History

Vietnamese refugees settled in Sacramento in waves after 1975, with the largest community along Stockton Boulevard south of Broadway. By the 1990s the boulevard between Florin and 65th had become the Vietnamese commercial centre of the Sacramento Valley, with pho counters, banh mi shops, Vietnamese grocers and karaoke clubs lining the strip. Pho Momma on Folsom Boulevard near Stockton earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand for its long-simmered beef broth, the highest US recognition for a Sacramento pho counter. The Stockton Boulevard pho is heavy on the rare slice, the meatball and the house pork wontons, and it travels south to nearby San Joaquin Valley pho strips in Lodi and Stockton itself.

Common allergens: Wheat, Soy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 6 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg beef shin or oxtail
  • 500g beef knuckle bones
  • 1 large onion, halved unpeeled
  • 100g ginger, halved lengthways
  • 6 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 tsp fennel seed
  • 30g rock sugar
  • 60ml fish sauce
  • 400g rice noodles, banh pho size
  • 300g raw beef sirloin, shaved paper-thin
  • Bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, sliced chillies, hoisin and sriracha to serve

Method

  1. Char the onion and ginger over an open flame or under a hot grill until blackened on all sides. Set aside.
  2. Toast the star anise, cinnamon, cloves and fennel seed in a dry pan until fragrant, about 90 seconds. Wrap in cheesecloth.
  3. Blanch the beef shin and bones in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse.
  4. Return the meat and bones to a clean pot. Cover with 5L cold water. Add the charred onion, ginger, the spice bag, rock sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a bare simmer.
  5. Simmer uncovered for 5 hours, skimming the surface every 30 minutes. Strain through fine cloth. Season with extra fish sauce and salt.
  6. Soak the rice noodles in cold water 30 minutes then drop into boiling water for 30 seconds. Divide between bowls. Lay raw sliced sirloin on top. Pour the boiling broth over to cook the beef. Serve with the garnish plate.

Tip from the editors. Skim every 30 minutes through the simmer. The broth must stay barely moving, never boiling, or the fat emulsifies and turns the broth cloudy.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat stockton boulevard pho

Stockton Boulevard Pho in Sacramento

Pho Momma ★ 4.5

east-sacramento

Why locals love it: Strip-mall Vietnamese counter on Folsom Boulevard that earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand for pho with house pork wontons.

Tip: Walk-in only. Thursday to Sunday 11:00 to 20:30. House pork wontons in the beef broth.

9555 Folsom Boulevard, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95827

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