Updated 11-08-10. The first thing I do when served with a bowl of Vietnamese pho is to enjoy its fragrance steaming up out of the hot broth. The second thing I do is to take a sip of that broth to taste its goodness in its most unspoiled state. There are pho broths out there good enough for me not to have to enhance them with any sauces. Regardless of how good the broth is, though, I must have my squeeze of lime in my pho. To me the fresh tangy lemony flavor is an absolute must-have flavor in a bowl of pho bo, no exception. But this is where I have a problem with how lime and pho come together.

Take a look of the following pho photos gathered from around the Internet. You will find similar photos in many cookbooks and printed publications as well. What is common among these photos? Can you see a common no-no in all of them?

• Pho photo #1
• Pho photo #2
• Pho photo #3
• Pho photo #4
• Pho photo #5
• Pho photo #6
• Pho photo #7
• Pho photo #8
• Pho photo #9
• Pho photo #10
• Pho photo #11
• Pho photo #12
• Pho photo #13
• Pho photo #14
• Pho photo #15

Yes, it’s the piece of lime in the bowl, peel, sometime seeds and all!

OK it’s very simple:

1. You don’t want to cook the lime peel and seeds in the hot broth. Yuck!
2. Do I use my fingers to snatch out the piece of lime and squeeze it to get the lime juice? Double yuck!

This post is not about judging the validity of recipes, ideas, ingredients or viewpoints of pho writers and bloggers on the sites above. And I’m not poking fun at photographers taking liberty and creative license with their culinary works. I respect all of that. But this is all about accuracy of the presentation, and conveying the subject matter in the proper manner. If we want to share, educate and inform one another about Vietnamese Pho, then let’s do it right. Providing good, accurate presentation of what pho is, is a very big part of this sharing, educating and informing. Pho veterans will like it, and pho newbies will appreciate it. We as publishers have at least some responsibilities here, right?

The bottom line: creative photography or not, let’s serve the lime where it belongs: right on the side of the pho bowl.

Oh one more thing. Some of these photos show way too little amount of pho broth in the bowl. To properly serve a bowl of pho, you need to use plenty of broth to cook all ingredients within the bowl, and that means most everything must be submerged except for the garnishing for the finishing touch.

By the way, many pho zealots agree with me when it comes to the taste of lime in pho. Check this out, as of this writing, this LovingPho.com running poll indicates that lime is the top item to enhance your pho experience. If you haven’t done so, take the poll and share with us your preference.

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Want the Lime Taste in Your Pho? Don’t Serve It Like This is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Looking for pho at a Fall Festival this year? You might find just that with current popularity of pho. In fact I found some great pho at the St. Barbara Parish Fall Festival in Santa Ana this past Saturday Sept. 26, 2009. There were carnival rides and games, international foods, and live entertainment, plus a raffle grand prize of $10,000. The festival ground was crowded with the young and old of various ethnicities. Not surprisingly, this is the heart of Little Saigon in Orange County CA, so the festival goers were predominantly Viet.

The festival itself actually spanned from Friday Sept 25 to Sunday evening of Sept. 27. Vendors volunteered their time, products and services as charity to the church, so it’s all for a good cause. The Quoc Viet Foods® folks also set up shop inside the main tent, serving three kinds of noodles (pho bo, pho ga and bun bo Hue,) together with their branded coffee Cafvina.

Behind the serving counters, they had 6 large 40-gallon vats brewing pho and bun bo Hue broths all day. To one side is a separate, smaller pot of boiling water for blanching pho noodle (banh pho.) Both the operation and the service were efficient, as Quoc Viet Foods® has been participating at events like this for many years.

So Vietnamese pho at a Fall Festival? Depending on what festival you go to, you can find both the traditional and unconventional kinds of food nowadays. It may be unheard of a few years back, but with the popularity of pho raging in many places in North America, pho just may become the next big festival food. It’s even cooler when you have all proceeds going to support a local church.

Here’s a short video showing pho action at the St. Barbara Parish Fall Festival. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYquwQJfLNo

Pho, Charity and Fall Festival – A Match Made in Heaven is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

I had the privilege to meet and chat with Brian Nguyen, the founder of Quoc Viet Foods^® Incorporation in Westminster, California, the maker of Vietnamese pho and other soup bases. I find Brian’s story about how he started Quoc Viet pho soup base and where he wants to take his company quite fascinating. Here’s a recount of our encounter.

First a little bit about the company. Quoc Viet Foods^® specializes in manufacturing and distributing Vietnamese pho soup bases and other seasonings. The company is the first to use modern technologies to convert the traditional Vietnamese dishes into the convenient soup base form. Quoc Viet’s soup bases and seasonings are processed from natural ingredients and do not contain any preservatives. For those who think soup bases are cheap, MSG-laden imitation of the real thing, they haven’t try these products. In fact Quoc Viet’s pho and other products are so good you’ll get restaurant taste and quality at home. By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not receive any compensation for writing this article.

Those who have been looking for quick pho recipes probably saw my post about Quoc Viet Foods’s pho soup base. In it I described how to make a batch of 20 plus bowls of pho in less than 3 hours. I took my time for that post, but my subsequent performance has improved to less than one hour. So you can say I’m a fan, and Quoc Viet Foods’ products should definitely be on your try list if you don’t want to deal with bones, oxtails, and 3-6 hours in the kitchen.

Quoc Viet Foods’ Formative Years

The company name is Quốc Việt Foods^® Incorporation. In Vietnamese, the word “quốc” means nation, state or country, and of course Việt is the majority ethnic group of people living in Vietnam. So Quốc Việt Foods^® is all about the traditional flavors and taste of Viet foods of the motherland. By training, Brian Nguyen earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Food Sciences. He’s worked for major food companies so he had all the right knowledge, from food product development to testing, from production to packaging, and distribution. Only problem was, he had no product to call his own.

On many trips to the local supermarkets, Brian told me he often looked that Viet foods on the shelves that are made in Thailand and elsewhere, with questionable quality and authenticity. One can almost see the entrepreneurial mind at work, and like many entrepreneurs, Brian had this energy that was just waiting to explode into a great product for a waiting market.

It finally dawned on Brian Nguyen that pho is what he wanted to do. Already in existence were mediocre products at best, and Brian definitely had some ideas. Now I’ve written before that Vietnamese cuisine is not something easily duplicable into mass produced quantities. And when it comes to pho, the variation is something that is expected. It’s one reason why I’ve not been impressed with pho franchises. But I digress.

Back to Brian and his pho. His garage became his R&D and product development laboratory – think Steve Jobs, Apple computers, and garage. Local supermarket meat departments were his beef bone and oxtail suppliers. It came to a point that butchers knew his face, what and how much he wanted as soon as he approached them in their shops. And his neighbors started wondering about this family next door that cooked pho everyday, all day long. Brian’s family is Northern Vietnamese so it’s no surprise, but the real kicker was when he told me neither he nor his family liked pho!

It wasn’t until the business actually opened that the butchers and neighbors understood what he was up to.

Growth and Market Expansion

Quoc Viet Foods^® then began a journey of growth from a humble 900 square foot location in 2002, expanding progressively to larger facilities every few years, to the current 12,000 sq ft space.

With an excellent product line, an expanding pho market that continue to gain visibility and popularity, new products coming down the pipeline, Quoc Viet is poised for more growth in the coming years. You can now buy Quoc Viet’s products from many Asian supermarkets. For those who cannot find a local retailer, the company will make an effort to ship products directly as well, though it’s an exception rather the rule.

In addition to supplying to the supermarkets, Quoc Viet Foods^® also ships products to restaurants, hospitals, schools, and casinos. Recently the company also became an approved vendor to SYSCO, the ubiquitous distributor of food and related products and services to restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, hotels, motels, schools, colleges, cruise ships, sports parks and summer camps – wherever a meal is prepared away from home. This is serious pho distribution channel.

New Products – Vietnamese Coffee and Tea

Vietnamese milk coffee Cà phê sữa (either đá or nóng – iced or hot) is great by itself or it can go well with or after a bowl of pho. Brian Nguyen informed me that Quoc Viet Foods^® is also bringing to market its own new products of coffee and tea. Branded Cafvina, the coffee that I tried rivaled many coffees you may find in retail shops, and can give Lee’s Sandwiches’ iced coffee some serious challenge. Cafvina brand coffee comes in whole bean, ground, concentrated or ready-to-drink varieties. Look out for them.

Visit QuocViet.com.

Quoc Viet Foods® Steadily Growing and Bringing Vietnamese Pho to the Masses is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

The basil family of herbs is one of the oldest and most commonly used herbs in the world. The variety known as Thai basil is no exception; it is utilized so extensively in Indian and Southeast Asian dishes that it is practically considered a vegetable rather than a simple herb. In Vietnamese pho, Thai basil has a prominent place on the plate of garnishes that are served along with the steamy bowl of broth, meat and noodles.

Because there are so many variants of basil in every corner of the world, it is not really a surprise to find someone confusing Thai basil with one of its cousins. But Thai basil has a unique smell, appearance and taste that makes it stand out from among the others.

What Is Thai Basil?

Thai basil is known by many names. In the West, it is sometimes called licorice basil, sweet basil or anise basil, although there are variants of basil that are also referred to by those names. In Thailand, Thai basil is called bai horapa, while in Vietnam, it is known as rau húng quế. Interestingly, rau hung que literally means “cinnamon mint,” though Thai basil is a true basil.

This true basil is made distinct by its small leaves, smaller than its western and European counterparts. It also has purple stems; when it blooms, its flowers are also colored purple. There are many varieties of Thai basil grown all over the world, but the most popularly cultivated is called the Siam Queen. As for taste, Thai basil is known for its peppery zing that is coupled with a kind of sweetness akin to that of licorice and anise. This is the reason why this type of basil is also called anise basil or licorice basil.

Thai basil should not be confused with Thai holy basil or with Thai lemon basil. These are all commonly used basils in Southeast Asian cooking, but Thai holy basil has leaves that are smaller and velvety in texture. Thai holy basil also smells like cloves. On the other hand, Thai lemon basil smells and tastes like lime, just like its name suggests. The other name of Thai lemon basil is hoary basil.

One advantage that Thai basil holds over its numerous cousins is that it retains its flavor well even when cooked. The same cannot be said about the other types of basil, especially the Mediterranean strain that is called sweet basil in the West. That being said, Thai basil is best consumed fresh, just like any other kind of basil. If it is to be preserved, one can chop it and mix it with olive oil or honey to make it last longer.

History, Lore and Legends of Basil

Since it is one of the oldest herbs in use in the world, basil has a long stretch of lore and history behind it. Thai basil is no exception. The herb may be called Thai basil, but its origins are placed in India, where it has been cultivated for at least five thousand years. One of Thai basil’s Indian cousins, the Indian sacred basil or tulasi, is regarded as a holy plant. Tulasi is seen as a representation of the goddess Lakshmi, who is one of the consorts of the Hindu god Vishnu. Basil is often scattered in graveyards in India.

Trading took basil to other parts of the world, and the herb gained its own meaning where it landed. The name “basil” actually came from “basileus,” the Greek word for “king.” That is because the herb was often used to treat the ailments of royals, and was often mixed in their baths to keep them healthy.

Basil is also a symbol for love in Italy. If a man wishes to marry a woman, he calls upon her with basil in his hair. Ancient Roman marriage practices include exchanging basil leaves or sprigs.

In Thailand and Vietnam, and in the rest of peninsular Southeast Asia, Thai basil keeps one healthy. It is more regarded as a vegetable in this region rather than just an herbal garnishing.

Role of Thai Basil in Pho

Thai basil is an optional ingredient in Vietnamese pho. Along with bean sprouts, lime wedges and chopped Asian chili, Thai basil is always included in the plate of garnishing that is provided with the bowl of pho (except for the Pho Bac or northern pho variety.) Whether it is to be put in the bowl or not depends on the discretion and desire of the person eating it.

What does Thai basil do to pho? As mentioned above, this herb has a peppery taste that can be quite spicy. It adds a layer of liveliness to the delightfully complex mix of flavors in a bowl of pho. At the same time, Thai basil is also sweet, a sweetness that is similar to that of anise and licorice.

Vietnamese cuisine, just like most Asian cuisines that are heavily influenced by the Chinese, follows the Chinese principle of balance in cooking. What this balance means is that all the five basic tastes of saltiness, sweetness, spiciness, bitterness and sourness should be present in every dish. However, these flavors should be in harmony with one another instead of fighting it out in one’s tongue. Vietnamese cooks always strive to achieve perfection in their food by creating the right balance between these five tastes. It is no different with Vietnamese pho.

Enjoying Thai Basil in Your Pho

Most people throw in the basil leaves and let them cook in the bowl as they eat their pho. For those who want to maximize the taste of Thai basil in your pho, do this instead.

1. Pluck and gather a few leaves together and pinch/tear them into smaller pieces into the bowl. This releases all the basil’s fragrant flavors and aroma more quickly and intensely, so you get to enjoy it even before eating it.
2. The next step is to not cook them in the broth. Don’t push them down into the hot broth but just let them be on top of everything. You’ll get to them when you get to them. By doing this you’ll get the freshest possible taste of basil as you enjoy the rest of the pho ingredients.
3. Thirdly, put them in as you progress with your pho. Don’t put them all in at once at the beginning. Pace them out over the course of your pho adventure, and stop after maybe 2/3 of the way. This is because if you continue after the broth has cooled then you’re essentially eating raw basil which may be too pungent for some.
4. Finally, for the maximum Thai basil effect, you can obviously use more of it with each and every mouthful of pho.

I’m more in the #3 and #4 camp myself.

Growing Thai Basil

Thai basil is a kind of herb that can be grown successfully both indoors and outdoors as long as it has access to sunshine at certain periods during the day, it is regularly and liberally watered, and it is planted in well-irrigated soil. There are actually many cultivars of the Thai basil, though, as mentioned above, the most popular of them is called the Siam Queen.

This type of basil is pretty much resilient regardless of the climate and can be grown all year round, although it does not really like the cold.  Another beautiful fact about Thai basil is that it is believed to repel garden pests like aphids and mites. This is why many gardeners choose it as a companion plant to protect their more susceptible plants.

If the Thai basil is to be planted at an outdoor garden, its seeds must first be prepared and allowed to germinate indoors. The seedlings can then be transplanted to their outdoor plots when they become two or three inches tall. In addition, the seedlings must be planted eight inches apart from each other.

Thai basil can be harvested by plucking or cutting one leaf at a time as needed for cooking and other purposes. However, to encourage the herb to grow more leaves, it is recommended that the third top of the stem be cut instead. When cutting leaves and stems, clean and sharp gardening scissors should always be used.

Thai Basil – Must Have Ingredient for Pho

Thai basil adds a sweet and zesty layer of flavor to the dish, and it can help enhance the richness of pho. Readers to LovingPho indicated in the What’s in your pho? poll that Thai basil is one of the top 3 items they prefer in their pho bowls, right up there with bean sprouts and lime. It beats out culantro, hot chili sauce, hoisin sauce for pho, and sliced peppers. So for those who have decided Thai basil is not for them: maybe it’s time to try it again?

Thai Basil – The Siam Queen Takes Her Place in Vietnamese Pho is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Updated 07-31-09. Americans may look at instant ramen noodles a little funny, but in truth these cheap dry noodles in a cup or a bag play a very important part in sustaining the Asian families especially during hard times. The Japanese love noodles as much, or maybe more than anyone else, so it’s no surprise a Japanese named Momofuku Ando invented instant ramen back in 1958. Today Vietnamese pho gets the same instant treatment in the form of instant pho, or phở ăn liền (ready-to-eat pho.)

But first a few words about the instant ramen itself. Asians know that instant ramen is imitation noodles so there’s no point criticizing it. For Asians living in Asia, instant ramen can be cheap and quick meals when you can’t have the real thing – due to a variety of reasons, economic included. For Asians living outside of Asia, particularly in Western countries, instant ramen stands for something quick and dependable until the real meal. Instant ramen is the self-serve Asian fast food, and to most Asians, it is the comfort home food, pretty much in the same way peanut butter and jelly sandwich is to Americans. Except that many adult Asians enjoy eating it too. Nowadays my guess is it’s also a popular college dorm food.

Instant Pho

There is a reason why instant ramen, and instant pho, took the world by storm. In today’s fast-paced life, instant ramen caters to a need to feed and satisfy hunger in less than five minutes. After all, all you need to do with instant ramen is to boil the noodles in water, add the contents of the packet of seasoning, and voila!  In recent years instant ramen even comes in foam cups or bowls where the only thing you need to do is to add hot water and let it sit for a few minutes. Witness the Cup-Noodles popularity.

So instant pho is riding the instant ramen momentum. In fact many Vietnamese dishes do get the instant treatment, including the rice porridge! In many Asian supermarkets and grocery stores, you’ll find sections full of instant ramen offerings. Pho bo, pho ga, pho chay (vegetarian version) are all available. For the large Viet consumer segment in the U.S. (and I would guess the same for Australia and Europe) instant pho and other Viet-dish based instant varieties are now the top choices.

Preparing Instant Pho

Preparation, what preparation? It’s instant pho! With modern convenience, all you need is hot water and 3-5 minutes of your time. Actually, your instant pho experience can be greatly enhanced by adding freshly chopped green onions and cilantro before “cooking” it. Also there’s no question about instant pho’s authenticity or taste – it’s not authentic but you can still taste traces of pho from it. Many people add other ingredients to increase their eating enjoyment. My personal favorites include broccoli or a variety of different Chinese cabbages like bok choy, and leftover Chinese BBQ Char siu, if you have it.

Instant Pho – the Good and the Bad

Now, the question is: Is instant pho bad? The answer is: Not necessary.

Here’s how I look at it. If you treat instant pho like a snack, then it does its job pretty well – all snacks are bad anyway. If you see instant pho as your last resort, then it is great and you’re thankful they made such cheap foods! And if you consider instant pho “junk food,” then having a little guilty pleasure occasionally is okay too. The smart instant pho eater (or of any instant ramen for that matter,) however, do look out for the amount of servings, fat and sodium in each package. Here’s what I mean.

If you look at the Nutritional Facts very very closely, you’ll see what you’re really consuming. In the first sample below, each bowl contains 2 servings, with 380 calories, and 110 calories from fat! Furthermore, you’re also getting 12g (18%) Total Fat, 6g (30%) Saturated Fat, and a whopping 2472 mg (104%) Sodium in every bowl! Pretty sneaky that they use 1/2 bowl serving size. I’ve seen 1/3 bowl serving size labels!

In the next sample, each bowl contains 1 serving, 280 calories, and 110 calories from fat. You’re also getting 12g (18%) Total Fat, 6g (30%) Saturated Fat, and 1950 mg (81%) Sodium in every bowl. A little better, but still pretty bad.

So the question is not if instant pho is good or bad, but if it is good for your health. Eating too many of these bowls (and other instant ramen) will probably kill you faster than the time it takes to debate whether they taste good. You remember that scene, when the Sundance Kid says “I can’t swim,” Butch Cassidy says ”Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you!” The sodium (MSG) itself is not that bad, according to the Mayo Clinique and the FDA “Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful?” but the amount packed in there is way over the top.

Vietnamese culinary expert and author Andrea Nguyen did a taste-off of instant pho available in Asian markets in her community. What was her conclusion? It is that instant pho tastes somewhat more authentic than instant ramen, and that she would not mind keeping a stash of instant pho in her cupboard if she wants a quick fix.

I, and I’m sure many others, do the same thing too.

Instant Pho: How Good Are They? is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Updated 08-04-10. Per a request from Barb Carter over at the “Tips on Ordering Pho” post, here are audio files to help with your pho ordering in Vietnamese language. The selection is based on a typical pho menu one may find at many Viet restaurants. So drop me a note in the comment if I missed anything and I’ll add it.

First a few words about convention. In Vietnamese, the word “tô” means “bowl.” When ordering a bowl of pho tai, for example, a Viet would call a “tô phở tái” or just “tô tái.” If you’re already in a pho restaurant, then saying “phở” is redundant and is really not necessary (but optionally okay.) If you’re in a Viet restaurant that also serves pho, then ordering a ”tô phở tái’ would be more appropriate to make it clear that you want pho and not another dish. So for those who find saying pho a little challenging, “tô” will solve your problem!

Note: The “t” in “tô” pronounces as a hard t like in French (e.g., Tour de France) or in Spanish (e.g., Latino,) and not like a soft t in English (i.e., tow truck.)

For pho bo or beef pho, as noted in “Tips on Ordering Pho,” the seemingly endless pho options on the menu are really permutation and combination of the available meat cuts and types that you can mix and match. The most common options are:

• bo chin (sliced well-done steak),
• bo tai (sliced rare steak),
• nam (flank),
• ve don (crunchy flank),
• gau (fatty brisket),
• gan (tendon),
• sach (tripe) and
• bo vien (beef meatballs, normally with tendon).

So without further ado, here is the audio pho menu. As always each has the Southern Viet accent followed by Northern Viet accent.

1. Pronounce: Tô Đặc Biệt Xe Lửa (pho dac biet xe lua) – special (combo) large
   size pho
2. Pronounce: Tô Đặc Biệt (pho dac biet) – special (combo) regular size pho
3. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách (pho Tai, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach) -
   rare steak, flank, fatty brisket, tendon, tripe pho
4. Pronounce: Tô Chín, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách (pho Chin, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach)
   - well-done steak, flank, fatty brisket, tendon, tripe pho
5. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Chín, Gầu, Gân, Sách (pho Tai, Chin, Gau, Gan, Sach)
   - rare steak, well-done steak, fatty brisket, tendon, tripe pho
6. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Chín, Nạm, Gân, Sách (pho Tai, Chin, Nam, Gan, Sach)
   - rare steak, well-done steak, flank, tendon, tripe pho
7. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Nạm, Gân, Sách (pho Tai, Nam, Gan, Sach) – rare steak,
   flank, tendon, tripe pho
8. Pronounce: Tô Tái (pho Tai) – rare steak pho
9. Pronounce: Tô Chín (pho Chin) – well-done steak pho
10. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Chín (pho Tai, Chin) – rare steak, well-done steak pho
11. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Nạm, Gân (pho Tai, Nam, Gan) – rare steak, flank, tendon
    pho
12. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Nạm, Sách (pho Tai, Nam, Sach) – rare steak, flank,
    tripe pho
13. Pronounce: Tô Nạm, Vè Dòn (pho Nam, Ve Don) – flank, crunchy flank pho
14. Pronounce: Tô Chín, Nạm, Vè Dòn (pho Chin, Nam, Ve Don) – well-done steak,
    flank, crunchy flank pho
15. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Gầu (pho Tai, Gau) – rare steak, fatty brisket pho
16. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Nạm (pho Tai, Nam) – rare steak, flank pho
17. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Gân (pho Tai, Gan) – rare steak, tendon pho
18. Pronounce: Tô Tái, Sách (pho Tai, Sach) – rare steak, tripe pho
19. Pronounce: Tô Bò Viên (Southern)/Tô Phở Bò Viên (Northern) (pho with meatballs) – Viet meatball pho
20. Pronounce: Nước béo (fatty broth) – Southern/Northern similar

Pho Pronunciation – How to Order Pho in Vietnamese is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

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

1. Chicken Flavored “Pho” Soup Base
2. Beef Flavored “Pho” Soup Base
3. Beef Stew Seasoning
4. “Hue” Style Beef Flavored Soup Base
5. Chicken Flavored Soup Base
6. Pork Flavored “Hu Tieu” Soup Base
7. Pork Flavored Soup Base
8. Tamarind Soup Base
9. Vegetarian Soup Base
10. Crab Flavored Soup Base
11. 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.

Quick Beef Pho Recipe with Quoc Viet Foods’ Pho Soup Base is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Pho 24 is an up and rising noodle restaurant chain serving exquisite pho rice noodle dishes. Pho 24 now has store locations in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sydney, aside from its many locations within Vietnam. Pho 24 is part of the Nam An Group, a corporation that specializes in serving Vietnamese food through several restaurant chains the world over. The group is known for its unique pho recipe, which is the secret behind Pho 24′s success.

According to Pho 24, its pho is a carefully mastered art; the founders of Pho 24 ensure that the famous noodle dish is done just the way it’s supposed to be. Pho 24 also focuses on the nutritional aspect of the meal, making sure that a pho dish from Pho 24 has all the important qualities to make a well-balanced noodle dish. But this does not mean that the dish is only healthy; pho is served deliciously at Pho 24, with the soup carefully blended with the choicest ingredients and the most enticing mix of spices.

What sets Pho 24 apart from other pho noodle chains, however, is its attention to the dining environment. Pho 24 maintains small, clean, and cozy stores with great decorations in an East Asian theme and an appetizing ambience, a far cry from the street stalls where pho used to be served. This means Pho 24′s clientele can enjoy pho in air-conditioned, comfortable, clean and safe dining rooms with good service; amenities that many people in Vietnam and other Asian countries consider a luxury. Don’t get me wrong: I’d eat at a side street stall any day, but I think variety is also good for both vendors and consumers.

Pho 24 also has a steady promotional program, the name itself describing what the store offers. The number 24 is meaningful for Pho 24. Let’s take a look.

• First of all, Pho 24 locations open 24 hours.
• Next, 24000 in Vietnamese dollars is the common price for a bowl of pho ga (chicken pho) or pho bo (beef-pho) served at the restaurant. At the current exchange rate of VN$17785 (VN đồng) to US$1.00 (mid-May 2009 rate), this works out to be about US$1.35 for a bowl of pho! Other pho dishes have crept up into the high 30000 to mid-40000 đồng.
• Pho 24 also uses a total of 24 ingredients and spices in its pho broth,
• which is diligently stewed for 24 hours before it is served.

The 24 ingredients plus the thorough preparation process ensures that the pho broth at Pho 24 has a rich and sumptuous flavor, according to the company.

The broth recipe is the same in all Pho 24 locations, as is expected for any food franchise. So wherever Pho 24 takes its pho dishes, you should get the same rich flavor and taste of its pho. This is key to a successful franchise and it’s why the pho experience offered by Pho 24 is fast picking up in worldwide popularity. Ahh, 24 sounds great at about right now…

New pho duoi bo (ox tail pho)

The first Pho 24 store opened in Saigon back in 2003, and this was quickly followed by other locations in the different Saigon districts, and in Hanoi. The first overseas jump was established in Jakarta, Indonesia, marking the beginning of Pho 24′s international growth. Currently, Pho 24′s franchise locations, counted at 70 locations, are not the largest in terms of the number of countries, but the restaurant chain has envisioned itself as an international pho brand name, and it is working steadily towards this goal.

To speed up the process, Pho 24 provides small stores and requires low investments to make the franchising opportunity possible for anyone interested. Pho 24 also makes it easy for franchisees, offering a standardized operating and management procedure as well as guidance in store selection, design, staff training, and an ongoing marketing support. If you are interested in franchising, and specifically pho, Pho 24 may be a good program to check out.

Named as one of the Top Restaurants in Asia and featured in The Miele Guide, Pho 24 is definitely the perfect place to get acquainted to or to enjoy both classic and unique pho dishes. For now no U.S. location exists, so if you happen to be in Vietnam, don’t forget to check out a Pho 24 store. And if you had eaten there, please share your experience with us.

Visit Pho 24.

Eating and Franchising Pho 24 – Bringing Secret Pho Recipe to the World is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Decided to pay a visit to Pho Bolsa this past weekend. My wife was craving for their pho ga (chicken pho) so we went there after running a few errands.

There are many different Pho Bolsas. This Pho Bolsa is on Brookhurst, just north of the corner of Brookhurst and Westminster in Little Saigon. The place has been at the same spot forever and has one of the best pho ga anywhere. It used be a very popular pho shop with many clients crowding the place at any hour of the day. But since the mushrooming of pho restaurants and 50% off pho ga around the area, it looks like Pho Bolsa is losing some customers.

I have other theories as well. For me Pho Bolsa has very good pho ga, probably second to none, and decent pho tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe) which I always have. However the place is never kept as clean as it could be. Now I’m not one who readily complains about cleanliness or expresses concerns about sanitary conditions of a pho restaurant, but I do want to take an issue here. The floor has always felt greasy. At least at one time I’ve seen the owner playing with her dog pet on her arms while working behind the counter. Granted she did not directly serve pho to the customers’ tables, but working behind the counters definitely included taking money and giving changes and preparing beverages among other things. Not something I am ever comfortable with. I’ve come here on and off in the last 10+ years so I’ll be back again, but maybe not as often as I’d like.

But on to the pho. My wife ordered her favorite pho ga with white meat, heart, gizzard, and liver. There were unlaid eggs as well. I had my trusty pho tai, chin, sach (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe). Both were good as expected, but the garnishes were on the wilted side. The free-range chicken were delicious, just right with the right level of tenderness and chewiness. Dip it in the ginger fish sauce and you’re in pho ga heaven. For me the beef tai, chin sach were nothing to complain about, except that I would have liked a little more tripe.

Pho ga with white chicken side and ginger fish sauce.	Free-range white chicken.
Unlaid chicken eggs.	My trusty pho tai chin sach (rare, well-done brisket, tripe).

May 3, 2009

Pho bo (beef: rare, well-done brisket, tripe). Pho ga with white meat on side.

• Pho noodle: (5/5)
• Soup stock: (4/5)
• Meats: (4/5)
• Garnishes*: freshness (3/5)
• Garnishes: extra point for fresh ngo gai (1/5)
• Price: Baseline ($5-6), no extra points or deductions.
• Extra points: -2 for less than acceptable cleanliness.
• Total points: 15 out of possible 35.

* No points for expected garnishes of sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chiles.

Pho Bolsa
13912 Brookhurst St.
Garden Grove, CA, 92843
(714) 530-1143

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Pho Bolsa – Second to None Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Ordering pho has always been a baffling matter to many. A pho menu, for the unacquainted, will seem like a mishmash of words that are as good as gibberish. And what’s with all those numbered choices of combination and permutation of ingredients?

In an attempt to help an unfamiliar customer order a bowl of pho, Vietnamese restaurants inadvertently make their menus more complex than needed. But if you love pho, then knowing how to order pho is a must. It’s pretty easy if you just keep these 3 things in mind: how much pho you want (regular or large size bowl), what the ingredients on the menu means, and which ones you like.

Which Bowl Size?

Bowl sizes come in small or regular called “nho” or “nhỏ”, large or “lon” (“lớn”), special or dac biet, and the locomotive/train size bowl or xe lua. The train bowl is for the adventurous pho connoisseur, and it is also quite large for the average eater.

Beef Pho or Chicken Pho?

The two main types of pho are pho bo and pho ga, or beef pho and chicken pho, respectively. Depending on the restaurant you choose, you may also come across vegetarian pho, and semi-vegetarian pho dishes such as seafood pho or shrimp pho, as called by a few restaurants. In actuality, these non-beef and non-chicken soup noodle dishes are really “hu tieu” and not pho. For a good definition of pho, read the articles “What is Vietnamese Pho?” and “The History and Evolution of Pho.”

So take your pick: beef pho or chicken pho.

What Beef Parts Do You Like?

For beef pho, you have a variety of beef parts to choose as the ingredients of your beef pho. The most basic meat that you can have added to your beef pho is sliced rare beef steak, which is called “bo tai” (“bò tái” or just “tái.”) This is an ideal choice for first time pho eaters. It’s not too exotic, tastes great and represents the typical minimal pho very well.

However, if you want something closer to the classic beef pho, choose ingredients such as “nam” (or “nạm”) or sliced beef flank in addition to “tai.” This means that you could order a pho dish called “pho tai nam” and you’re good to go. So to stay simple: pho tai, pho nam, or pho tai nam. Pretty easy.

Outside of these two most basic beef cuts, there are a lot more exotic beef parts such as “gân” or tendon, “sách” or tripe, “chín” or brisket, vè dòn or crunchy flank, gầu or fatty flank, chín nạc or sliced beef brisket, and bò viên or meatballs. The meatballs in a pho dish are not to be likened to the meatballs you encounter in Italian pasta dishes. Pho meatballs are a bit chewy because they contain pieces of beef tendon and cartilage. Yum!

What Chicken Parts Do You Like?

If you prefer chicken pho, you also have a wide selection of chicken meat parts such as chicken back, chicken neck, chicken wings, and organs such as heart and liver, even unlaid chicken eggs. These may sound strange to non-Asians but are commonplace in Asia and very tasty. If you get a restaurant that serves free-range chicken, gives a choice of side dish of dark or white chicken meats, and serves with a side dipping fish sauce with ginger, then you are in pho ga heaven.

Try the Garnishes…

Maybe garnish is a misnomer when applied in the case of pho. Pho garnishes are not just for decoration and embellishment. You actually eat them as part of the experience.

When it comes to pho garnishes, the standard fare includes “giá” or bean sprouts, “chanh” or lime wedges, “rau quế” or basil, “hành” or scallions, “ngò” or cilantro, ”ớt” or jalapeno or Serrano chilies. Some restaurants offer more options, such as “rau ngò gai” or culantro, or sawgrass, also known as saw leaf herb. Culantro is abundant in Vietnam but harder to get in the U.S., hence it’s an option. Pho garnishes are always served with the meal, which means you do not have to order them, but knowing what they are and what they are called will help you anticipate and try them to get the taste that you want. By the way, putting garnishes in your pho is strictly a personal preference, so don’t let anyone tell you that you have to put them in your bowl.

… and The Sauces

You can also choose from various optional additions, such as the popular hot chili sauce or “tương ớt” (Sriracha brand or equivalent), hoisin sauce for pho or “tương ăn phở”. These sauces are always available at your table like salt and pepper in western restaurants. Again using the sauces is a personal choice. Many mix them directly in their pho broth, while some mix them in a small saucer for dipping the meat.

So now you are armed with the basics of pho menu with some knowledge on how to order pho. For ”advanced” pho ordering, read my article on “Tips on Ordering Pho Your Way: Just Tell Them What You Want.”

Finally, just for the fun of it, here’s Anthony Bourdain eating pho and drinking Beer 33 in Vietnam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsSiA-JHm0U

Understanding the Pho Menu: No More Ordering Pho by the Numbers is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles