Updated 09-12-09. Corinne Trang is a prolific cookbook author and Asian cuisines and culinary expert. Her latest book, Noodles Every Day, is my kind of book. I love anything slurpable, pho or otherwise. Sure we’re all about Vietnamese pho here on this site, but don’t forget, pho is but one of many popular Asian noodle dishes. Each bowl of noodle provides a full meal in itself. So now that her new book is out, I am excited to have an opportunity for a Q&A with Corinne Trang. I got her to do a noodle face-off between pho and other noodles, and talk about finding one’s roots, writing books, teaching others, making food and living life.

First a little bio on Corinne Trang. She is an award-winning cookbook author, expert on Asian cuisines and cultures, beverage and food consultant, brands and commodities spokesperson, lecturer (NYU, Syracuse, University of Texas, etc…), and chef. A frequent radio and television guest (NPR, Business Talk Radio, Bloomberg, Martha Stewart Living Radio, CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Discovery, Lifetime, TV Food Network, and more), she is the Chief East Coast Correspondent for America’s Dining and Travel Guide (Business Talk Radio). For the latest on her current book tour, visit Corinne Trang’s Tour Dates, and for up-to-the-minute info, follow her on twitter.com/corinnetrang.

Now on to our conversation. For those aspired to pursue a culinary profession, Corinne Trang reveals some interesting nuggets about her road to success that might just help inspire some to get there a little faster. Enjoy.

LovingPho (LP): You have been in many places including in Europe, Asia and the U.S. Which of these places may take the most credit in forming the Corinne Trang we know today?
Corinne Trang (CT): All of the places I’ve visited-a winery in Burgundy, France, a farmer’s market in Capri, Italy, a fishing village in Cebu, Philippines, an artisanal soy sauce factory in Japan, a BBQ joint in Lockhart, TX, or sitting on a sidewalk in Saigon, Vietnam eating pho-have shaped my career on many levels. Every place has something special to offer, and no matter how many times I’ve gone back to them, I always learn something new. I think what has shaped my career the most is being open-minded and generally curious, and my desire to try new things, and willingness to take a back seat and learn from those more experienced than myself.

LP: Where did you spend most of your younger years growing up, in between Phnom Penh, Paris and New York?
CT: Well at this point, New York (I’m still young!), but seriously I was born in Blois, France, but when I turned 6 months old my father, who is Chinese but born and raised in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, decided to take the family back to his home. So we lived there until the war broke out, and about 2-1/2 years later moved back to France. When I was 10, we moved to New York. It was supposed to be a summer vacation, but here I am today, still in New York, the city that never stops.

LP: You were born in France. We’d all like to think that our birthplace has contributed to what we are and do today. How has this formed your current professional pursuit, or maybe growing up in France had little to do with your success now?
CT: Growing up in France had a lot to do with how I think about food. I grew up with a French grandmother who always cooked. Even while running her own business, she always found the time to cook for a rather large family. Going to the farmers market with her was a blast. She’d take my hand, her panier (basket), and we’d go strolling up and down the aisles of the town market. She’d pick up the stinky cheeses, poke and smell them, one after the other. She’d smile and get excited when picking fruits and vegetables.

We’d go to the town butcher for some fresh meat, and the charcutier for cured ham or dried sausage, for example. Then we’d go home talking about the meal she would prepare for dinner that day, all the while eating a warm French baguette just picked up on the way home from the local boulangerie. This was a daily occurrence. Moving to New York was very hard at first, and traveling back to France became really important as a result. The wonderful part was mealtime. We took our time eating, sipping wine (yes I did have glass, even if watered down!) It was not just about eating, mealtime was very much about socializing.

From "Noodles Every Day": Twice-Cooked Egg Noodle Cake With Braised Seafood

LP: Tell us about your time in Europe. What were some of the most memorable things you learned there?
CT: I’m like a sponge. I pay attention a great deal no matter where I am, because if I don’t I’m afraid I’ll miss something and that would be a bummer! I learned to use my senses-feel, touch, smell, hear, and taste. It may seem like a simple thing to say, but it isn’t. I learned to develop my palate simply by trying and remembering.

In Europe every meal shared with friends and family was a pleasurable lesson. In my hometown of Blois, I could be watching my grandmother blind-baking the most buttery, crispy French apple tart, or I could be in Paris standing next to my Chinese aunt deftly chopping a Cantonese roast duck with a cleaver. I could be walking a thousand steps up to the town center in Capri to shop for produce, and walk these same steps down back to the kitchen where I worked as a private chef to make fresh pasta, a daily occurrence. I could be in St. Sebastian, Spain having a delicious meal in a tapas bar where the bartender seemed not to pay attention to what I was picking out of the seafood bar, yet always managed to add it all up when I was ready to pay. I could be strolling along the vineyards in Burgundy tasting the grapes on the vine, or tasting several different types of herring on a smorgasbord and doing shots of aquavit in Stockholm.

The most memorable thing I learned in Europe, and Asia, was to take the time to celebrate one of the greatest pleasures life has to offer, and that is food. It’s something you either feel or you don’t, I think. Some people eat because it’s fuel, taking every ingredient for granted. When I eat, I truly savor every bite and think about it. I want to know why the texture is so. I feel most engaged when I’m handling an ingredient, looking at its shape, paying attention to its color, and smelling its aroma, for example. I love when it talks to me as it sizzles in the pan.

LP: Do you still go back to France often?
CT: I have gone back to France. I do have both my French and Asian side of the family still there. It’s been three years since I’ve gone back now, however, and that’s because I’ve been so busy writing and working in general. I feel restless these days, which means it’s time to go back again.

LP: Can you share with us some of your favorite French dishes, if any, and why they’re significant to you?
CT: I love crêpes because my grandmother used to flip them in her pan, and immediately look at me with a grin as if to say “see that…want to see it again?” and she’d do it again. By the time I got that lacy crispy golden crêpe, it had been flipped several times over.

Lapin aux pruneaux (rabbit with prunes) was another one of my grandmother’s specialties. I just loved the way this sweet old lady used to kill the family rabbits. By the hind legs she’d pick one up, and swing its head against the concrete floor in the backyard. Instantly dead on contact, she’d take a pairing knife and score the skin around the rabbit’s neck, and pull its skin off in one shot. She would then gut it, reserving the offals. In the pan, she’d melt butter and brown the meat cut up into eight large pieces. She’d then sautee garlic and shallots in the same pan and return the rabbit along with prunes, a little cognac and some water. Cooked down until tender, the rabbit was absolutely delicious. I do the same dish but instead of thyme I add rosemary. I also loved the Cavaillon melons she’d serve as a starter. She’d split these small fruits in half, remove the seeds, and fill the hollowed out part with Porto. Even as a kid, I was allowed to scoop up the melon with some Porto. I could go on, but you get the idea.

LP: I think the Washington Post first coined the terms “the Julia Child of Asian Cuisine.” Of course earning such recognition is really no small feat. Do you remember who originally made this comparison and under what context was it done?
CT: When Essentials of Asian Cuisine: Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes (Simon & Schuster, 2003) came out, it was well received. For me it was like a dissertation, taking on eight very important Asian food cultures and tracing them back to their ancient Chinese roots, demonstrating how similar yet unique they each had become over millenia. Of all the books I’ve written, this is my favorite. I had a terrific editor who understood that it was an important book. As a result she gave me carte blanche and I was able to write that book the way I wanted to at the time. I handed in more than double the pages I had originally been contracted to write.

When it finally came out. It was instantly recognized as a “masterpiece” (NPR) and compared to The Joy of Cooking, for example. It’s also been referred to as a reference book and has been cited in several other cookbooks. I’d love the chance to update it some day, but I fear I would double the pages again! It would take a lifetime and a thousand volumes to explain fully all the wonderful foods Asia has to offer. We’re talking about thousands of years of history. With Essentials of Asian Cuisine, I tried and am happy with the results.

LP: How did you feel when first heard or read about this Julia Child comparison? Did you have any problem with it? If so why?
CT: It was truly an honor to be compared to one of the greatest chefs and cookbook authors of our time. I have no complaints, just grateful.

From "Noodles Every Day": Egg Noodle Soup With Five-Spice Duck

LP: You have authored and/or contributed to some very exciting and beautiful cookbooks. Which was your favorite in terms of the creative process?
CT: In terms of creative process the most challenging was Essentials of Asian Cuisine. This is where I got to explore my other passion, photography. All the black and white travel photographs in the book, I shot. I also styled the color food shots, and partially indexed the book. Dealing with cuisines and therefore foreign languages, I was asked by the publisher to work for about three weeks on the index alone. I really got my hands in everything for this book. With The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006), I wrote, styled, and shot the book myself. Talk about me, myself, and I! I would say I really love the creative process of both these books because I got to wear many different hats. The photography made me see food in a different way. It also made me get up from my desk and walk away from the computer, which is a good thing.

LP: And which are you most proud of after publication?
CT: While Essentials of Asian Cuisine was the most challenging (I call it my baby because I cried many a nights, I couldn’t see the end of it!), Authentic Vietnamese Cooking: Food From a Family Table (Simon & Schuster, 1999) is the one I am most proud of because it is my first cookbook. The feeling when I first held the finished book in my hand is something I can’t quite explain. “Disbelief,” comes to mind. I think I stared at it for a long time, flipping through the pages, not knowing what to do next. I felt excitement and fear at the same time. It was overwhelming. It was also the one thing I knew would make my father proud.

LP: From whom do you find inspiration for actions everyday, either within or outside of the culinary industry?
CT: I find inspiration in my students. I love to teach. I love to watch them trying to figure it out. I too learn from them. I learn how to better communicate an idea, a feeling.

LP: I don’t want to get you in trouble, but would love to see your list of top ten chefs. Do you mind sharing it?
CT: There are so many culinary professionals who have and continue to inspire me for many reasons. I get excited about food when I put it in my mouth and it challenges my thinking. That’s number one for me. When I can taste each ingredient the dish offers, it’s a plus. Food that pleases my eyes and invites me to touch it is what I want; it could be a pulled pork sandwich, foie gras on toast points, or a bowl of pho. And I always say, less is more; simple, elegant, inviting, with discernable textures, flavors, and colors.

Here we go, but “ten” is unfair because there are so many unknown chefs in Asia and Europe, in small eateries or sidewalks who really could teach a thing or two (or more) to those of us who have been recognized by this very competitive industry as being at the top of our game. That said, I’ll purposely alphabetize the ten chefs for whom I have tremendous respect.

• Mario Batali
• Jean-Louis Dumonet
• Alain Ducasse
• Chris Lilly
• Anita Lo
• Nobu Matsuhisa
• Masaharu Morimoto
• Eric Ripert
• Ming Tsai
• Hoss Zare

LP: Except for the book “Authentic Vietnamese Cooking,” most of your other books decidedly have multi-country cuisine flavors to them (instead of dedicating to one country’s cuisine.) Personally I think a collection of multiple cuisines may have more appeal to readers. What were some of the factors that governed your decision to write a book one way or the other?
CT: My deepest commitment is to exploring the relationship between culture and food, offering my readers insight into how the many cuisines of Asia have evolved over time. There is not one cuisine that we can refer to as being pure. Every single cuisine in the world has been influenced one way or the other by another. When writing my books, my goal is to demonstrate the similarities between the various cuisines, as well as their differences. I also want to make Asian cuisines accessible, offering a variety of flavor profiles. Essentially I want my readers to feel like they are traveling through Asia when they cook my food.

LP: The flip side of the same question: why did you dedicate a book to just Vietnamese cuisine?
CT: Authentic Vietnamese Cooking is about exploring my very own personal background, half French and half Chinese, the two cultures that influence Vietnam. My father is Chinese but born and raised in Cambodia and the oldest child in his family. He had many siblings who married and decided to either stay in Phnom Penh or relocate to Saigon. No doubt the Vietnamese food I had growing up is influenced by these factors, and these are the recipes included in the book.

LP: Let’s talk noodles and pho. Your latest book is “Noodles Every Day.” I think it’s a great subject for a book, by the way. It has some 70 recipes for all kinds of Asian noodles. So here’s the ultimate noodle face-off, based purely on your new book and your expert judgement.

Which of your noodle dishes do you consider most delicious? Give it a 10. Where does pho fit in on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest)
CT: You’re killing me…I can’t believe you’re making me pick. Can I say they all are, Pho of course being a 10 and right up there with them all? I’ll do that! It’s a user-friendly cookbook. I’ve picked a popular food, the noodle, and have simply applied Asian flavor profiles using basic Asian ingredients that can be got in the international aisle of your local supermarket. (The same goes for my previous cookbook The Asian Grill, which focuses on a popular cooking technique.)

Which of your noodle dishes do you consider most difficult/involved/complex to make? Give it a 10. Where does pho fit in on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest)
CT: Pork Bun (it’s important to remember that buns, spring rolls and dumplings are all considered to be part of the noodle/snack category in Asia) is the most difficult because you’re dealing with yeasted dough. Easy for some, and not so easy for others, Pho being a 3!

Which of your noodle dishes do you consider most difficult/involved/complex to serve? Give it a 10. Where does pho fit in on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest)
CT: They’re all easy to serve. It’ all about the noodles, sometimes single dishes, sometimes with a dipping sauce, or garnishes. Nothing difficult but perhaps some more time consuming that others. Pho being a 1 because it is also easy to serve; just a matter of putting the garnishes on a plate.

Which of your noodle dishes requires the most ingredients? Give it a 10. Where does pho fit in on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest)
CT: I think they’re all about the same. I tried to keep them all fairly simple because I wanted to make these Asian noodle recipes accessible to everyone, the idea going back to Asian cooking being a home-style type of cooking. Most Asian foods are quite simple, which does not make them any less authentic, in fact perhaps more so. Rice Vermicelli with Pork and Spring Rolls and that’s only because between the rice noodles and vegetables, the spring rolls, and the dipping sauce, there are really three recipes in one!

In the world of cookbooks, Pho has two recipes in one, the stock, and the noodles and its ingredients, Pho being a 7!

Which of your noodle dishes do you consider most popular among non-Asians? Give it a 10. Where does pho fit in on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest)
CT: Pho, Pho being a 10!

LV: So here’s the pho noodle face-off results, pho against other noodle dishes according to Corinne Trang:

• Deliciousness of pho: 10/10 (one of the best)
• Degree of difficulty to make pho: 3/10 (not too difficult)
• Degree of difficulty to serve pho: 1/10 (very easy!)
• Number of ingredients required for pho: 7/10 (fair amount required)
• Pho popularity among non-Asians: 10/10

From "Noodles Every Day": Singapore Noodles

LP: I know you keep your calendar quite full. Can you share with me your typical day, sort of like “a day in the life of Corinne,” if there’s such a thing as typical day for you?

CT: I work from home, cafes, restaurants, the road, planes, buses, and trains. Ah the pleasures of working on a laptop and with a cell phone. At any given time, I’ll be on the phone, while writing an article, or working on a book proposal, or developing recipes for a brand, or menus for a restaurant. It’s hard for me to focus for any long period of time on a single project. I multi-task, and most recently I’ve read that one tends to waste a lot of time working that way. There’s some truth to that, but that’s my creative process and it works for me for now. I have Facebook on my desktop. I enjoy social networking, another forum that gives me the chance to share some of my thoughts about food. I Twitter when I travel or want to share some good news while on book tour. I’ve met good people on both sites, including you!

LP: If you have to choose 5 words that describe who you are and what you’re about, what might they be?
CT: Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy…I’m all about yin and yang, otherwise said, balance.

LP: Which do you find most challenging, radio shows, television shows, book signings, cooking demos, speaking gigs, or something else?
CT: Book signings in book stores when there’s no food tasting or talk planned. They’re boring, and people smile but walk right passed me. It’s a waste of time. I want to be engaged with my audience, and let’s face it the only way they’d consider buying my book is if I (1) start talking about food, or (2) offer them something to eat, or 3) both.

LP: And out of all these, which one(s) would you rather do all day, everyday without getting tired or bored of?
CT: I love the variety. I have fun with radio, television, teaching, and lectures in general. I do have a soft spot for radio because that’s where I have the chance to go into food with great depth, and I don’t have to put on a ton of makeup!

LP: At the end of a busy day, what is your go-to comfort food?
CT: It all depends on my mood. This week I’ve been into dark chocolate. Next week I could be craving soon doo bu, Korean tofu stew, and next month, pho.

LP: And finally, what are some of the big deals coming up for you, during the rest of 2009, and into 2010?
CT: I’ll be making a guest appearance on NBC’s Today Show on September 9th [video below], then also this year I’ll be judging at the Jack Daniel’s 2009 World Championship Invitational Barbecue, Oct 23-24, 2009, and next June 2010 I’ll be doing an Asian food and wine-pairing event at the Seghesio Family Wines World Cuisine Chef Series, June 5-6, 2010 in Sonoma, California.

Corinne Trang on Vietnamese Pho, Noodles Every Day, and Life is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Editor’s note: From time to time LovingPho.com features guest posts offering various interesting views on pho. This is a guest post from a Filipino acquaintance.

Updated 09-15-09. Vietnamese pho is, without argument, the most well-known noodle dish in Vietnamese cuisine. Pho noodle has swept all across the world, making those who tasted it so enamored with the dish that they always want more. So how is Vietnamese pho doing in the Philippines, a mere 1000 or so miles east of Saigon? Are Filipinos as taken in by pho as, say, the Americans and the Australians?

Filipinos Loves Foods

No doubt, Filipinos love good food. They have an active interest in food and they will try anything at least once. And since the Philippines is the land of the infamous balut (duck embryo) and barbecued chicken intestines, among other exotic fare, you can be sure in the knowledge that Filipinos can be adventurous with their food.

This innate love for good food and the fact that the Filipinos are quick to embrace foreign cultures explain why foreign cuisine is so well represented in the Philippines. Spanish, Tex-Mex, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Australian, German, Middle Eastern – you name the cuisine, and you are highly likely to find it in the Philippines. No surprise, Vietnamese cuisine is well represented in this country as well.

Vietnamese Pho in the Philippines

Admittedly, the craze for Vietnamese pho has not yet taken root in the Philippines. The presence of pho in the Philippines can be felt, and pho does have its own fan base among Filipinos, but not as strongly as might be expected. The Philippines is a melting pot of cuisines and pho is just one among many that are trying to gain the fickle taste buds of the Filipinos.

In the Philippines, pho has strong competition among both foreign and local dishes. Japanese and Chinese noodle soups are well loved by Filipinos, at least partially because they are very good and because they’ve been here much longer than pho. The notorious tom yam soup from Thailand has its own followings. In fact the Filipinos themselves have their own soups that are just as flavorful as pho.

Nonetheless, if you are in the Philippines and you want pho, just head to one of the numerous malls in the country. You will inevitably find a Vietnamese restaurant there that serves pho. Some of the more popular Vietnamese restaurant chains in the Philippines are:

• Pho Hoa. Pho Hoa belongs to a franchised chain whose parent company is based in California. Pho Hoa serves pho in the southern Vietnamese style, and diners can choose from many standard meat cuts they want in their pho.
• Pho Bac. Pho Bac (Northern Pho) is also a franchised chain in the Philippines. Contrary to its name, the place does offer a choice of southern Vietnamese style pho.
• Pho 24. Pho 24, the most successful chain of restaurants specializing in pho directly from Saigon, Vietnam, also has a presence in the Philippines. Company owner Ly Quy Trung has expanded his company worldwide through franchise agreements, and the Philippines is among those covered.
• Independent pho shops. Many Vietnamese in the Philippines patronize other independent Vietnamese restaurants and Vietnamese pho shops as well. These are general established by Viet refugees before the franchises came in, their quality are very good, and they continue to be strong competitors in the pho war.

Pho Still Has A Long Way to Go Yet

If you want pho in the Philippines, you will definitely find it inside many malls and in Vietnamese and Chinese ethnic business areas. Authenticity is generally up there, and pho in the Philippines is as good as one can get within and outside of Vietnam. It has its niche of followers, but it still has a long way to go in the Philippines.

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Pho in the Philippines: Have Filipinos Taken to the Pho Phenomenon? is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

I was happy and honored that Andrea Nguyen agreed to an interview. This gives me a great chance to pick her brain and learn what makes her tick. Between writing for well-known publications, teaching classes, giving live tours, demos and interviews, and writing best selling books, Andrea Nguyen is the go-to sources for all things Viet cuisine and Viet pho.

Many searching for advice on Viet cuisine undoubtedly have heard of Andrea Nguyen. She is a celebrated food writer and teacher with a unique ability to interpret traditional Asian cooking styles for modern cooks. Her work appears in the Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News, and Saveur magazine, where she is also a contributing editor. Andrea’s first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, received three prestigious James Beard and IACP cookbook award nominations. Her new cookbook, Asian Dumplings, hits the shelves on August 25th, 2009.

Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings book

With her very popular website VietWorldKitchen.com, a new book and its companion website Asiandumplingtips.com, Andrea is more than busy. Her new book Asian Dumplings is now available everywhere. You can also buy Asian Dumplings on Amazon.com. So let’s get to the Q&As. As usual I add my own comments in the brackets [...] to clarify or explain as needed.

LovingPho (LP): What are some of your favorite Vietnamese dishes, either to make or to just enjoy them being made by others?
Andrea Nguyen (AN): Pho noodle soup and any kho dish simmered in caramel sauce!
["Kho" dishes are normally pork or fish simmered in caramel sauce in a claypot. They're great over just white rice! See her own example of fish kho.]

LP: What are some of your favorite non-Viet dishes? And why?
AN: Good wonton noodle soup because the textures are so alluring. A juicy hamburger on a homemade bun with hot, crisp French fries because I love practically anything that’s grilled or deep fried.

LP: What do you consider as some of your proudest accomplishments (food related or otherwise,) both in recent years and of all time?
AN: Having Into the Vietnamese Kitchen published and knowing that people are using the book to make food at home. Also, having my mom say that she cooks from the book.

LP: People can read about how you started your culinary career from your own blog and many interviews you have given. What happened was you ended up abandoning your “professional career” to pursue cooking. It’s a classic case of triumph of passion. But were there times in the early years that you ever felt a food career could be a mistake, or did your passion keep you going regardless?
AN: Life is a strange thing and I kept my eyes on the prize. I couldn’t get a book deal for years, though people in the higher echelons encouraged me to get my name out there. Knowing that people you value value your work fueled my tenacity.

LP: Do you have a funny story of failure during those years that you’d like to share?
AN: Writing is a learning process. It’s quite organic. I found out that I’d been making rice wrong for decades. My mother set me right and now 98% of my pots of rice turn out perfect. Practice and constant discovery is key.

Andrea Nguyen's bánh chưng (sticky rice cake)

LP: The food industry is as wide ranging and diverse as any other big industries. Did you have some kind of plan in mind or just wing it? I see your passion in your work now and would like to know what it took for you to finally found your niche.
AN: I thought I’d cook but that was such hard work. I’m an academic geek who is into educating people about new flavors and ideas. You can be creative nowadays with your career. I started out in banking but those skills I now use to figure out business opportunities, contracts, etc. I kind of have a plan and see where life takes me. My folks taught me to always have a backup plan. It’s the immigrant/refugee thing, you know? If this writing/food career doesn’t work out, I bag groceries quite well at Trader Joe’s.

LP: Recipes are essentially detailed instructions to make something. In your views, are recipes really the pinnacle of what humans can achieve to share and teach, or do you see even better ways to share and teach about food?
AN: Recipes are like performance art pieces for me. I do them over multiple times to communicate enough details to help home cooks. I’m a professional home cook and through recipe books, I like to offer a cultural and historical understanding of food and flavor. I learned cooking by reading and practicing on my own and encourage others to do that too. However, we don’t all learn the same way so cooking classes and demonstrations, particularly of difficult techniques, are always welcomed.

LP: How often do you deviate from your own recipes and why?
AN: I love to test out my own recipes to sort of test myself. It’s often a mistake and I find myself saying, “Darn, I should have listened to me!” If I seriously deviate, it’s because I’m testing out a new idea or technique.

LP: Most everyone enjoys eating out. With your knowledge about foods and the culinary arts, how critical are you about the foods you order in restaurants?
AN: I’m a bit too critical but remind myself that eating out is entertainment, a time-saver, and opportunity for discovering new ideas.

LP: And do you feel such knowledge has increased or decreased the level of enjoyment you may get out of a restaurant meal?
AN: I like to eat out and learn something new. It can be as simple as having a bowl of filet mignon pho in a double layer metal bowl (go to El Monte in SoCal) and thinking about how that Korean vessel keeps the soup extra hot. Or, eating at Alinea in Chicago and savoring post-modern culinary dinner theater.

Andrea Nguyen's Shanghai soup dumplings

LP: Do you find yourself naturally becoming the focus for culinary discussions, and opinions, at the restaurant table?
AN: I have opinionated family and friends so it’s normally a broad discussion of food, cooking, history, politics, etc. Food is a great lens for exploring human existence.

LP: When you enter an unfamiliar Viet restaurant, what food do you think about first? Do you think to yourself “I wonder how good pho is here?” or is it a different dish you’re wondering about? Why?
AN: I look around and see what everyone is eating. If I’m in a pho joint, I take a big inhale to get a whiff of the broth. Sometimes you really get to smell the pho fragrance and that’s a nice sign.

LP: I think you’ve been back to Vietnam a few times, and no doubt you had to visit the food markets there. Can you share with us what you can find in a Viet market there that you wish are available here in the states?
AN: Seafood like you wouldn’t believe. Live rice paddy crabs that you’d use for bun rieu cua. Produce like fragrant hoa thien ly. Prepped ingredients like minced shallot, lemongrass, and chiles. Freshly grated coconut for coconut milk. You would be hard pressed to find that abroad.

LP: What are your views about the state of Viet cuisine in Vietnam? Whom do you feel are doing good things to advance Viet cuisine there?
AN: There are a number of locals like Mrs. Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van who are pushing things a bit in terms of modern Viet cuisine that retain its traditional foundations. Viet kieu (Viet expatriates) open places like Ngon to present Viet fare in pleasant surroundings. Foreigners such as Didier Corlou and Bobby Chinn meld eastern and western traditions.

LP: It’s really a blessing (and interesting too) that pho is now one of the most recognizable Viet dish outside of Vietnam. What are your thoughts on this?
AN: I’m just hoping to get better bowls of pho in more places in the future! I’m selfish that way. Seriously, the popularity of pho in urban centers around the world reflects the maturation of the Viet-immigrant communities. People tell me about eating pho in the Czech Republics! How cool is that? Our peeps are everywhere. I’ve had Vietnamese food in the “new” section of Avignon, France, which dates back to medieval times. The Vietnamese restaurants are on side streets and one place used a dumb waiter system to bring the food to the dining room.

LP: Many people feel pho recipes are too complex and involved to try making themselves. What are some ingredients that you think pho can do without but still give acceptable results? Or is it all about authenticity and completeness?
AN: Vietnamese people often think it’s too time consuming to make but I’ve had plenty of non-Viet people cook my pho recipe and prepare delectable bowls. One man took his homemade pho to some local Vietnamese nail salon gals and they loved it. The ladies responded by asking, “Is Into the Vietnamese Kitchen available in Vietnamese?” If you make pho once, you’ll understand what goes into preparing a good bowl and appreciate both home and restaurant cooking. Plus, you can freeze pho broth.

LP: What are some ingredients that pho must absolutely have?
AN: Charred onion and ginger, good fish sauce, yellow rock sugar, and good beef marrow bones for beef pho.

Andrea Nguyen's Moon Cake

LP: How do you feel about franchised foods in general and franchised pho in particular?
AN: Would love to see a good franchise abroad but what we have now is not consistently good. Pho is not close to becoming like McDonald’s.

LP: Speaking of franchise, what are some of the Viet foods that you think will lend themselves well to being franchised foods? Is it the fried variety?
AN: Banh mi sandwiches can be like Subway but lots better.

LP: Back to pho franchises. Pho is popular in the U.S. for sure, but can the franchises co-exist with independent shops in Viet communities, or do they have to expand into more mainstream American markets while risking their own survival there?
AN: There’s too much competition in the Viet communities for good pho shops. I’d go out into the mainstream.

LP: In your opinion, is there such thing as pho etiquette? If so what are some important pho etiquette?
AN: Taste the broth first before dousing it with hoisin sauce, lime juice and Sriracha. The cook has worked hours to brew that broth so don’t kill it before you taste it!
[Great advice!]

LP: Your new book is exciting. What are some exciting things you have coming up for the rest of 2009 and into 2010 that readers can look forward to?
AN: I love my new book Asian Dumplings. It’s comprised of a collection of over 75 amazing recipes, gorgeous photography and design, step-by-step instructions, and helpful illustrations. I’ve been making dumplings since I was a child and have longed for a book that demystified the techniques and flavors that go into making them. Thanks to the many people who pitched in and my publisher Ten Speed Press (Random House), we now have Asian Dumplings out for people to get doughy.

Looking forward, I’ll be teaching Vietnamese and dumpling classes around the U.S., traveling to Sydney, Australia, for their first international food festival, and doing radio and TV interviews. It’s all really exciting and fun. And, I’ll be thinking about my next book.

LP: And finally, what are your desert island ingredients and cooking implements? Sorry but you can only have 3 of each.
AN: Fish sauce, pepper, and good peanut oil. A wok, steamer, and saucepan.
[I don't doubt Andrea's ability to make great cuisine on a desert island, having just these in her possession.]

Visit Andrea Nguyen on VietWorldKitchen.com and Asiandumplingtips.com. You can also follow her on twitter.com/aqnguyen.

A Conversation With Viet Culinary Author and Teacher Andrea Nguyen is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

One of the highest ranking pho recipes you will find online is a Pho Bo recipe posted on About.com. The recipe was taken from “The Vietnamese Cookbook,” a top-selling cookbook devoted to Viet cuisine penned by Diana My Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant who currently lives in Washington D.C. The cookbook contains more than a hundred recipes for popular Viet dishes such as spring rolls and lemon rice, but no dish will equal the popularity of the Vietnamese Pho soup noodle.

From “The Vietnamese Cookbook,”

Diana My Tran was born and raised in Vietnam. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1975, with her husband and parents-in-law, days before her first child was born. Today, she is a successful designer and dressmaker in Washington, D.C. Her recipes have appeared in newspapers nationwide. She is also the author of The Asian Diet: Get Slim and Stay Slim the Asian Way.

The pho bo recipe is simple yet effective. It is a recipe for the traditional beef pho and will give you good pho. It is written clearly and comes with easily understandable instructions. The recipe is thorough yet it keeps preparation process to a manageable one hour, making it ideal for busy do-it-yourselfers. Ms. Tran’s recipe also has all the important ingredients and garnishes that are necessary to achieve the classic beef pho.

What many people appreciate about Diana My Tran’s recipes, as evident in her beef pho recipe, is their simplified processes. Though the recipes are complete, thorough, and uses complete sets of ingredients, Diana My Tran still manages to make the recipes appear simpler than normal. In fact, most of her recipes are mostly simplified, making her the ultimate source of people who are, like her, juggling home cooking and extremely busy careers. And since she lives in the United States, she also offers simplified recipes customized to fit the busy American lifestyle. In her own words, “Traditional Vietnamese food can take time and effort  to prepare – time I usually don’t have. I want to keep our family heritage alive, especially for my children, so I have created my own easier versions of Vietnamese dishes, tailored to the American lifestyle.”

The recipes also tend to have a Western twang to them but Diana My Tran has managed to retain the traditional Viet taste as well, successfully balancing the two influences she has received over the years. To make things even better, all the recipes are easy to follow and lead to wonderfully indulgent taste trips to Vietnam cuisine.

Diana My Tran is not a professional chef, but she has become a favorite author in Vietnam cooking. She succeeds in simplifying the many exotic and sometime complex recipes for her readers, at the same time maintaining authenticity of Viet cuisine, pho included.

Diana My Tran and Her Recipes – Exotic Vietnam Meets the Fast-Paced West is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

I wrote about Chef Didier Corlou before (see article “Chef Didier Corlou, A Passion for Pho and Vietnamese Cuisine“.) because I very much admire his tremendous knowledge and passion for Vietnamese foods, and for pho in particular. Recently I had a chance to interview the “Maitre de cuisinier de France” himself over email. Chef Corlou is a very busy man so I’m honored to have him spend some time to share his views on Vietnamese and French cuisine, his view on the state of pho, and his new culinary ventures.

First a little bit more about Chef Corlou. In a sentence, Chef Corlou’s resume could be summarized as noted on his homepage of didiercorlou.com.

After over 30 years of experience worldwide – in Africa, Asia, Europe and America – and 14 years as Chef of Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, I now offer you a variety of buffet, diner and cocktail menus, with exotic-themed or European, traditional or contemporary dishes.

“Le Chef” Corlou is a member of the Culinary Academy France and is a 5 Stars Diamond Award Chef. With extensive traveling, cultural and culinary experience from around the world, Le Chef is now working out of Vietnam, running his new Verticale restaurant in Hanoi, opening up On the 6 in Saigon, while managing a training center and catering business.

Here’s a Didier Corlou bio.

• 1956. Born in Henebont, France.
• 1976. Africa, the Big Start: discovering of Ivory Coast and its lagoon from Abidjan.
• 1977. Entering to the ACCOR group: Caribbean, Bora Bora, the Comoros. With the regions and countries, it’s the meeting with the green papaya, giant mussels, wild pig, ginger and vanilla…
• 1991. Arriving in Vietnam…
• 1992. The cuisine simmers with Sultans in Malaysia, Fidel Castro or President Clinton, crowning of Prince Sihanouk; Chef at Sofitel Metropole where he managed a French and Vietnamese restaurants…
• 2003. Winning Gourmand World Cookbook for “Didier Corlou’s Vietnamese Cuisine” and publishing “Cooking with Chef Didier”…
• 2005. Opening of L’Escale restaurant in Siem Reap, Cambodia…
• 2006. Consultant, advisor in gastronomy for Sofitel Metropole and for many projects in Asia; Prepared dishes for President Bush at the APEC Summit…
• 2007. Guest Chef at Le Notre School, France;
Opening of “La Verticale” restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam – ranked top 100 world best new restaurants by Conde Nast magazine in 2008; Opening of Corlou Catering, Pastry, Cuisine in Hanoi, Vietnam…
• 2008. Guest Chef at “World Gourmet Summit 2008” in Singapore; Guest Chef at “Hotel New Otani Osaka”, Japan; Guest Chef at Le Notre School, France for the new fusion cuisine; Publishing “A la verticale des epices” and “Five seasons – a Vietnamese collection of Gastronomic Journey”…
• 2009. Guest Chef at Diner de gala Escoffier, Shanghai, China; Guest Chef at TRU Vietnamese and Thai, Hongkong; Guest Chef at Ikarus in Hangar-7, Austria.

Chef Corlou has recently received the “Star Diamond Award” from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences.

Let’s get on to the interview. I use text in brackets [...] to clarify the message as needed.

Lovingpho (LP): Do you consider yourself a French chef specializing in Viet cuisine, a Viet chef specializing in French cuisine, or maybe somewhere in between, or competely outside of the range of these descriptions?
Didier Corlou (DC): I am a French chef who [is] fascinate[d] in the gastronomy of all the world, and has an advantage in Vietnamese cuisine.

LP: What were the factors that drew you to Vietnam in general, and Viet cuisine in particular?
DC: The first reason is to discover, of course, the Vietnamese cuisine. However one more important thing is the habitants. All these factors make me stay with this beautiful country.

LP: What were some of the most important factors/ideas/concepts during your training that you deem important/critical for your knowledge and success today?
DC: I don’t consider myself a successful chef. However, in my oppinion, the most important factors lie on the way you present your work with a strong will and the desire for learning new things.

LP: If you can share some of your proudest achievements at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel, what would they be?
DC: During more than ten years working at Metropole, I am glad that I’ve built up the standard of Vietnamese cuisine.

LP: What would you select as some of the most important Viet dish(es)? And why? And what are some of your favorite Viet dish(es) you like to enjoy yourself? And why?
DC: For me, Pho is the most important and also my favorite Vietnamese dish, because it is very delicious, but not expensive. You can find it everywhere.

LP: What would you select as some of the most important French dish(es)? And why? And what are some of your favorite French dish(es) you like to enjoy yourself? And why?
DC: It is difficult for me to say which French dish is the most important. Each region has its own regional product and speciality. So it depends also which French region I am standing to answer the question what is my favorite French dish.

LP: How many years have you followed pho development, or developed pho yourself? And how have you seen pho changed during this time?
DC: [Since] my arrival in Vietnam, I have seen a lot of progress of Pho with better quality and more delicious [ingredients]. Moreover, each region now has developed its own Pho according [to] its own regional product. For instance, now we have Pho with prawn in the regions near the sea, Pho with vegetables in Dalat, and Pho with foie gras… [!]

LP: What are some of the worst/unacceptable pho preparation techniques that you have encountered?
DC: Everyone has own technique but the most important thing to have a good taste of Pho is the broth. In my oppinion, the worst technique is adding the glutamate-Maker of food seasonings [monosodium glutamate] in the broth and I [would] never do it. I make my Pho with Vietnamese spices (Cardamom, star anis…) instead of glutamate.

Chef Corlou’s Pho With Salmon!

Chef Corlou’s Cooking Class – Making Banh Cuon

LP: What do you think is the difference between pho in North Vietnam versus pho in South Vietnam today, or are there differences any more? And if so which do you personally prefer?
DC: North of Vietnam is the origin, the cradle of Pho. Generally, the Pho of the northern [is] featured by the salty taste, and the South by sweet. And Pho in the South is paired with more herb[s] than in the North.

LP: Can you share your thoughts on pho development outside of Vietnam, specifically in Australia, Europe and in the U.S.?
DC: Pho is more and more developed not only in Vietnam. There are 2 Vietnamese dishes that I see developing strongly outside of Vietnam: Pho and “Bun Bo” – Fresh noodle with beef. I see in France, there is the “Pho complet” – The Pho with prawn, pork and beef…in a bowl. It is very good.

LP: Do you see a problem/issue with pho being developed within Vietnam and outside of Vietnam in parallel, at the same time? Will they diverge into something different?
DC: I don’t think the development of Pho is [in any] threat, we must leave Pho [to] progress, we can not put it in the museum. [Everyone] can have his way of cooking Pho [as] he [wishes]. However [even if] Pho has developed to other kinds like “pho cuon”, “pho chua” , “deep fried pho”… no one [should forget] the tradittional Pho.

LP: It is difficult for restaurateurs and business people not to jump in to franchise foods that are popular and if there exists a market for them. Can you share your views on franchised pho?
DC: As you can see, the “Pho 24” is very successful with the franchising. It is no problem if we can market the Pho, but it must follow a recipe. Also, it [still] exists [in] many small restaurant[s] in the street [which are] very popular. I really appreciate that.

LP: Do you have one and only one recipe for pho, or do you advocate several different recipes? What are your reasons for your preference(s)?
DC: I have a basic recipe for cooking Pho. When cooking the “Hanoian Pho”, I respect strictly to this recipe. However, I still create my own style of Pho based on the products [I find]. For example, I can change some spices in the broth but just a little to have a matching between the broth and the products [/ingredients].

LP: Today pho is just fine the way it is for many people. Where do you see pho heading in the future?
DC: Pho is for everyone, [anytime] and easy to eat though it takes a long time to cook. In my opinion Pho is a potential [platform] to develop [further].

LP: Given so many types of foods to choose from, how often do you enjoy a bowl of pho? And if you do, where would you go for pho?
DC: That’s right we have now many types of foods, but for me one bowl of Pho a week in a small traditional Hanoian Pho street is ideal.

LP: Please share with our readers your current endeavors with La Verticale, OnThe6, and your Training Center.
DC: At this moment I want to concentrate on La Verticale and try to put the spices of Vietnam in the right place like they deserve. In Vietnam, we have many spices, we have 54 minorities with a lot of minority spices. The King people is majority but do not know how [to] use these spices. They use more herbs than spices. [Editor's note: King people are an ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China, according to Wikipedia on Vietnamese People.]

I want to continue developing the new Vietnamese cuisine; also, to share my cuisine with people who [are fascinated by] Vietnamese cuisine. I [have] issued the collection “Five [seasonings]” with Vietnamese traditional recipes and modern recipes. The [training] center always has these available.

LP: Finally, they say a Frenchman must have wine with every meal. What would you choose that may go well with pho?
DC: It is a interesting question! Normally, at the restaurant, it is difficult to have the matching wine with soup. But for the Pho, it is great to have a glass of Merlot red wine before eating but never beer! The red wine will put up the taste of Pho. However, do not drink while eating the Pho. After, the tea is good idea.

I’d like to send a big thank you to Chef Didier Corlou for this interview, and also to his assistant Ms. Luong for her help coordinating it. All photos courtesy Chef Didier Corlou.

An Interview with Chef Didier Corlou on Vietnamese Pho and Cuisine is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

I’ve written about a number of pho franchises that exist both in the U.S. and in Vietnam. Most pho franchises tend to start in the states (mostly from headquarters in California) then expand to other states and Canada. Some have been more aggressive and ventured outside North America eastward toward Asia and Australia. There is, however, another aggressive move simmering: Saigon-based pho franchise Pho 24 is coming west to the U.S.

A Houston entrepreneur is in negotiation to bring Pho 24 where no Vietnam-based franchise has gone before, to borrow a certain well-known phrase. The plan calls for a number of Pho 24 restaurants to open over a yet to be announced period of time in key American markets, bringing the most authentic Vietnamese cuisine to sophisticated American palates.

On Pho 24′s menu being offered in Vietnam are a variety of truly authentic pho noodle dishes, together with offerings of various popular Viet broken rice dishes and refreshments.

Pho 24′s name itself describes the restaurant’s offerings. Pho 24 uses 24 “secret” ingredients and spices in its pho broth, which is diligently stewed for 24 hours before it is served. The most common and popular pho bo and pho ga (beef and chicken pho, respectively) each costs $24,000 Viet dollars or US$1.35 (based on mid-May 2009 exchange rate.) Finally Pho 24 restaurants in Vietnam open 24 hours. I guess it remains to be seen if its American counterparts will do the same as well.

Details are still sketchy, but for pho fans in North America, there are reasons to be excited. Oh there’s nothing wrong with your favorite local pho shop. But I must admit that given the chance to taste something authentically close to what’s available in Vietnam, without actually going there, that’s gotta be pretty cool.

When they moved into countries like Vietnam and China, American franchises like McDonald’s and KFC had to make adjustments to their menus to cater to local tastes and to take advantage of local opportunities, strategies and supplies, all while maintaining their brand identity. It will be interesting to see what Pho 24 will do to its cuisine to attract American diners while staying true to its gastronomic roots.

More on Pho 24:

• Eating and Franchising Pho 24 – Bringing Secret Pho Recipe to the World
• Global Pho: Pho Franchises Around the World
• Pho in the Philippines – Battle for Pho Supremacy is Heating Up
• Vietnamese Pho: Franchised and Going Mainstream?

Pho 24 Coming to the States to Take on U.S. Competition Head-On is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Pho Empire is a small pho noodle restaurant and franchise, with locations in Arlington and Irving, Texas. Pho Empire offers the pho noodle that people have come to love, while also getting a little creative with noodle dishes called tofu and seafood pho. Pho Empire also serves other regular Viet fare, such as various rice meals, rice vermicelli and other noodle dishes, and vegetarian selections.

Despite of its name, a quick review of Pho Empire’s menu tells me that it’s more of a typical Vietnamese restaurant than a pure pho shop. In addition to pho, the extensive menu offers other staples of Vietnamese cuisine. The selections range from breakfast dishes, lunch, and dinner offers, with many one-dish meals, various rice and vermicelli (bún) dishes, vegetarian, appetizers, and chef’s specials. A quick read on various review sites reveals sporadic quality and consistency before late 2008 time frame, but customer satisfaction has much improved since then. So restaurant management may have their act together now.

Some of the dishes on the menu really look delicious, but my own personal feeling about pho restaurants is that if you serve all kinds of dishes then you can’t do justice to pho itself. And having this many selections on the menu will certainly hinder effective management and growth of the franchise, for both the pho franchiser and franchisees.

Pho Empire bowl of beef pho. Courtesy Pho Empire.

Pho Empire is open to all seeking franchise opportunities, offering a thriving and promising business venture in the age of health-conscious eating. As in other franchises, franchisees will open business with the already established Pho Empire name along with help in training, operation, and development. According to the company, staff training is thorough and the tried and tested operation system of all Pho Empire franchises will be applied. The initial investment cost will depend on the projected cost of construction and development needed. The royalty fee is at 5% of gross sales, and the marketing fee at 1% of gross sales, which will ensure that the brand is well-promoted and recognized throughout the market. For additional information visit Pho Empire franchise. As in any other business venture, consider consulting with a professional counsel.

It will take a little more work and development to really define Pho Empire’s own strong brand image and quality as a franchise. The two restaurants may be doing just fine, continuing to attract old and new clientele. But while the company may be trying hard, I think Pho Empire still has a way to go as a franchise.

Do you have personal experience eating at Pho Empire? Share with us.

Pho Empire Noodle & Grill – Franchising the Vietnamese Cuisine is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Update 05-23-09. It is no mean feat to be compared to the late Julia Child. Julia Child is probably the most revered name in the American food world, having given Americans their first taste of true French cuisine in the United States, and having introduced exemplary cooking techniques that are still followed today. It is no mean feat to be compared to Julia Child, but Corinne Trang has made it and is managing to live it fully.

Who is Corinne Trang?

Corinne Trang is one of the celebrated experts in Vietnamese cuisine and other Asian cuisines in the United States. A frequent contributor to magazines such as Food & Wine, Cooking Light and Saveur, Corinne Trang has also written a number of multi-awarded and bestselling cookbooks, including:

• Authentic Vietnamese Cooking: Food from a Family Table (1999)
  
• Essentials of Asian Cuisine : Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes (2003)
  
• The Asian Grill: Great Recipes, Bold Flavors (2006)
  
• Curry Cuisine (2006)
  
• Noodles Every Day: Delicious Asian Recipes from Ramen to Rice Sticks (2009)

Aside from food writing, Corinne Trang is also regularly featured in radio and television programs, including “Martha Stewart Living,” “Simply Ming,” and “America’s Dining and Travel Guide.” She also holds classes and seminars at Drexel University in Philadelphia, at the New York University in New York, at Syracuse University and at the University of Texas in Austin.

Corinne Trang’s Culinary Influences

Corinne Trang‘s expertise in Vietnamese cuisine is not really an exact product of her ethnical background. She was born in the Loire Valley in France, to a French mother and a Chinese-Cambodian father. While she was growing up, her family traveled between Paris, New York and Phnom Penh.

Her ethnical background nonetheless gave her the ability to understand Vietnamese cuisine. The French side of her made her able to appreciate the French influence in the techniques used by the Vietnamese to create their meals. Memories of her grandmother’s kitchen in Phnom Penh, where the atmosphere was always infused with the warmth and aroma of spices and sauces commonly used in Vietnamese dishes, gave her a sense of what is authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

Corinne Trang‘s innate and intimate knowledge of the native cuisine in Southeast Asia was enhanced further by her own formal education. She attended Drexel University and finished with a degree in culinary arts and a minor in business.

In an interview with Jennifer May on the Chronogram, Corinne Trang explained what makes Asian cuisine appealing:

“The five flavor notes (or characters) system is what makes Asian food so interesting and appealing. It satisfies all taste buds. It is tied to the yin yang, the Chinese philosophy of balanced opposites. At every meal you should be able to experience salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy notes throughout the meal. This system makes for a more sophisticated palate. It is essential in Asian cookery. Consider that Asians do not eat dessert at the end of the meal, because they’ve had a sweet element to their food throughout their meal. There is no need to satisfy that sweet tooth. It has already been satisfied. You can approach every element of this five-flavor-note system in the same way. At the end of the meal, Asians drink tea to help digest. On occasion they will eat fresh citrus fruit.”

On Vietnamese Pho

In her book Authentic Vietnamese Cooking: Food from a Family Table, Corinne Trang covered many pages discussing how to make a successful pho meal. She said that the success of the pho is mainly in the quality of the stock, and the quality of the stock depends on the techniques and ingredients used in making them. Among the key ingredients to a great stock for pho are star anise and cinnamon. According to her, and to pho expert Andrea Nguyen, about three hours is what you need for a good stock.

Visit CorinneTrang.com

Corinne Trang – The Julia Child of Asian Cooking is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Updated 04-10-09. Chef Didier Corlou is one of the well-known Pho authorities that you will likely come across around the web. Chef Corlou is the former executive chef of Hanoi’s Sofitel Metropole Hotel. He served at the hotel for more than ten years, during which he established his presence as a French chef with an innate love for Vietnamese cuisine, especially the pho soup noodle. Currently, the 5-star Diamond Awardee French chef runs his own business: the Verticale restaurant, also in Hanoi.

In 2003, Chef Didier Corlou published a booklet regarding a seminar series specifically on the famous Vietnamese cuisine staple, the pho soup noodle. The seminar series was organized by Chef Corlou himself with the cooperation of the European Commission to Vietnam. The seminar series, being specifically centered on the pho dish, is a testimony of the growing popularity of the famous Vietnamese dish, and Chef Corlou’s direct and spearheading involvement in the series is proof that the chef is a well-known, highly credible, and well-recognized authority when it comes to Vietnamese pho.

In the booklet, Chef Didier Corlou wrote a feature entitled “Pho’s Art,” in which he explains the most important and sometimes neglected and taken for granted parts of preparing pho. In the feature, the chef sought to communicate that preparing pho is not like preparing any other meal; in fact, Chef Corlou, with the title alone, considers the act of making pho an art.

The preparation process is also not the only work of art in the matter, as “Pho’s Art” further implies. Chef Corlou writes that the mere experience of eating pho in a packed pho shop, mixing in the various ingredients and garnishes, stirring the soup, and finally taking your first spoonful of the broth an art or a “ritual,” as he called it. Furthermore, the pho-loving chef advises not to leave fresh pho noodles for more than 5 minutes without eating them. According to him, the pho noodles easily lose texture within 5 minutes.

Chef Corlou also further establishes his knowledge and credibility regarding the subject by explaining how the pho dish made its way into the Vietnam mainstream. The feature explained how pho went from being a breakfast dish to an all-day meal that can be eaten even at lunch and dinner. There is also a summary of pho’s history. It is clear from the feature that Chef Didier Corlou, who also dubs pho as the best soup noodle in the world, has informed himself thoroughly on the matter and has immersed himself completely into the world of pho, so who better to trust when it comes to pho recipes?

The booklet also contains the chef’s own pho recipe, the one that Chef Didier Corlou himself authored, and also the same one that he serves in his Hanoi-based restaurant. The recipe can serve approximately ten persons. Some of the ingredients are pho noodles, beef bone, beef rump, beef fillet, shallot, old ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom, lime, spring onion, fresh herbs such as coriander and mint, as well as fresh chilli, salt, and pepper for taste. The procedures have been kept short and simple, making them very easy to follow. Chef Didier Corlou also adds a note for when you prefer to use rare beef or add spuncules or sea worm for added taste. His recipe is probably one of the best-tasting pho recipes you will find on the web.

For a look at Chef Didier Corlou’s pho recipe, visit Andrea Nguyen’s blog article titled “Pho by Chef Didier Corlou.” There are some interesting discussions on pho there, and the recipe can be found toward the end of the page.

Chef Corlou’s Vietnamese Cuisine (or Ma Cuisine du Vietnam in French) is a food-lover’s collection item and is sold exclusively at the Sofitel Hanoi. Another book, Corlou’s Vietnamese Home Cooking, is more widely available. Both books pay homage to the Vietnamese culinary art that Chef Didier Corlou is obviously very fond of that his passion shines right through.

So you can’t buy Ma Cuisine du Vietnam unless you go to Hanoi, but you can definitely purchase Didier Corlou’s Vietnamese Cooking (Cooking (Periplus)) at Amazon.com. Visit didiercorlou.com.

All photos courtesy VietNamNet.net, which has lots more images showing Chef Didier Corlou in action.

Chef Didier Corlou, A Passion for Pho and Vietnamese Cuisine is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles

Updated 05-02-10. Among all the Vietnamese dishes that came to the attention of the people in the western hemisphere, nothing else has received such tremendous acceptance as pho. Pho is considered as the national dish of Vietnam, and it has captured the fascination of so many people in the west because of its deceptive simplicity and its complex flavors. Pho is the perfect comfort food – warm, hearty and deliciously refreshing. In Vietnam it’s the common people’s food. It’s street food.

Pho can also be seen as a mirror that reflects Vietnamese heritage and way of life. A dish that is steeped in tradition, pho is closely tied to Vietnam that the history of pho can read as a parallel to the history of its country of origin itself in the last hundred years. With the migration of Vietnamese across the globe after the Fall of Saigon in 1975, the national dish of Vietnam came to grace the tables of people of different heritages, thus leading to the colorful evolution of pho throughout the years. In this article I’ll discuss pho, its history and what makes pho many people’s favorite dish.

What Is Pho?

Of course, before I go into the history of pho, we should first tackle a more fundamental question about pho, namely: What in the world is pho?

Many readers know exactly what pho is. Articles on pho that you find around the Internet define the dish simply as Vietnamese noodle soup, traditionally made with beef or chicken broth that is flavored with various spices and topped with various herbs. But this definition seems far too simplistic because it does not really capture the rich and intense essence of beef in the broth that can only be achieved by simmering marrow-rich beef bones on low heat for at least three hours. It does not describe the complex layers of flavor created by the herbs and spices in pho. It does not illustrate the many textures created by the chewy rice noodles, the tender beef slices and the crunchy bean sprouts in the soup.

At the very least, the description “noodle soup” may be a misnomer. Soup implies that the dish is a side dish, but in fact pho itself is the main course. Pho is a noodle dish, and not a soup dish. So if you catch the phrase “noodle soup” somewhere on this side then it’s only because I let my guard down for a moment there. Pho should be called “Vietnamese noodle” or “soup noodle” because it is a noodle dish.

You cannot expect two bowls of pho made in two separate kitchens to ever taste the same. There are many recipes of pho existing out there, with each recipe somewhat different from each other. But those are only the published ones. There are countless others that are closely held by professional chefs running popular pho restaurants, and we’ll never know what they are. So techniques in cooking and preparing pho vary from chef to chef. Variations can also depend on what type of pho is being prepared. For instance, pho bac, which is pho from the northern regions of Vietnam, is made quite differently from how pho is prepared in southern Vietnam.

The history of pho stretches only a hundred years back in Vietnam’s recent past. But just as those hundred years have shaped Vietnam into the country it is today, so do those hundred years have shaped the way pho has become. Three events in Vietnamese history have marked the history of pho. They are

1. The unification of Vietnam under French rule in 1887,
2. The splitting of the country into North and South Vietnam in 1954, and
3. The Fall of Saigon in 1975.

Here’s an article on “What is Vietnamese Pho: Think You Know? Think Again,” which discusses what is and what is not pho.

The Murky Beginnings of Pho: a French Connection?

Despite the fact that pho is a reflection of the culture and history of Vietnam, no one really knows how pho came to be. Restaurateur and author Mai Pham’s research on pho, as cited in Vietnamese culinary expert Andrea Nguyen’s blog, stated that there is nothing written about the early history of pho. All there is left are oral traditions handed down by elders. It is, however, agreed upon by many experts in Vietnamese cuisine, including Ms. Pham and Ms. Nguyen, that the history of pho began in Hanoi in northern Vietnam and that it started when the French colonized the country in the late 1880s.

In the SpiceLines interview on Ms. Nguyen, she said that before the French conquered Vietnam, the Vietnamese people did not slaughter cows for food. Instead, they used these animals to till their rice fields and as beasts of burden.

The general theory held by most Vietnamese culinary experts is that the word “pho” is a corruption of the French “feu” or “fire.” Pho could be a Vietnamese adaptation of the French soup “pot au feu” or French beef stew, which the French brought to Vietnam when they came to rule the country. But let me take this theory further into something more concrete to possibly reflect facts. It is this: Vietnamese love to take foreign words and use them as our own, but with a Vietnamese accent. Thus “feu” became “Phở.” But there’s more. It’s always been a popular knowledge that the French, specifically a man named Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes in the country between 1624 and 1644, helped convert Vietnamese written language from a variant of Chinese characters into the modern age with translations using the Latin alphabet system. So the French connection to pho and Vietnamese language is much more intimate than casual, and it’s not unthinkable that pho did come from feu. Read more on the Vietnamese alphabet.

“Pot au feu” literally means “pot on the fire,” signifying the long hours required to create the soup. Just like with pho, cartilaginous, marrow-rich beef bones are used to make the broth of the pot au feu. These bones are left to boil and simmer in water on low heat for at least three hours, and the scum and foam formed by excess grease from the bone marrow are skimmed and discarded.

Another similarity that pot au feu shares with pho is the fact that ginger and onions are also roasted in an open flame before they are added to flavor the broth. Vegetables like carrots and turnips are used to top pot au feu. In pho, these vegetables are replaced by bean sprouts and herbs, with a little lime juice added in for taste.

Pho Bac: Pho of the North

Another theory that Vietnamese cuisine experts agree on is that the birthplace of pho is northern Vietnam, near Hanoi. Given the theory that pho is a Vietnamese adaptation of the French pot au feu, it is not surprising to think that pho originated from the north.

Hanoi has always been the center of political power in colonial Vietnam, with only a few short interruptions. The city has always been the seat of Vietnamese kings and emperors since 1010, except during the rule of the Nguyen dynasty, when the capital was moved to Hue. When the French conquered Vietnam and established the colony they called the French Indochina, they made Hanoi their capital city.

The French brought pot au feu to Vietnam and introduced the idea of slaughtering cows for food to the Vietnamese of the north. The northern regions of Vietnam are not as rich as those in the south, and food scarcity is not a stranger to a northern Vietnamese household. The northern Vietnamese get their food where they can find it, and they learned to take the beef parts and bones that their French conquerors did not want for their table. It is widely believed that this is how pho of the north, called pho bac, came to be.

Pho bac has an intense and delicate flavor that is entirely different from pho nam, which is pho of the south. The focus of pho bac is on the taste of its clear and simple broth. The star anise and other spices commonly used in pho serve as subtle undertones of flavor rather than complex layers. The main ingredients in pho bac are the rice noodles and the thinly sliced rare beef cooked quickly in the hot broth. You would not find a bowl of pho bac topped with the popular herbs and garnishing found in pho nam or in pho outside of Vietnam.

Even today, northern Vietnamese and pho purists consider pho bac the true pho. It is not uncommon to find a person from northern Vietnam or a pho purist to turn away from lavish preparations of pho nam or from pho that is not made from beef stock. Some of them find such preparations shocking and even disgusting.

Pho Nam: Pho of the South

French rule did not last in Vietnam. The Second World War saw the country known as French Indochina fall under Japanese occupation, although the new Japanese rulers retained their French administrators. But France was not to regain her full political influence on Vietnam. After the war, a series of events led to the splitting of Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1954. North Vietnam, which is Communist country, kept Hanoi as its capital. South Vietnam is a democracy centered on Saigon (or Sài Gòn).

Thousands of North Vietnamese fled the Communist rule, and escaped across the border to South Vietnam. These refugee families took with them their cherished pho recipes and introduced pho to their brethren in the south. Here, pho is to make a turn that eventually shocked pho purists from the north.

Unlike in North Vietnam, food is rich and abundant in South Vietnam. Herbs and other ingredients are used liberally. The Vietnamese of the south put their taste for the lavish on the frugal pho bac to create the classic pho nam. They put more spices in their pho than their northern counterparts. They experimented with other beef parts, and even used other ingredients such as chicken and tripe. They added bean sprouts and herb garnishing as topping on the soup. They were also very liberal about the use of fish sauce and hoisin sauce to flavor their pho.

Pho flourished, and due to its versatility and popularity, Vietnamese eat pho everyday, at any time during the day. Pho vendors do business everywhere, from pushcarts to neighborhood street stalls, from pho restaurants to elegant bistros. But most importantly, pho is the food of the working people.

The Fall of Saigon and the Evolution of Pho

Conflicts between North and South Vietnam continued long after 1954. These conflicts were fueled by the Communist superpowers, namely the Soviet Union and Communist China, who gave their support to Communist North. Into the fray also came the Americans, who favored the Democratic South Vietnam. The conflicts became known as the Vietnam War, which raged full scale from 1963 to 1973, and ended in the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

The Fall of Saigon saw masses of Vietnamese people flee for their lives to various corners of the world. Many of them were accepted to the United States mainland in the few years immediately after 1975, while many others tried to escape in rickety boats as “boat people” for 15 or more years to come. These Vietnamese boat people created colonies in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, although some even reached as far as Australia and even Europe.

Among the treasures that Vietnamese refugees brought with them from their homeland were their cherished pho recipes. Soon enough, restaurants serving pho emerged in the communities these Vietnamese migrants established in their country of exile, and these restaurants introduced pho to their non-Vietnamese neighbors.

As time went on, an evolution of pho was seen outside of Vietnam. Although the basic ingredients were retained, pho recipes were adapted to suit whatever ingredients were available locally. Non-Vietnamese who attempted to create their own version of pho also used techniques and ingredients that are far away from the traditional methods of creating pho.

One cannot stop evolution. Personally, I admire the creativity of these chefs, but if you want good pho, then go where the crowd eats. Chances are they eat the more authentic kind.

Vietnamese Pho Today

Outside of Vietnam many Vietnamese culinary experts have taken upon themselves to protect pho and help it retain its traditional identity. Pho has nonetheless taken on an adaptive nature. Many other versions of pho have emerged outside of Vietnam that contain seafood and pork and are called “pho” by their creators. Such dishes actually already exist in Vietnamese cuisine, being called “hu tieu” with different local variations.

For the pho connoisseurs, these so-called seafood or pork pho recipes cannot be considered pho in the strict traditional sense. In any case, the fact remains that pho has captured the fascination of people from all over the world because of the appeal of its distinct and layered flavors. There’s no question you’ll find great tasting and authentic pho in many of Vietnam’s local pho shops. But wherever you are in the world – whether in the United States, in Europe, in Australia or even in other Asian countries – you are sure to find a Vietnamese restaurant that serves pho as well, the authentic kind.

Also see “Pho in the U.S.: Sweeping North America Since 1975.” For an excellent recount of the Vietnamese experience and history of Little Saigon, see “Little Saigon, Orange County – California” by Wandering Chopsticks.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and welcome your comments, corrections and suggestions. Share them with us in the comments below.

The History and Evolution of Pho: A Hundred Years’ Journey is a post from: Vietnamese Pho Noodles