Dish of the Day: Phở

Phở at a Vietnamese restaurant in Chicago

(Lunch, 7/21/07)

Phở (pronounced fuh) is a Vietnamese noodle soup dish. Typically, it is composed of rice noodles in clear beef broth, and can typically have thin beef slices, tendon, tripe (intestinal lining), chicken leg, green onions and miscellaneous herbs (basil, mint, etc.). almost always served with a lemon slice and fresh bean sprouts, as well as chili peppers and spicy sauces. While Phở varies depending on the region it is served in, restaurants and stands in the United States usually serve their Phở in the Southern Vietnamese style, which utilizes many herbs and bean sprouts.

Historically, Phở is reputed to have origins from a combination of Chinese and French cuisine. China has always had a great impact on it’s neighboring countries, and the use of spices and herbs in Phở is very reminiscent of Chinese cuisine. The Vietnamese also adapted to their French rulers, where beef stew dishes are common in the cuisine, when they were in control of Vietnam. When the French were defeated and forced to leave, many North Vietnamese refugees came to South Vietnam and introduced it in the 60's. The proliferation of south vietnamese to the United States, Australia, Canada and other parts of the world in this period also brought with it the cuisine, of which Phở was then a prominent and popular dish.

Being a big fan of Udon and various soupy noodle dishes, Phở is one of my favorites, having good value and being very filling as well as being relatively good for your health, while not sacrificing it’s flavor. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a relative unknown in the midwest, due to the generally small Vietnamese population, although there are typically restaurants and stands in every major urban area in the country, as well as in Canada and Australia. There are numerous Vietnamese stands and eateries in California, where immigrants from Southeast Asia usually come in.