find the time to edit Wikipedia?). Why not ask some of the vendors (through your tour guide if you can't speak Vietnamese) how long they can remember pho with these other meats. Some of the older folks will probably have some thoughts and memories about this. Pho is a subject of much controversy, as you've probably realized, both among Vietnamese as well as foreigners. Badagnani 03:38, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Humor

Is this really necessary? What relevance does this have, really? I don't think we need the curse word in there either. --Goodkarma 19:59, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Lmao I thought it was funny. Anyway, it was to hear the way Americans pronounce it

So would a line of people waiting to enter a Vietnamese restaurant be a phở queue? --—Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.4.194.98 (talk • contribs)

[edit] Restaurant guide

I removed the section pasted below from the article. The information here is tantamount to an eating guide, something Wikipedia most certainly is not. To generally describe where pho is served is okay, but not to list trivia like waiting times and such. I'm not sure if all the information here is unencyclopedic, but the section most certainly isn't. Please readd info you feel is vital to the article, but keep in mind not to turn into a general trivia collection about pho.

Peter Isotalo 16:40, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Some of this definitely belongs. I came here to try to figure out when so many phở restaurants have numbers in their names. At least the first paragraph should be included. --BDD 22:21, 3 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Restaurants offering phở

In the United States, many phở restaurants are found in many Chinatowns, Little Saigons, and other communities with a large Vietnamese immigrant population. Many phở restaurants tend to use digits in their names (for example, Phở 54 Restaurant or Phở 888 Restaurant), which may have or may not have a significant meaning. For example, Phở 54 and Phở 79 signified the years when their owners fled North Vietnam and Vietnam, respectively. Also, in Vietnamese culture the number 8 is considered to be lucky.

Hmm, I don't know around the rest of America, but up in the Washington state area, they've been a lot of new resturants opening with humourous names such as What The Pho? or Pho King Good. Hmm maybe someone should add that. I thought it was noteworthy.

As with many restaurants, the types of phở restaurants can range from small mom-and-pop "hole in the wall" greasy spoons serving low-priced phở to elegant dining establishments serving Vietnamese and fusion cuisine. Some of the first phở shops that opened up in the United States were in the city San Jose, California. Sauces such as hoisin, fish sauce, and the Sriracha style hot sauce are often popular condiments that go with every phở meal. In addition to noodles, many phở noodle restaurants in the U.S. may also serve other Vietnamese dishes such as rice combination plates called cơm tấm, baguette sandwiches (bánh mì), seven courses of beef (bò 7 món), and French-style coffee (cà phê sữa đá).

On many phở menus, phở noodle dishes come in several sizes and prices. Non-Vietnamese-speaking customers can order by using the corresponding number in English. For example, a "Number 1" might be a special extra large bowl (phở đặc biệt xe lửa) with all the works (actual menus will vary with each and every restaurant). In many phở restaurants, the noodle dish is usually prepared in less than 5 minutes upon ordering. Jasmine tea is served, but coffee, soy milk, lemonade, or cold Thai tea is typically appropriate with phở as well.

With relatively inexpensive prices and a large proliferation of phở restaurants in North America and France, phở is gradually becoming a favorite worldwide.

[edit] Temperature of Noodles

Are the noodles supposed to be cooled before they are added to the broth, or is something supposed to be done to the dish to maintiain a "correct" temperature that is not too hot nor too cold at the time of serving? I ask this because I recently had Pho in a city in Asia where I don't think they ever had a Pho restaurant before, and when I had it, the right ingredients seemed to be present but I couldn't help thinking that they had gotten the temperature all wrong. Basically, it was too fricking hot, so much so that it made eating it slow and difficult. I thought back to the proper Pho in other countries I had had before, and I don't seem to recall such a problem with temperature. So, are the noodles in fact supposed to be cooled before adding it to the hot broth? --211.116.85.45 00:44, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

Yes,in Ha Noi,Pho 's noodles are cooled down before added to the broth

As far as I know, there's no "right" temperature for phở. It's variously a matter of:

  • personal preference: some people rinse the phở noodles in hot water or hot broth before serving to prevent it from cooling off the broth too much; some people add ice cubes to their phở to bring the temperature down to their liking!
  • restaurant health regulations requiring soups to be of a certain temperature
  • restaurant science recommending a "serving" temperature for soups.

Andy 19:24, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

I never had cold noodle-kind pho before. Maybe you're talking about something else because how would the meat cook? And stuff like that.

I must say that personal experience indicates that almot all phở places use warm/hot noodles. As for the heat required to cook the meat, I have two things to say: 1. There'd be no raw meat if one orders the "all cooked meats" variety of phở, and 2. Some people prefer the meat as rare as possible, to the point of requesting that the meat be kept separate, to be added to the broth by the diner only at the last minute, to avoid overcooking! Andy 22:26, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Agree with the above, noodles are not specifically 'cooled'. Most restaurants and even the street vendors in Vietnam use fresh rice noodle, as opposed to the 'dry' type which needs to be cooked. The noodles are added to the bowl at ambient temperature then the boiling broth is poured over the top. The result is still rather hot tho as it needs to be able to cook the raw meat that typically gets added with the noodles. Vespine 05:38, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Merging Kuyteav in this article

  • Support - Kuyteav has been nothing more that a stub for almost a year and it is basically the same dish, prepared, eaten and even garnished in the same fashion. Even the name is from the Chinese name of the noodles used, "kway teow". Kuyteav should then redirect here and we can include a sentence similar to "Pho, called Kuyteav in Cambodia...", then add template for "Cambodian Cuisine" Category. The only alternative would be to copy and paste this article on the Kuyteav page, thereby making two articles exactly the same (not desirable).--WilliamThweatt 03:30, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

Um, I don't know to what extent Kuyteav resembles "pho", but the Vietnamese can be really particular about what noodle dish can be accurately called "pho", since "pho" is a specific dish, not just any kind of noodle. So I don't think we should say "Pho, called Kuyteav in Cambodia...". Instead we could say something like "In Cambodia there's a dish similar to Pho called Kuyteav..."

As you say, you "don't know to what extent Kuyteav resembles pho". I do: it's the same. I've had pho in Vietnamese households and at numerous Vietnamese restaraunts in various countries and I've also had Kuyteav in many Cambodian houses and restaraunts. Being an amateur chef and connoisseur, I can tell you: same noodles, same ingredients, same garnishes; same dish. I will say however, that whether talking about Cambodian, Vietnamese, Thai or Lao, the dish served in restaraunts differs from that served in the home kitchens. Although the noodles are invariably the same, the soup and broth made at home can contain many different ingredients (beef, pork, chicken, seafood, etc.), depending on what one has available. By the way, FYI, Cambodians also are particular about what Westerners simply call "noodles". "Kuyteav" specifically refers to this type of noodle, other words such as "mi", "mi suor", "laat na", etc. are used to refer to other types of noodles.--WilliamThweatt 23:34, 29 March 2006 (UTC)
You didn't mention, however, that (as for guotiao/kway tiao), the name "pho" can also describe a (soup-less) dish of wide rice noodles stir fried with vegetables and/or meats, which is distinct from the better known pho soup dish. Badagnani 05:40, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
  • Oppose - Noodles commonly associated with phở may be used with other soup bases, but that doesn't make those other soups phở. Alyssa3467 23:04, 4 April 2006 (UTC)


  • Oppose

this is ridiculous... pho noodles also have nothing to do with a collective "southeast asian dish"...you can find similar beef noodle soups in japan and korea as well. and you cannot include south china as part of southeast asia to begin with, because culturally it's part of the same entity as northern china (especially when we're talking about pho, which is a modern invention)

and it's not the same. that's absolutely ridiculous. I've seen countless forum threads made about the khmer version and all the khmer people have said it tastes different from pho. In fact, you're the only person I've ever heard saying they're exactly the same.

Btw, If anything Khmer people have said it resembled Vietnamese hu tieu which is a basic broth and resembles soups from practically every country. In fact, another name for kuyteav is HU TIEU NAM VANG.

btw, culture in vietnam flowed virtually one way, that's from the north to the south. all other influences are miniscule and almost invisible. that's why pho WAS influenced by china (north!)..because the idea of noodle soups came from china in the first place, then spread EVERYWHERE across asia. if you're going to compare the khmer version and the viet version..I think you should include the thai, korean, japanese, lao, and even chinese version as well..why not MERGE those?! And yes they all have their own special names too..

someone on here mentioned that two of the versions are exactly the same..well have you ever thought that that's because the one you ate actually was the vietnamese version? I have khmer friends who basically eat straight out vietnamese foods at home. that's even more of a given for khmer-krom. according to one of my khmer friends, many foreign dishes have their ORIGINAL names retained simply to show that they came from somewhere else. the khmer version of pho is not one such dish, but you can look at some other noodle soup dishes in khmer cuisine and see that they even mention the word "yuon" in their title(which means "vietnamese" in khmer) in certain dishes to signify Vietnamese influence.

Conclusion: What the Chinese brought to Cambodia would be the equivalent of Vietnamese HU TIEU, not Vietnamese Pho. Hu tieu is an extremely basic noodle soup broth dish.. Need I mention that in threads I've seen practically all the Khmer people have agreed that Pho and Kuyteav are NOT the same?

Have a look at this just for one example: http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=34789&hl=kuyteav&st=0

And you're wrong again on the origins of Pho, every Vietnamese person knows Pho came from the North, regardless of your personal theories on it..--Aerisalive 08:06, 14 April 2006 (UTC)

  • Oppose-The process of making pho's broth is kind of analogous to consommé. At least, that's how my granparents', who used to have a pho shop, and my uncle, who owns a successful business, have explained it to me. Unless kuyteav employs a similar method, I don't think they should be merged.--Nosmik 08:06, 15 April 2006 (UTC)
  • Oppose-Even if a similar method was employed, that wouldn't warrant merging another nation's dish or adaptation of a dish into the same article. There are plenty of other countries who have counterparts to Pho...why not merge those? Why is it just the Khmer version?
  • Oppose The person claiming they are the same is mistaken. The key spice ingredients in Pho are cinnamon and star anise, they give the soup the distinct flavour regardless to the regional differences that can be experienced even from restaurant to restaurant. The recipe linked to Kuyteav does not include either of those ingredients. Vespine 05:30, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Unorthodox

What does The use of condiments such as chile sauce, hoisin sauce or basil leaves could be considered unorthodox among some consumers mean? Which consumers? (Ones preferring northern style Phở?) --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 00:42, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

That's possible! I think northerners stick to the original recipe which used scallions as the garnish, while southerners use more basil, cilantro, and a wider variety of other herbs. I don't know about the sauces, though. Badagnani 00:50, 17 September 2006 (UTC)
I think my point is that the sentence doesn't really help the reader at all. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 03:22, 17 September 2006 (UTC)
It could certainly be reworded to make it clear the difference in garnishes between Hanoi- and Saigon-style pho. Why not give it a shot? Badagnani 05:51, 17 September 2006 (UTC)
Well, the article already discusses the regional differences; I think I'll just remove the sentence. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 16:47, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Recipes

The person who added the external link to this recipe http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_pho_bo.htm ought to be drawn and quartered!!! Five spice powder in phở's?!!! Is nothing sacred?!

(But look at the ingredients of five spice powder: It consists of Chinese Tung Hing cinnamon (actually a type of cassia), powdered cassia buds, powdered star anise and anise seed, ginger root, and ground cloves. Another recipe for the powder consists of huajiao (Sichuan pepper), bajiao (star anise), rougui (cassia), cloves, and fennel seeds.

Pho does have star anise, cloves and cinnamon.

So I could totally imagine the early creation of pho containing "Five spice powder" and the recipe evolved from person to the next. Maybe lack of five spice powder in one's kitchen led to the changing of the recipe as people adapt to lack of ingredients.)

I searched for and added links to a few recipes that I consider the most accurate/conventional.

Generally, be suspicious of recipes that call for ready-made beef broth, that do not specify roasting/charring of the whole onions, and that do not specify that the beef bones be cleansed by being briefly boiled or soaked overnight.

Recipes included were:

Other recipes not included were:

Andy Nguyen 18:02, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for these reviews; it's very helpful! Badagnani 18:04, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Inappropriate image

I move that we remove the picture of someone posing in front of a "noodle bar" sign. It is of little relevance to the content of this article. If needed, I can provide some pictures of phở restaurants in Little Saigon in Orange County that clearly say "phở" on their signs and not masquerading as some "noodle bar". DHN 06:29, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

  • Sure, go right ahead, why not? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 07:15, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
  • I think it is a fantastic image and should remain. However, the jokes about "What the pho?" should be removed (or stay removed).Zweifel 07:19, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
Will look around for the what the pho nonsense; I've seen this in RS before but can't find it now. No harm in adding extra/better images however. F.F.McGurk 14:17, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
I made this addition because "What the Pho" is the name of a number of real restaurants, including one in Bellevue, Washington [3] [4]. Zweifel then reverted it without comment. When I asked him about it he explained that his deletion may have had somewhat disingenuous motives. Accordingly, I will restore it with some cites. —Dgiest c 16:02, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
I also saw a What the Phở restaurant at Huntington Beach (right at the pier). These are clearly catering to non-Vietnamese audience. DHN 16:27, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ingredients of Phở?

I think we should pay attention to ingredients of Phở.

- What kind of mint and corriander do the artical mention? What's difference from "corriander leaves" and "ngò gai"? I'm Vietnamese but I haven't eaten or cooked Phở with any kind of mints and rau om. There're only húng quế and ngò gai which're herbs in a Phở bowl and nothing else.

Where in Vietnam are you from, and in which parts of Vietnam have you eaten phở? Badagnani 17:29, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

- Is húng quế means really Thai basil in English? Or perhaps it's cinnamon basil? Or another?

- What should we translate some kinds of onion: hành lá, hành tím, hành tây?

- And "hosin sauce", it's really mean tương ớt or tương ngọt? And it really includes Thai Sriracha sauce in Phở? I think this information's wrong.

Good questions. Hoisin sauce (I don't know the Viet name) is a thick, brown, slightly sweet sauce. In the U.S. we get both hoisin sauce and Sriracha. Badagnani 17:28, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Plays on words

Regarding these restaurant names: "Phở Kim Long", "What the Phở?", and "Phở King", I think the second one is real and intentional but I'm not convinced of the first or third. What do other editors think? Badagnani 01:50, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

I think the second is definitely real, the third might be real, or might be a coincidence (it'd be a coincidence if the restaurant is located on King St., otherwise I think it's intentional since King isn't a legitimate Vietnamese word). The third doesn't seem to be a play on word since Kim Long ("Golden Dragon") is a legitimate name. DHN 19:01, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

I agree; I think the first and third are probably unintentional. But how can we be sure? Badagnani 19:12, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chinese name

I saw on the internet:

Pho is a Chinese family name in Vietnam or of "Chinese background". (Don't know if Pho last name is connected with the noodle in soup dish- pho)

The name is Phó (傅; pinyin: Fù). The tone and vowel are different. I don't think it's a common name. Badagnani (talk) 05:34, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

Why are the characters 檬粉 used to name phở in Chinese? (Question also asked at zh:Talk:檬粉.) Badagnani 19:54, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

檬粉(Méngfěn), MoongPho. --70.21.18.134 (talk) 04:04, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Doesn't make sense. Wiktionary doesn't give "mung bean" as a definition for the first character and the noodles are made from rice, not mung beans. Badagnani (talk) 06:09, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removal of photo

The inclusion of a very prominent and humorously named North American phở restaurant chain sign (as discussed in the article) is good, and I don't think the deletion of it helps the article. Such restaurants may not be typical of Vietnam itself, but they are quite typical of diasporan Vietnamese restaurants in the United States, a nation which has a large number of Vietnamese (perhaps second only to Vietnam). Badagnani 20:02, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

While I have no strong objection to the photo itself (however, I have reservations about displaying such an atypical restaurant name in the article - most pho restaurants in the US don't have these kinds of names), I am removing it because of the photo's description page: the author is "some guy", source is "the Internet", and the license is "logo". Such a cavalier attitude towards copyright will likely get that image removed soon. DHN 20:20, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Garnishes in Hanoi pho

I've just heard that the most famous pho establishment in Hanoi serves pho with scallions, cilantro, and dill (and no other herbs). If this is correct, we should probably add dill to the article (which isn't mentioned right now). Badagnani (talk) 04:43, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Relationship with bak kut teh

The ingredients for bak kut teh seem similar to those used to make the broth for phở. Is there any relationship? Badagnani (talk) 00:17, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "Traditional"

What does "traditional" mean as applied to foods?

Vietnamese cuisine is of course thousands of years old; at what point does something get the nomenclature "traditional"? Pho (according to the article) is only about 100 years old.

Seems to me the adjective is sufficiently vague to be unnecessary. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 05:49, 10 March 2008 (UTC)