PDA

View Full Version : Pho (Vietnamese Noodles) Explained



kenny
05-15-2002, 11:49 AM
Thanks for Thich for writing this... thought I'd share as I am sure this topic will pop up on this forum! haha

WHAT IS PHO?

1) it is the most bang-for-your-buck meal I can think of. An X-Large bowl of Pho can pretty much make you full for $5.50 usually.
Although Edmonton just rapes you when it come good Viet food..... (remember a couple weeks back Sykes? grrrrrr.)
I heard there are a few good Viet restaurants up there tho. They were closed for the day when Sykes and I went tho.

2) it is a NOODLE SOUP; not just any type of noodles either, Pho noodles are actually 100% rice (not to be mistaken with any affiliation to cars). Most Pho dishes will be made by stewing beef (ribs, flank etc etc.) to extract the necessary flavor which gives Pho its distinctive taste. Pho also may or may not have the added flavour of burned onion; and as well as a mixture of spices to add flavour to it.
There are many varieities of Pho; go to a Pho restaurant and you will be able to see this. Pho is NEVER cooked with duck. If you ever get a Pho Duck -- you're getting shafted b/c someone is pulling a mask over your head and feeding you crap!
It is almost always cooked with Beef and beef derivatives and sometimes even beef tail (anyone who has tried this will agree that the soup base tastes incredibly sweet.) Some varieties of Pho will use chicken.

3) Pho history: it started off in Northern Vietnam and slowly integrated itself into the southern regions.
It is an "anytime of the day meal"; in Vietnam, you will find pho stands everywhere at all times of the day. Pho for breakfast is a common sight.
Pho from the Northern region will almost always comprise purely of beef and beef derivative soup bases.
When you move to the central region of Vietnam, there will be more variety in the meat medium used to cook Pho.
There are also varying varieties in how spicy the Pho will be as well since central region Vietnamese people are known to eat spicy foods (I know... I'm from central VN).
Southern region Pho is a combination of other regions and derives no specialties that can be affixiated with that region itself.

4) How to eat Pho: Use a chopstick and Chinese soup spoon. You will also usually have an assortment of sauces to apply to the dish to give added flavour to it.
Hoisin Sauce: (AKA Black Soya Bean Sauce -- not soya sauce)
a black sauce with thick consistency and a sweet fragrance to it. It adds sweetness to the Pho.
Chili Sauce: (AKA hotsauce) -- adds spice to the dish
Fish Sauce: (AKA Nuoc Mam) a pungent smelling light brown transparent sauce which adds an almost sour-sweet taste to the Pho. Note: Commonly used in most Vietnamese dishes

5) Best Pho restaurants in Calgary: From my personal experiences, I like staying in the SE where most of the good stuff is. Pho Xuan, and Pho Dau Bo (it's alrite)

-------
update! :)

originally Pho used Pork (and chicken) as the main meat medium until the French introduced the Vietnamese to Beef (which was primarily used beforehand as the main source of farming equipment back in the day..)

so give it up for the french who taught Vietnamese ppl to appreciate beef as a food ingredient
and the french also introduced the baguette into Vietnam too... what would the world be without Vietnamese subs???


Pho is not the only Vietnamese dish out there.
There are a variety of Bun dishes (another form of rice noodle but called rice vermicilli). This dish is cooked with many forms of meat and poultry; duck, chicken, pork and beef.
Bun Bo Hue (Hue-style Beef stew Bun noodle soup) is my fave and
Bun Bo Kho (stewed beef bun noodle soup) is my second fave bun dish.
Bun dishes also are not restricted to noodle soups. There are "dry" dishes which usually incorporate some form of charbroiled meat/bbq'd meat and fish sauce.

CRXguy
05-15-2002, 12:03 PM
Nice write up.

Pho indeed sucks in Edmonton. Stupid ppl should be ashamed of themselves.:D

rage2
05-15-2002, 12:05 PM
I tried Winnipeg Pho 2 months ago. I left with diareah.

bol
05-15-2002, 12:09 PM
Originally posted by rage2
I tried Winnipeg Pho 2 months ago. I left with diareah.

http://www.pusboil.com/diarrhea1.wav

CRXguy
05-15-2002, 12:19 PM
:thumbsdow

redline
05-15-2002, 10:59 PM
hmmmmm pho:bigpimp:

RiceCake
05-15-2002, 11:13 PM
Originally posted by bol


http://www.pusboil.com/diarrhea1.wav

where do u come up with this stuff? :rofl:

Fluidic
05-15-2002, 11:41 PM
Originally posted by bol


http://www.pusboil.com/diarrhea1.wav


AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Davan
05-29-2002, 04:02 PM
Well done descriptive! Now.... how do you properly pronounce it? :D

Superesc
05-29-2002, 04:32 PM
I pronouce it "Food".

infamous
05-29-2002, 05:56 PM
i haven't had the opportunity to try pho yet, but i am really looking forward to it...now correct me if i am wrong, but is it in a sense like ichiban??? i dunno i am dumb. oh yeah is the correct pronounciation basically "fo"?? i am white so i don't know how to pronounce it and i don't want to look like a retard if i find someplace to buy some :nut:

CRXguy
05-29-2002, 06:00 PM
Originally posted by infamous
oh yeah is the correct pronounciation basically "fo"??

Close enough!:D

infamous
05-29-2002, 06:03 PM
aight thanks....:D i could totally see myself going into somewhere that has it and saying "hi, can i please get some food?" and then getting laughed out of the store because i am white :rofl:

Ben
05-29-2002, 06:24 PM
Yeah, I think its kinda like foe, but with a VERY slight "uh" on the end of the Pho. I dunno, I'm white canadian, born and raised, but thats what it seems like...

Pho

kenny
05-29-2002, 07:10 PM
Originally posted by infamous
i haven't had the opportunity to try pho yet, but i am really looking forward to it...now correct me if i am wrong, but is it in a sense like ichiban??? i dunno i am dumb. oh yeah is the correct pronounciation basically "fo"?? i am white so i don't know how to pronounce it and i don't want to look like a retard if i find someplace to buy some :nut:

Its a really tasty version of ichiban, but the noodles are made of rice and theres slices of beef and other various beef parts. Pho is pronounced Fuh (or something like that).

redline
05-29-2002, 09:39 PM
Originally posted by infamous
aight thanks....:D i could totally see myself going into somewhere that has it and saying "hi, can i please get some food?" and then getting laughed out of the store because i am white :rofl:

that is why you say " gime a 69 biatchhhh!" :rofl:

redline
05-29-2002, 09:49 PM
5) Best Pho restaurants in Calgary: From my personal experiences, I like staying in the SE where most of the good stuff is. Pho Binh Minh (Sunrise), Pho Xuan, Pho Dau Bo (it's alrite)

might have to start a new show on the food network "kenny's pho tours" :D

4wheeldrift
05-29-2002, 09:55 PM
Pho the world over? I'm sure shaw's community network would pick it up for sure :)

Clem
05-31-2002, 01:23 AM
Originally posted by CRXguy
Nice write up.

Pho indeed sucks in Edmonton. Stupid ppl should be ashamed of themselves.:D

Better than the dry, chewy chicken feet you guys in Calgary have at Dim Sum. Ewwwwww :nut:

Big_Six_Boy
05-31-2002, 01:38 AM
Speaking of crappy Pho.. by far, Edmonton has the shittiest ones I've ever tasted (and not only Pho). It's really ironic seeing as the Nammer population up there is much higher...
Slightly better is the Pho in Vancouver, but still nothing compared to the stuff down here in Cow-town!

Hey, what are your favourite Pho places in Calgary?

Personally I like Pho Dau Bo. It's up the in the hardcore N.E. HOOD, so I doubt most will have been there...


-b6b

T5_X
06-01-2002, 06:25 PM
Originally posted by infamous
i haven't had the opportunity to try pho yet, but i am really looking forward to it...now correct me if i am wrong, but is it in a sense like ichiban??? i dunno i am dumb. oh yeah is the correct pronounciation basically "fo"?? i am white so i don't know how to pronounce it and i don't want to look like a retard if i find someplace to buy some :nut:

Ichiban is a japanese ramen dish, it is similar to soba, but uses regular wheat flour instead of buckwheat flour. The noodles are processed, boiled, then they are arranged into blocks and deep fried in palm oil to extract all the water. I don't know if pho is deep fried, but ichiban is bad for you, each pack having ~35g of fat!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

If you want a real junk food of japan, get ichiban yakisoba, mmmmmmmmm...

redline_13000
12-19-2002, 09:07 PM
damn sounds good..i think ill go next time u guys meet up for PHO

Hipermax_d
12-19-2002, 09:46 PM
pho was a bang for your bucks like half a year ago. but now these days the price is getting expensive and the amount is getting less

i still love it though

dj_honda
12-20-2002, 10:33 PM
isnt pho xuan across from t & t (in the NE)?
yea pho is good..

Stratus_Power
12-20-2002, 10:52 PM
pho is getting expensive :( especially the one in that.. East.. something Mal..

B18C
12-21-2002, 10:33 AM
Are there any good pho places in Edmonton? I've been up here for over 3 months and haven't found anything decent yet!

Please help!

ancient
12-21-2002, 11:59 AM
Anyone had Edo's Yakisoba...... I think thats how its said.... Its small thin noodles with teriyaki and beef chicken if you want.


Its like 7 bucks but its so much food you can barely eat it all.

When I work I usually have it for my lunch, they got a hot asian waitress ther too.

redline_13000
12-21-2002, 11:59 AM
Originally posted by dj_honda
isnt pho xuan across from t & t (in the NE)?
yea pho is good..

yes

legendboy
12-21-2002, 12:18 PM
pho pronounced fa

DSM Power
12-21-2002, 02:51 PM
... and so the mysterious meaning of "Pho" was revealed. :angel:

Si_FlyGuy
12-21-2002, 02:58 PM
Originally posted by legendboy
pho pronounced fa

Ooooo I was going to say "Fo" as in...you mofo....hehehhe

GTS Jeff
12-21-2002, 07:42 PM
Originally posted by legendboy
pho pronounced fa no "fa" more "fuhh"

like FUCK without the CK

kenny
11-15-2003, 04:38 PM
bump for old times sake. :)

CRXguy
11-15-2003, 04:51 PM
you must be really bored! :rofl:

roopi
11-15-2003, 05:00 PM
can you guys name some places in Edmonton for viet food?

i need some new places to eat.

thich
11-15-2003, 05:12 PM
holy cow.. talk about old thread.. that musta been like from back from the ol' days.

I just found out something else about Pho to add to the history:

originally Pho used Pork (and chicken) as the main meat medium until the French introduced the Vietnamese to Beef (which was primarily used beforehand as the main source of farming equipment back in the day..)

so give it up for the french who taught Vietnamese ppl to appreciate beef as a food ingredient :D
and the french also introduced the baguette into Vietnam too... what would the world be without Vietnamese subs???

and i'd probably change my choice of Pho restaurants to go to now:
1. Pho Dau Bo
2. Pho Xuan

binh minh sux so bad - haven't been there for years

benyl
11-15-2003, 05:16 PM
Drives me nuts when people say...

"Let's go eat some Foe."

It is "Fuh"

CRXguy
11-16-2003, 12:09 AM
Originally posted by roopi
can you guys name some places in Edmonton for viet food?



Guess you're out of luck!! LOL

All these years going to Edmonton, and I think I've only eaten at 3 different Vietnamese restaurants. They all sucked. I could prolly do a better job at home. :rofl:

CRXguy
11-16-2003, 12:11 AM
Originally posted by thich
and i'd probably change my choice of Pho restaurants to go to now:
1. Pho Dau Bo
2. Pho Xuan

binh minh sux so bad - haven't been there for years

:rofl: :rofl:

I'd go to Binh Minh before I'd even think about the other 2 you mentioned. :barf:

szw
11-16-2003, 12:15 AM
Originally posted by benyl
Drives me nuts when people say...

"Let's go eat some Foe."

It is "Fuh"

no man its 'poe'

pinoyhero
11-16-2003, 01:14 AM
Nice piece of work, thanks for the info.

Spenser
11-16-2003, 01:24 AM
ok, i still don't get it, do you pronouce it PHO like the first part of PHONE? or do you pronoce it like PHA like the first part of FUCK? if if you pronouce it like PHA THEN WHY IN GODS NAME WOULD YOU SPELL IT LIKE PHO? just to screw up white folk?

cocoabrova
11-16-2003, 09:37 PM
bump
in fact, someone sticky this:rofl:

thich
11-16-2003, 10:28 PM
Originally posted by CRXguy


:rofl: :rofl:

I'd go to Binh Minh before I'd even think about the other 2 you mentioned. :barf:

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
mebbe i SHOULD check out binh minh again hahahaha.

man.... the best pho is home made!


Originally posted by Spenser

ok, i still don't get it, do you pronouce it PHO like the first part of PHONE? or do you pronoce it like PHA like the first part of FUCK? if if you pronouce it like PHA THEN WHY IN GODS NAME WOULD YOU SPELL IT LIKE PHO? just to screw up white folk?

it's spelt that way b/c it's viet :D
with the accents all in place:
Phở

"PHA" in Viet means "to pour" as in "to pour tea [into a cup]"

phonetically it sounds like "fuh" but the ending pitch goes up.
monotonal languages like English are no fun
:tongue:

SoSlowDx
11-17-2003, 01:00 AM
Originally posted by Hipermax_d
pho was a bang for your bucks like half a year ago. but now these days the price is getting expensive and the amount is getting less

i still love it though

Pho at Rang Dong is good man their prices have been the same since it opened I think and they always put more stuff that's a for sure

rogue
11-17-2003, 01:21 AM
pho anh huan i think it is on centre street is wicked MMMMMMMM. Also a new one opening in cochrane in dec will be good as it is same owner as pho anh huan.

sputnik
11-17-2003, 07:50 AM
Pho is actually pronounced "Fah"

thich
11-17-2003, 09:45 AM
how does it sound like "Fah"?