Pho
Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0

History

Pho arrived in Seattle in 1982 when Theresa and Augustine Pham opened Cat's Submarine on South Jackson Street, started selling Theresa's weekend pho to homesick Vietnamese customers, and switched the menu over to pho within four months. The shop renamed itself Pho Bac and is generally considered the first dedicated pho restaurant in the United States. The Phams' five children have since built a Seattle empire including Pho Bac Sup Shop, The Boat and Hello Em on 12th. Seattle now has more pho restaurants per capita than any US city outside California.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 kg beef shin and oxtail, mixed
  • 500g beef brisket
  • 1 large onion, halved, skin on
  • 1 hand of fresh ginger, halved
  • 5 star anise pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 4 litres cold water
  • 60ml fish sauce
  • 30g rock sugar or palm sugar
  • Sea salt
  • 400g dried banh pho noodles
  • 200g sirloin or flank, sliced paper-thin
  • Thai basil, sawtooth coriander, mung sprouts, lime wedges, sliced bird chillies, sliced white onion, to serve

Method

  1. Char the onion and ginger over an open flame or under the broiler until the skins blacken. Brush off the burnt bits.
  2. Blanch the bones and brisket 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Rinse off the scum.
  3. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and coriander 90 seconds in a dry pan. Tie in a muslin bag.
  4. Combine bones, brisket, charred aromatics, spice bag and the 4 litres of cold water in a stockpot. Bring slowly to the gentlest simmer.
  5. Cook 3 hours, skimming surface scum every 30 minutes. Pull the brisket out at 90 minutes when it is tender; refrigerate.
  6. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Season with fish sauce, sugar and salt to taste. Keep hot.
  7. Cook the banh pho noodles per packet. Divide between deep bowls. Top with sliced raw sirloin, sliced cold brisket.
  8. Ladle the boiling broth over the meat; the heat cooks the sirloin. Serve with the aromatics on a side plate.

Tip from the editors. Skim every 30 minutes for a clear broth; the difference between a great pho and a muddy one is the patience of the skimmer.

Where to eat pho

Pho in Ho Chi Minh City

Pho Hoa Pasteur ★ 4.4

$ PhoDistrict 3

Pho Hoa Pasteur has poured beef pho on this District 3 corner since 1968 and now carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its long-simmered, clean-tasting broth.

OrderA bowl of pho tai, plus the quay dough sticks for dipping.

TipPrices are posted by bowl size; the tables of fresh herbs and gio chao quay are self-serve.

Directions

Pho Le ★ 4.3

$ PhoDistrict 5

Pho Le is a Cho Lon institution famous for a rich, sweet Southern-style beef broth and generous portions, drawing steady queues on the edge of Chinatown.

OrderThe full beef pho with brisket and tendon.

TipSouthern pho runs sweeter than Hanoi's; the hoisin and sriracha on the table are meant for it.

Directions

Pho Quynh ★ 3.9

$ PhoPham Ngu Lao

Pho Quynh sits on the backpacker strip of Pham Ngu Lao and runs nearly around the clock, a reliable late bowl of pho and beef stew for the Bui Vien crowd.

OrderThe pho bo kho, a beef-stew twist on the classic bowl.

TipIt is one of the few kitchens serving proper pho well after midnight in the backpacker area.

Directions

All Ho Chi Minh City signature dishes →

Pho in Seattle

The Boat ★ 4.7

$ Vietnamese

The Boat in Seattle's Little Saigon is the original Pho Bac since 1982: the city's first pho restaurant, still in a red boat-shaped building, bowls from $13.

TryPho tai with rare flank

Directions

Ba Bar Capitol Hill ★ 4.3

$$ VietnameseUntil Mon to Thu 01:30, Fri and Sat 03:30

Ba Bar Capitol Hill in Seattle is the city's only proper late-night Vietnamese kitchen: pho until 02:00 weekdays, 03:30 weekends, bahn mi at the counter.

TryPho ga at 02:00

Directions

Ramie ★ 4.5

$$$ Modern VietnameseCapitol Hill

Ramie in Seattle's Capitol Hill is the Nguyen siblings' 2024 modern Vietnamese room: Ba Sa veterans channelling pho and nuoc cham into Wagyu carpaccio.

OrderHamachi crudo with nuoc cham, herbs and lime to start, then the pho risotto.

TipWednesday and Sunday early seatings have the chef at the pass; ask for the bar to watch the line.

Directions Book

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