Many people from Central and Southern Vietnam enjoy Northern Vietnamese cuisine but cannot eat Pho Dau, the authentic Northern-style pho.
Pho Dau is a popular breakfast choice for many people in Saigon.
Local specialty restaurants in Saigon, such as those serving Phu Yen-style fish rolls or Quang Ngai- style don (a type of seafood), when prepared according to their original flavors, are likely to be unfamiliar to people from other regions. However, when adapted to suit people from other areas, they are often criticized by the locals who originated the dish.
Many people find Northern Vietnamese cuisine delicious because the meal offers a variety of dishes and flavors to complement and share preferences, catering to both those who like it and those who dislike it. Pho Dau, however, has only one flavor, distinctly Nam Dinh in character. It's a type of pho with a strong Northern flavor, primarily intended for people of Northern origin and those who prefer Northern Vietnamese cuisine.
Pho Dau doesn't serve pho with Vietnamese coriander, sawtooth coriander, or basil. Nor does it offer raw or blanched bean sprouts. Regular customers who usually eat pho with plenty of herbs and pick their own bean sprouts are taken aback here.
The restaurant only provides a bowl of sliced onions; customers add their own red chili sauce, mix it well, and eat it as a side dish with their pho. Alternatively, if they like, they can order an extra bowl of blood broth...
Diners paused while picking up vegetables and bean sprouts, then felt a further pang when scooping up noodles and broth. Accustomed to the combination of rice noodles, broth, and vegetables, this type of pho felt incomplete.
A bowl of sliced onions mixed with soy sauce served with pho at Dau restaurant.
For those unfamiliar with Northern-style pho, the first time they try Pho Dau, they'll find the flavor mild and evenly distributed. Even after finishing the bowl, they still won't be able to fully appreciate the distinct taste.
So how many times does it take to be considered a satisfying meal? Three times, ten times, or never returning after the first time. For these people, it's not that they're complaining, but they might just come once to try it out, that's all.
Within the Northern style of pho, depending on personal taste, connoisseurs can name many delicious pho restaurants in Saigon. For this group of diners, Pho Dau is the best.
It's difficult to definitively determine what's good or bad when things are confined within a cultural context, habits, and tastes, which are highly variable and elastic.
Some dishes that were delicious before may no longer be so, and vice versa. This is due to many factors, including the passage of time, life experiences, culinary experiences, and changing tastes.
The question is no longer simply whether Pho Dau is delicious or not. After all, no dish in this world is bad. The best is food cooked by your mother, your sister, or your lover. The worst is food you cook yourself.
Pho Dau, like many dishes in the world, probably falls somewhere in between the best and the worst.
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