PHO-VIETNAM

Executive summary By darmansjah

YOU could call pho (feu) a noodle soup, but to put it so plainly would be a grave injustice. Commonly eaten at breakfast, it’s a combination of beef stock-with notes of onion, ginger, star anise and coriander-rice noodles, chillies and beanshoots, which is topped with slices  of beef brisket, chicken or meatballs and a squeeze of lime.

ORIGIN Pho, which has its origins in the cuisines of France and China, was popularized around the end of the 19^th century. The Vietnamese took the rice noodles from their northern neighbor and a taste for red meat from the colonialists, and created something entirely new. Some say that pho is derived from the French dish pot-au-feu, while others argue that it is Chinese in origin, stemming from ‘fan’, a Cantonese word for noodles.

TASTING Pictures dawn breaking across Vietnam, with the background hum of scooter engines yet to reach its mid-morning crescendo. The pho sellers have set up stalls, some little more than a battered collection of metal pans, while others offer plastic tables; whichever you choose, it’s the broth that matters. The broth is the heart and soul of pho, and should be rich and deeply flavoured. The noodles should be freshly made-soft with a hint of firmness-while it is best to use chillies that are mild rather than fierce. Bean sprouts add a satisfyingly crunchy texture, and with a dash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime, breakfast is ready.

Finding it : The Quan An Ngon restaurant in Hanoi has gorgeous garden and does exemplary pho (from US$2.30; 00 84 4 3942 8162).