‘Pho’ tasting gives tourists a taste of Vietnam’s iconic noodle soup

Inside an upstairs room on Ngo Duc Ke Street in Saigon Ward, Minh Anh, a staff member from Saigon Social, introduced one ingredient after another displayed neatly on the table.

In front of her, the foreign guests listened attentively, occasionally touching cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and coriander seeds with curiosity.

When it came to the most important part, host Minh Anh passionately described the slow simmering of bones and the hours spent skimming to achieve a clear, aromatic broth — the soul of Vietnamese pho.

“You know, pho actually refers to this noodle,” Minh Anh explained, moving on to demonstrate how rice sheets are steamed and cut into strands, and how to test their freshness by chewing or gently pulling them apart.

Originally from the UK and now living in Singapore, Riby and Prescott were no strangers to pho.

Riby, who enjoys reviewing food, had already tried pho at several restaurants in both Singapore and Vietnam.

She was the one who persuaded her friend Prescott to join this tasting experience.

Still, this was their first time learning in depth about the ingredients and cooking process.

“I didn't know that pho was the noodle, I assumed it was the broth,” Prescott said.

Pho – a type of Vietnamese soup, usually served with rice noodles, slices of beef or chicken, and herbs, as defined by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary – has gained global fame for its rich flavor and healthy balance.

Yet few people truly know about the dish’s many regional variations and the different ways it is enjoyed across Vietnam.

The pho tasting experience was an initiative of Singaporean food blogger Jovel Chan, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City.

She founded Saigon Social, a culinary community space where she and her partners host workshops and tastings that let foreign visitors explore Vietnamese cuisine through themes such as coffee, pho, and fish sauce.

“I’d had the idea for a pho tasting for quite some time, but it took a while to convince partners to provide tasting portions and agree on how we’d tell the story of the dish,” Chan told Tuoi Tre News.

According to her, although the program is still new, it has attracted strong interest from foreign visitors, many of whom were unaware of how diverse pho actually is.

Pho: one dish, many stories to tell

The highlight of the pho tasting session was sampling six different kinds of pho: Hanoi-style pho, Saigon-style pho, pho phong (crispy golden pho puffs), pho xao (wok-fried pho), pho cuon (fresh pho rolls), and pho kho Gia Lai (Gia Lai-style dry pho).

The dishes were served in small portions, not to fill the stomach but to showcase pho’s remarkable diversity.

Minh Anh explained the preparation, origin, history, ingredients, and serving styles of each variation.

The differences between the two most familiar versions — northern and southern pho — especially caught the participants’ attention.

The northern pho is light, usually served with scallions and a bit of chili sauce, while the southern variant features more toppings such as sliced onions, basil, culantro, bean sprouts, and sauces like hoisin and sa te (Vietnamese lemongrass and chilli oil).

The participants were fascinated to learn that crispy pho puffs are made from square-cut pho sheets stacked and fried until golden, while the refreshing pho rolls, dipped in creamy peanut sauce, offered a completely different texture.

Next came wok-fried pho, where the noodles are stir-fried with meat, vegetables, and spices, creating a fragrant, chewy dish.

Finally, Gia Lai dry pho, or also known as 'pho hai to' (two-bowl pho), which originated in Gia Lai Province, presented a distinct experience, with the noodles served separately from the broth.

“I'm surprised that there are so many versions of pho," Prescott commented.

A nutritionist herself, Prescott also enjoyed pho for its healthy qualities — a clear broth, beef for protein, noodles for carbohydrates, fresh herbs, and vegetables for balance.

At the end of the session, participants were quizzed with a few fun questions to test what they had learned.

Before leaving, Riby also asked for pho recommendations to try before flying back to Singapore, and to keep in mind for future visits to Vietnam.

Sixty minutes may not be enough to grasp every detail about pho, but the visitors left with newfound knowledge and a respect for the effort behind each bowl, and for the cultural significance this beloved dish holds in Vietnamese life.

The growing interest from foreign visitors in learning about pho’s history and regional styles reflects how the dish has evolved from a humble street food to a global symbol of Vietnamese cuisine.

This appreciation will continue to be celebrated at the upcoming Vietnam Phở Festival 2024 in Singapore on October 18 and 19, where visitors can enjoy authentic pho flavors, meet renowned chefs, and explore the cultural stories behind Vietnam’s beloved national dish.