Pho tai
Photo: SerraKnightz · CC BY 4.0

History

The Twin Cities Vietnamese community grew steadily after 1975 and now numbers around 30,000 in the metro, concentrated along University Avenue in Saint Paul and around Eat Street on Nicollet in Minneapolis. Quang opened on Nicollet in 1989 as a four-table bakery run by Lung Tran and grew across the street into the full restaurant; five of Tran's children still run the line. The pho-tai cult is real: Twin Cities reviewers regularly debate Quang versus Pham's Deli at Midtown Global Market versus Pho Tau Bay, with Quang holding the popular vote for the cleanest broth and the biggest portion.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 3 lb beef knuckle or marrow bones
  • 1 oxtail (about 1 lb)
  • 1 onion halved, 1 thumb ginger halved, both charred
  • 4 star anise, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 black cardamom
  • 1 tbsp coriander seed
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp rock sugar
  • 1 lb dried banh pho rice noodles
  • 8 oz eye-of-round, sliced as thin as paper
  • Bean sprouts, thai basil, lime, sliced jalapeno, hoisin and sriracha to serve

Method

  1. Blanch bones and oxtail in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to clear scum.
  2. Char onion and ginger directly over a flame or under broiler until blackened.
  3. Toast spices in a dry pan until fragrant, about 1 minute. Tie in a cheesecloth bundle.
  4. Combine bones, oxtail, onion, ginger and spice bundle in a stockpot with 6 quarts cold water. Simmer gently for 4 hours, skimming often.
  5. Strain. Season with fish sauce and rock sugar. Hold hot.
  6. Cook noodles per packet. Divide between bowls. Top with raw beef slices. Ladle boiling broth over the meat to cook on contact. Serve with garnishes.

Tip from the editors. Slice the eye-of-round half-frozen with a sharp knife; the meat must be paper-thin to cook through in seconds when the broth hits it.

Where to eat pho tai

Pho tai in Minneapolis

Quang Restaurant ★ 4.7

$ VietnameseEat Street

Quang on Nicollet has poured James Beard America's Classics 2024 pho in Minneapolis since 1989. Located in Eat Street. At 2719 Nicollet Ave.

TryPho tai

Directions

Pham's Deli ★ 4.2

$ Street foodEat Street

Pham's Deli inside Midtown Global Market on Lake Street has rolled Vietnamese banh mi in Minneapolis since 2006. Pork-pate sandwich made-to-order.

TryVietnamese banh mi

Directions

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Pho tai in Orlando

Pho 88 ★ 4.4

$ VietnameseMills 50

Pho 88 on North Mills Avenue has anchored the Mills 50 Vietnamese corridor since 1996, with bowls of pho, bun and vermicelli plates well under $15 daily.

TryVietnamese pho, bun, vermicelli bowls

Directions

Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen ★ 4.4

$$ VietnameseMills 50

Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen on East Colonial Drive is the modern Vietnamese room in Mills 50, with chef-led plates beyond pho and a strong cocktail program.

SignatureBanh khot, Bo luc lac shaking beef

Directions

Hawkers Asian Street Food ★ 4.5

$$ Southeast AsianMills 50

Hawkers on North Mills Avenue is the Mills 50 flagship of the homegrown Asian-hawker chain, with roti canai, dumplings and skewers from across Southeast Asia.

SignatureRoti canai, Hawkers wings

Directions Book

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