Updated 01-16-12. There’s nothing like enjoying a bowl of pho at your favorite pho shop with your pho companions. But there are times, for various reasons, you’d like to make pho yourself at home. Most authentic pho recipes like Andrea Nguyen‘s or Didier Corlou‘s call for cooking the bone and meat in broth for up to 2.5 to 3 hours. Adding other preparation time, including the time to bring water to boil, and you’re looking at maybe 4-5 hours total cook time. So for those who want to take a shortcut and shave off a few hours, try the Quoc Viet Foods Beef Flavored “Pho” Soup Base option.
Quoc Viet Foods makes shelf storable soup bases, seasonings, coffee and tea. When it comes to authenticity, it’s always a challenge to find ready-made food products, including Vietnamese pho. Yet Quoc Viet seems to achieve the impossible for pho, that is to “convert the traditional Vietnamese products into a convenient form” while maintaining the flavor expected of such product. This means for those who never made pho or tasted pho, they can now get very close to the real thing, easily.
You can read more about my other post on Quoc Viet Foods. But enough about the company. Let’s get to the goodness of their Beef Flavored “Pho” Soup Base.
The package comes in a compact round plastic container. The wraparound label clearly describes the content and includes an ingredient list, nutrition information and cooking directions in English, Viet and Chinese. While the nutrition info states that there are 32 servings per container, the cooking directions indicate it makes 20 bowls. Confusing, but still very nice! At a price of US$ 6.99 per container, I’m paying US$ 0.35 for the broth in each of my pho bowls, excluding a few other ingredients of course.
Inside the container are the powdered soup base with marrow, and 2 bags of spices. The soup base is the key part of the pho broth and is essentially your “instant” bone/bone marrow solution that you didn’t have to cook for 2-3 hours. It also packs plenty of beef fats which you can skim off at serving time if you wish. The spice bags are your normal star anise, cinnamon, and various other spices. What’s awesome about the soup base/spice bag combination is they give you all you need for the broth, including all seasonings that you need-I added some fish sauce but it’s really not required. The only other 2 things you’ll need are the ginger and onion which should be charred or grilled before use in the broth.
 Quoc Viet Foods Beef Soup Base |
 Quoc Viet Foods Beef Soup Base Nutrition Facts |
 Quoc Viet Foods Beef Soup Base Cooking Directions |
 Quoc Viet Foods Beef Soup Base Package Content |
The direction is very easy to follow. You’ll have to buy your preferred meat to cook, but this whole process entirely does away with having to buy the bone/oxtail and cooking them to get to the marrow, and to purchase the spices separately. For my broth I bought 2.8 pounds of beef flank, a piece of ginger and a medium size onion. The required ingredients list and cooking directions can be viewed from the photos below, but here’s a recap:
REQUIRED INGREDIENTS:
- 3-4 lbs, beef flank or brisket,
- 1 lb, beef tendon*,
- 1 bulb, onion,
- 2 pieces, ginger.
DIRECTIONS:
- Blanch meats for 15 minutes. Discard solution and rinse meats.
- (Step not in package direction): Char or grill the onion and ginger pieces. I cut my onion in half, but it’s your choice to do so or not.
- Put meats, onion, ginger, in a large pot and add enough water to cover meats. Boil at medium flame for 1 hour.
- After 1 hours, add spice bags and content of soup base. Do not tear spice filter bags.
- After 15 minutes, remover filter bags. Boil at medium flame until meats are softened.
- Remove meats, onion and ginger pieces.
- Adjust water to 2 gallons or to taste.
- Bring to boil and serve.
* The meats and tendon are optional, or you can also substitute/add tripe, meatballs, etc. depending on your preference, just as you would order in a restaurant. See my “Tips on Ordering Pho Your Way.”
For me I ended up with so much broth that I had to divide into 3 smaller containers, put 2 in the freezer and enjoy the third portion over a few days. Again the key was the soup base which is all inclusive. There are no seasonings required as the soup base is super concentrated, and you can add water to adjust to taste. My total cooking time was about 3 hours, but that’s just me because making and eating pho is a religion for me 
so I took my time. For others who just want to get quickly to a nice steaming bowl of pho with chopsticks and spoon in hands, you can probably do it in 1.5 hours or less. An alternative is to use a smaller portion of beef (hence cutting down cooking time further) and/or use pre-cooked meatballs instead. By the way, for those unfamiliar with meatballs, you don’t cook them in the broth for the whole duration. Just heat them in the broth just before serving.
Finally I rate my pho broth creation using Quoc Viet Foods’ Beef Flavored Pho Soup Base as follows:
- Quality and taste: 8/10.
- Convenience: 10/10.
- Affordability: 10/10.
- Total value (quality & affordability): 9/10.
You can find this and other Quoc Viet products in many Viet and Chinese food markets in the 50 U.S. states, Denmark, Canada and Japan. Quoc Viet’s website indicates their products include
- Chicken Flavored “Pho” Soup Base
- Beef Flavored “Pho” Soup Base
- Beef Stew Seasoning
- “Hue” Style Beef Flavored Soup Base
- Chicken Flavored Soup Base
- Pork Flavored “Hu Tieu” Soup Base
- Pork Flavored Soup Base
- Tamarind Soup Base
- Vegetarian Soup Base
- Crab Flavored Soup Base
- Thai Tom Yum Soup Base
Unfortunately Quoc Viet is a wholesaler and does not sell directly to consumers over the Internet. The company is also very active at local demos, festivals, and charity fund drives, so if you’re lucky you can catch them in action serving pho to hungry pho fans at these events.
I cant find the meaning of pho xao (lan) & pho sot vang … can u help?)
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank You so much!!! ive been a huge fan of pho for a while and always found the process of making it for myself too overwhelming. This helped me out immensely! Should i cut up my ginger into pieces?
Hi Joel: There are several ways to char the ginger. Some people will cut it in half length-wise to get more of its surface to char. Others char it whole. Still others peel its skin before charring. I would say take your pick, but personally I cut the ginger in half after peeling. This gives me better flavors due to larger charring surface.
Thanks a bunch!
Joel,
I’ve been an asian noodle fan since I was a kid and can’t get enough. I only go for the authentic stuff and find the stepped on versions a big disappointment. I’ve been looking for a good soup base and purchased this one a few months ago. After much research in making PHO the long way I have a couple of questions about this soup base. Should I use the whole container and and freeze the rest for later? How should I portion the container so I’m not wasting?
Hi Orlando: Brian at Quoc Viet told me that the soup base is stable at room temperature for storage purpose. Even if you opened the container to use just a portion of the powder, the rest can be closed up and stored away in your pantry for months (I have to look at my notes to see if it was 9 months or something else that he said.) Of course you can throw it in your fridge too, no harm doing that.
Hi Cuong, I would like 2 know that these soupbase contain any MSG ? I heard on youtube ppl said that these soupbases are no good b.cause they have so much sodium and MSG. Thanks
Hi SangHuynh: Can you provide a link to the YouTube page you mentioned? I’d like to check it out myself. With respect to the Quoc Viet soup base which is what this article is about, I think it does have large amount of sodium, as are many many other processed foods. If anyone has ever enjoyed restaurant foods, any restaurant foods, I think he/she should expect a large amount of sodium and/or MSG in the food as well. I do admit though, many of them are great tasting
In all seriousness, I would say if you are allergic to MSG then preparing your own food is the best way to go.
Here’s a post on MSG where a number of culinary professionals pitched in their own take on MSG, Vietnamese Pho With No Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)? Sure You Want It That Way? For me moderation is my rule for consuming MSG.
Finally, you can also contact the product manufacturer directly.
Hey all, I actually found this product at Amazon.com. 4 cans for $28.50 plus shipping. It took me all of 45 sec to order, I love Pho. I might look for it locally later, but after reading the article, wanted a quick way to get it.
Hi Severus Snape: If I’m not mistaken, Quoc Viet products are not sold on Amazon.com. Maybe you’re thinking of something else? There is a competing product, but I do not have experience with it.
Hello Cuong, I just double checked my invoice. I ordered through Amazon and it was Quoc Viet brand. The invoice was from Quoc Viet, not a retailer. They must be using Amazon to sell there product. Anyway I cooked my first batch last weekend, and it was great.
Hi Severus Snape: that’s very interesting. My own source told me they don’t do that but maybe they do now. I can see it on amazon.com as a 4-pack. Good that Quoc Viet is branching out. In my opinion they are a little weak on the marketing side.
I cannot reuse the spice bag huh?
Hi Me: Sure you can reuse the spice bags but you’ll probably get nothing much out of it after the first use. It’s like your bag of tea, one time use if all you can get out of it.
Hello,
I prefer Pho Tai and don’t care for the flank/brisket. Would it be possible to skip adding the brisket to the base when cooking or would I lose out on a lot of flavor?
Hi Joe,
The bones, brisket and flank are essential for the beef flavor in the broth. While Quoc Viet has done a great job saving you from having to cook the bones, brisket and flank are still require to give you the rich taste. Now you can substitute more flank or more brisket in place of the other, but I would not recommend foregoing them altogether. The base itself can only give you marginal broth quality, but you may still try the soup base by itself just to know. My guess is it may be better than many restaurant broths I’ve tasted, but really it’s half of what a real pho broth should be. Let us know what and how you did.
I just tried the Quoc Viet base for the first time today. Not only did use beef chuck (couldn’t find brisket and flank at my local grocery store), I also bought a small amount of beef ribs to throw in the pot for extra depth of flavor. It came out GREAT! It was really good. I’m pretty particular about my pho. My mom’s pho was the best. It wasn’t like my mom’s but it certainly tasted homemade and was as authentic as can be.
For those who want a little more star anise flavor (which I love in pho), you can also throw a little more into the pot.
Hi Long: I’m glad you find it acceptable to your taste. Yeah I would say adding more of any kind of beef/beef bones should definitely help the flavor. And I agree, adding more star anise can really bring pho flavor out even more. I do this myself as well.
The one thing that I found odd though was the fact that the Quoc Viet directions had you only use the spice packet for 15 minutes in the broth. I left it in there for about 25 minutes. And I found the broth when eating to be mild in pho aromas. I remember that my mom used to leave all the spices in the broth the entire time. So next time, I’m going to leave it in longer to see how it goes.
Long: It may be odd or it may not. My take on this is QV is just practicing proper precaution, specifying what I would call a safe, reasonable amount of time. I agree with you in leaving the spices in there longer; I love my pho to be real fragrant with pho spices too. From a manufacturer’s point of view though, I can see that they know they do not have total control over what their customers do, so the safest is to recommend something “reasonable,” like 15 minutes. With QV products, they aim to serve those who may not have ever made pho themselves before. So new QV customers may not know how long to simmer spices, or they may leave them in too long resulting in a broth too pungent for average people. Anyway what they should do is suggest something like “vary amount of spice time to fit personal preferences.” If you like yours in there longer, I’d say go for it.
What cut of beef and how much should I buy for use in the broth?
Hi Joe: You want to use beef flank and/or brisket. Depending on where you live, you may not get the proper cut, but anything close should be fine. Vietnamese use untrimmed flank in pho, but you may find it difficult to get untrimmed flank in American supermarkets.
I’ve tried looking EVERYWHERE for this product, and I still have not luck
I live in Toronto, Canada and I’ve managed to only find the cheap unsatisfying Pho soup powders.. Does anyone know where to buy these Quoc Viet products specifically in Toronto? I’m REALLY craving Pho Tai Chin Nam as we speak!
Hi John: I am not sure if Quoc Viet is available in Toronto market. From what I know they do not do mail orders for retail sales. You may want to contact the company directly to find out where their products may be carried in your area. I know they may ship out products to retail customers from time to time. You can contact Alan Khoa Nguyen, Quoc Viet’s Sales at info@quocviet.com, I’m sure he can steer you in the right direction. Alternatively, you can try Quoc Viet’s Amazon storefront.
Let us know how you fare. A should not have to suffer just because he wants some decent Pho Tai Chin Nam.
Joe: I think you can honestly use whatever beef cuts you like. Obviously, don’t waste your money on expensive cuts like filet mignon or rib-eye. If you don’t like gristle or fat, use leaner cuts. If you like all that stuff, use cheaper, fattier cuts. I’ve even used basic baby back beef ribs for the soup stock. And the meat came out delicious! So, I cut them off the bone and added it to my bowl of pho.
Like Long just said.
I love cooking
Kim Thoa: I don’t doubt you love cooking, but can you make a good pot of pho, that is the question
I just purchased my first container and cannot wait to cook up my first pho effort! I’ve read all the comments here and have a couple of questions. Cuong how long do you leave the spice packet in for? I see Long says 25 minutes worked but maybe longer next time, do you or anyone else have a perfect time? Also, any tips on charring the onion and ginger? Do you do it stovetop or use a grill? I was advised to use beef knuckle to add depth to the broth along with the brisket and tendon, any thoughts on that? Thanks so much.
Hi Blaine: For the spices, I left mine in for various amounts of time, depending on my mood
Sometimes 15 minutes as stated in this article, other times longer if I want a little stronger fragrance. One time I got distracted and forgot it until about 50 minutes later. No big deal, just a little stronger spice taste, no one will know. Others above may have found their own preferences. So I don’t think there is a perfect time, because each individual is different. The restaurants cook for the mass so they have to choose one time (arbitrary but to their preference) so that the broth they serve stays consistent from one day to the next. At our Ui-Cha! Pho and Ca-Phe I think we use 45 minutes.
Charring onions and ginger is pretty easy. Either stovetop or grill or any other open flame would work. Charring in an oven at high 450°F can also work. The main thing is high temperature, dry heat, and give it enough time to burn the sides and edges. Just be sure to wash them thoroughly first. You can cut them up so they have more charred surfaces which results in more of that burnt flavor, and/or smash or crush them before going into the broth to help with the extracting of the flavors.
With respect to beef knuckle, yes that would be nice, or better yet if you can find ox tails, then that would be even better. The bones with marrow in it will give you great pho flavors, but then you’d be defeating the purpose of using the Quoc Viet soup base, because they have the marrow in there already. The idea is QV products save you time in cooking the bones. Good luck Blaine, hope this helps.
Well I made it and it was pretty damn good! I would have to rate it almost as good as my favorite restaurant, but not as deep in flavor. I did leave the spice packet in for about 45 minutes and I used a combination of ox tails and beef short ribs in making the stock. I think next time I will add additional star anise. I definately give the brand a two thumbs up!!
Blaine: congrats on getting what you like. Good choice on the ox tails, but I’ve never seen short ribs! BUt a little tweaks here and there will get you what you like, your own pho recipe so to speak.
Hi! I’m making pho for the first time using this base and had a question. Can I just use one spice packet and half the base? If so how much water would I use? Also, it says to blanch the meat – in just water? Really I’m just concerned about how much water to add once I cover the meat – I’m using flank – and I don’t want to make it too watery. I’m cooking for 5 so I’m hoping to just use half and save some for the next time. Any more direction would be appreciated!
Stephanie: Yes of course you can scale it any way you want. I think the instructions say the final quantity is about 2 gallons if you use the whole container, so if you use half container then your final stage should have water added to achieve 1 gallon total. When blanching the meat, just boil water and add your meat for 15 minutes as instructed. Some people feel that may be too long so they adjust down to 5-10 minutes. The idea is to wash off impurities outside the meat before you really simmer it for an hour or so to get the flavor out. I’d say flank would taste very nice.
But why not just make the whole bath and put the unused broth in the freezer; pretty much standard practice to store any kind of broth or soup. Good luck with it, but you really can’t go wrong. If you don’t like the way it tastes on first trial, I am sure your second one will be much much better as you know what to do and what to expect by now.
I’m making the chicken pho, Pho Ga. Anything different about using chicken over beef? This is my first go at it and read all of the beef suggestions, just would like advice if any on chicken. Thanks
I’m making the pho right now and I did buy this mix and am cooking it with bone in beef shank. I got the mix in Toronto, which I had read in the previous comment that they couldn’t find a place. It’s an Asian grocery at 1105 Wilson Ave in North York for your Canadians!
Its simmering as we speak and smells delicious…thanks for this posting! I’ll let you know how it turns out. This is my absolute favourite soup…
@Jessica: One big difference about pho ga is the chicken/chicken bones are much faster to cook than the beef/beef bones. So your cooking time will be shortened considerably when you make pho ga. Another factor is you want to make sure your spices and seasonings are used properly/less in pho ga, otherwise you will mask out all the delicate chicken flavors that you have. Whichever pho you are making, the seasoning and spices should already have been adjusted for that particular pho type in the recipe you are using. If you put the recipe side by side, for example, you may notice that pho bo has more star anise, but less cardamom, or pho ga has cinnamon whereas many pho bo recipes do not call for it. I hope this helps, and you’ll do fine. Even if your first one does not turn out that great, your next one will be much much better.
@Judy: Thanks for the tip. Toronto has a large Vietnamese and Chinese community so there should be plenty of supplies from the markets there. I’ve visited Totonto myself a few years back and I liked Totonto very much. I know you will enjoy your home-made pho, and you’re right, you can’t help but have your home permeated with this beautiful fragrance of pho simmering in your kitchen. And here’s the bonus: don’t worry, you house will not smell bad. The delicious pho smell will not linger and make your house smell really bad like maybe curry does. More reason to enjoy pho!
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