For a long time in France, wherever there are Vietnamese people, there is pho. According to generations of overseas Vietnamese in France, the first Vietnamese pho restaurants appeared decades ago and have a place in the hearts of customers who are passionate about exploring the cuisine of foreign lands.
In Paris and its surrounding urban areas alone, pho is one of the most popular dishes at Vietnamese restaurants. Strolling through the streets of District 13, considered the “capital” of Asians in Paris, it is easy to come across Vietnamese restaurants, interspersed with other Asian restaurants. Song Huong, Ba Mien, Ngoc Xuyen, Pho Dau Bo, Pho 14, Pho Mui, etc. are just a few of the Vietnamese restaurants familiar to overseas Vietnamese, French people and international tourists when visiting here. When it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, pho is probably the name that everyone thinks of first. This is not surprising, as hot bowls of pho attract domestic and international diners because of the quintessential flavor as well as the sweetness of the broth. 
The broth is the soul of the bowl of pho and each bowl of pho has its own story, from the careful preparation process, elaborate processing to the sophisticated way of enjoying it. The bowl of beef pho when coming to France is larger in size, but still ensures the intact aroma of the broth, whether in the northern or southern style. Ingredients such as pho noodles, herbs including cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves... must be imported from within the country, but can also be easily found in Vietnamese supermarkets. The ingredients are all prepared, but the way of seasoning depends on the chef of each restaurant. Therefore, each hot, delicious bowl of pho that reaches the customer has a unique flavor.
The broth is the soul of the bowl of pho and each bowl of pho has its own story, from the careful preparation process, elaborate processing to the sophisticated way of enjoying it. The bowl of beef pho when coming to France is larger in size, but still ensures the intact aroma of the broth, whether in the northern or southern style. Ingredients such as pho noodles, herbs including cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves... must be imported from within the country, but can also be easily found in Vietnamese supermarkets. The ingredients are all prepared, but the way of seasoning depends on the chef of each restaurant. Therefore, each hot, delicious bowl of pho that reaches the customer has a unique flavor. Right at the Porte de Choisy train station (District 13), there is a shop with a signboard above it with the very familiar name "Old Quarter". The shop has been familiar to the Vietnamese community in France in recent years, and is even very popular with foreign guests, because of its unique feature - pho with the flavor of Hanoi . Ms. Hoang Quynh Hoa, the owner of the "Old Quarter" shop, is a native of Hanoi. For her, Hanoi pho is not only a street food, but also contains great cultural value. That is also the reason why Ms. Hoa always wonders how to bring the most authentic bowls of pho to diners abroad.
True to its name, pho in the “Old Quarter” has the flavor of Hanoi, rich in a typical way with delicious, sweet broth, mixed with the flavor of herbs, thinly sliced beef and soft pho noodles. Also in the “Old Quarter”, diners are served delicious bowls of pho with a plate of hot and crispy fried dough sticks, in the true way of enjoying pho of Hanoians. Elderly people in the community share that District 13 has many Vietnamese pho restaurants that are decades old. After all this time, many restaurant owners are now old. Some restaurants have been continued by the next generation, others have been transferred. Even so, those pho restaurants in the minds of overseas Vietnamese in France are still a part of their memories, a meeting place for people in foreign lands, a bridge connecting those who are far away with the national culture, tasting the flavors of their homeland.
Mr. Vu Ngoc Quynh, 82 years old, is a Vietnamese expatriate who has lived in France since the mid-1950s. Mr. Vu Ngoc Quynh, 82 years old, is a Vietnamese expatriate who has lived in France since the mid-1950s. Every few weeks, Mr. Quynh and a group of seven other "old friends" stop by Vietnamese restaurants to meet and reminisce about old memories. For Vietnamese people, a bowl of pho is a way to recognize fellow countrymen. For foreign diners, a bowl of pho is a way to identify Vietnamese cuisine.
Vietnamese pho restaurants in Paris and many other places in France, whether on the main street or hidden in a small alley, are always brightly lit and crowded with customers, both Western and Eastern. Many restaurants have expanded their menus, serving many other Vietnamese dishes.
But like many other French diners, Mr. Nordine - a resident of District 19 - still ordered his usual bowl of pho. Not only is it a unique feature of Vietnamese cuisine in France, pho also eases the homesickness of overseas Vietnamese and spreads the beauty of culture to diners far away. Source: https://nhandan.vn/sac-mau-pho-viet-tren-dat-phap-post814577.html
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