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Pho from Vietnam

Pho

Vietnam's aromatic noodle soup — clear broth, rice noodles, herbs and beef. · Vietnam

📍 Hanoi ★ 4.7
Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Vietnam's aromatic noodle soup — clear broth, rice noodles, herbs and beef.

📹 See Pho

AI-generated illustrative footage · Whatwherevacay.com

About Pho

Pho is built on its broth: beef bones simmered for hours with charred ginger and onion and warm spices such as star anise, cinnamon and clove until clear, fragrant and deeply savoury. It is ladled over flat rice noodles and thin slices of beef, then finished at the table with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chilli.

Eaten morning to night, it is Vietnam's national comfort food — light yet profoundly aromatic.

🏛️ History & Culture

Pho emerged in northern Vietnam around the early 20th century, near Hanoi, blending local rice noodles with influences from Chinese noodle soups and the French taste for beef (the word pho is often linked to French pot-au-feu). After the 1954 partition, refugees carried it south, where a sweeter, herb-laden Saigon style developed.

Vietnamese emigration after 1975 then spread pho across the world. Its two great schools — restrained northern pho bac and lavish southern pho nam — still define the dish today.

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Ingredients
Steps

Pho — frequently asked questions

What is Pho?

Pho is built on its broth: beef bones simmered for hours with charred ginger and onion and warm spices such as star anise, cinnamon and clove until clear, fragrant and deeply savoury. It is ladled over flat rice noodles and thin slices of beef, then finished at the table with bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime and…

What is Pho made of?

Pho is made with beef bones, rice noodles, star anise, ginger and Thai basil.

Where does Pho come from?

Pho comes from Vietnam, and is especially associated with Hanoi. Pho emerged in northern Vietnam around the early 20th century, near Hanoi, blending local rice noodles with influences from Chinese noodle soups and the French taste for beef (the word pho is often linked to French pot-au-feu).

Where can I eat Pho?

A dedicated pho shop in Hanoi at breakfast, where the broth is the whole point.

→ More traditional dishes from Vietnam

Taste Pho in Hanoi

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