Hanoi Pho - the essence of Hanoi's cuisine.

Hanoi's signature pho dish first appeared in the 1930s. By around 1937-1938, pho was available everywhere. The golden age of this dish was from 1939 to 1942.

From the mid-1960s to the 1990s, a meatless pho dish – "pho without a driver" – appeared in Hanoi and many provinces in Northern Vietnam. From the 1990s onwards, pho became more varied and was often served with crispy fried dough sticks.

Image of Hanoi pho. Photo: Collected from various sources.

Traditional pho was often sold from street vendors, with a broth rich in cinnamon, star anise, beef bone broth, and various other spices. The broth was simmered for about 10 hours, resulting in a sweet flavor, and the star anise and cinnamon were roasted before cooking to enhance their distinctive taste.

Hanoi-style pho noodles are wide and not too thick, maintaining their softness. The meat is cooked to perfection, and topped with aromatic herbs such as scallions, cilantro, and onions. Hot broth is poured into the bowl of pho, and many people often eat it with fried dough sticks (quẩy).

Today, pho is sold in eateries and restaurants ranging from casual to upscale to suit a wide range of tastes. Besides the traditional flavors, pho broth today can also be seasoned with MSG, bouillon cubes, or commercially available pho seasoning mixes.

Star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon have also been reduced to better suit general tastes. The meat in pho is also more diverse, with many ways of preparing it such as stir-fried beef, rare beef, well-done beef… Besides fried dough sticks, pho today can also be eaten with poached eggs.

Hanoi pho is an unforgettable culinary icon, preserving the quintessential flavors of the nation. Pho is a delicate blend of rich broth, refreshing herbs, fragrant beef/chicken, and many other ingredients. This dish is best enjoyed hot and flavorful. Many people like to add lime, garlic vinegar, or Hanoi pho chili sauce according to their taste.

 

Famous and delicious pho restaurants in Hanoi.

1. Hung Vuong Stone Bowl Pho - 37A Hung Vuong Street, Ba Dinh District

2. Pho Bat Dan - 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem District

3. Stir-fried beef pho at Ba Thanh - 11 Hang Buom Street, Hoan Kiem District

4. Pho Ganh Hang Chieu - at the intersection of Hang Duong and Hang Chieu streets, Hoan Kiem district.

5. Pho Duong Tau Hanoi - 3 Tran Phu Street , Hoan Kiem District

6. Ha Hang Hom Chicken Pho - 15 Hang Hom Street, Hoan Kiem District

7. Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su, Hanoi - 10 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem District

8. Pho Bung (Pho served in a bowl) on Hang Trong Street - 8 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District

9. Pho Thin, 13 Lo Duc Street, Hanoi -   13 Lo Duc Street, Hai Ba Trung District

10. Pho Thinh - 39 Ton Duc Thang Street, Dong Da District

11. Quan Thanh Chicken Pho - 42 Quan Thanh Street, Ba Dinh District

12. Ma May - 45 Ma May Street, Hoan Kiem District

13. Nguyen Sieu - 10 Nguyen Sieu Street, Hoan Kiem District

14. Pho 62 Le Trong Tan - 62 Le Trong Tan Street, Thanh Xuan District

15. Pho 24H Hanoi System

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/pho-ha-noi-tinh-hoa-am-thuc-ha-thanh.html