Vietnam's defining beef noodle soup, a bowl of flat rice noodles in a clear broth simmered for hours with beef bones, charred ginger and onion, star anise and cinnamon, topped with raw or brisket beef and a raft of herbs.

Pho emerged in northern Vietnam between 1900 and 1907, in Nam Dinh province southeast of Hanoi, and the demand for beef only appeared under French colonial rule. After the 1954 partition more than a million people moved from the North to the South, and pho spread there quickly. Southern versions developed a sweeter, cloudier broth and arrive with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, hoisin and chili sauce on the side.

Where to eat Pho in Ho Chi Minh City

3 editor picks for Pho in Ho Chi Minh City, ranked by editorial score. All Ho Chi Minh City signature dishes · Pho across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 44 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg beef bones (knuckle and marrow)
  • 500g beef brisket
  • 1 large onion, halved
  • 80g fresh ginger, halved
  • 4 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1 tbsp rock sugar
  • 400g flat rice noodles (banh pho)
  • 200g beef sirloin, sliced paper-thin
  • Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime, sliced chili, spring onion to serve

Method

  1. Blanch the bones in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and rinse to clear the scum.
  2. Char the onion and ginger directly over a flame or under a grill until blackened, then peel loosely.
  3. Toast the star anise, cinnamon and cloves in a dry pan until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Simmer the bones, brisket, charred aromatics and toasted spices in 4 litres of water for 3 hours, skimming often. Remove the brisket after 1.5 hours, slice, and set aside.
  5. Season the broth with fish sauce and rock sugar, then strain.
  6. Soak and cook the rice noodles per the packet. Divide into bowls with the sliced brisket and raw sirloin, ladle over the boiling broth to cook the beef, and serve with herbs, sprouts, lime and chili.

Editor tip. The clarity of the broth comes from blanching the bones first and skimming patiently; never let it hit a rolling boil.

Common allergens: Gluten, Soy.