I thought I had coined the term “phonatic” to describe a person who was wild about the soup pho, but was disappointed to find it was already common parlance among the world’s pho lovers. Still, people are wild about pho, the delicious aromatic beef broth that is the national soup of Vietnam. Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is like a warm nap in a faraway, exotic location. The dish has a curiously dedicated following outside of Vietnam, particularly in light of the culinary challenges (dogs, embryonic duck eggs) that Vietnamese cuisine can present to the Western diner. But pho is a different story altogether. I attribute pho’s popularity partly to Americans’ desire to “have it your way.” When pho is served, a variety of ingredients arrive alongside the bowl of hot broth. These typically include different types of meat (raw and cooked), purple basil, cilantro, scallion, thin strands of white onion, bean sprouts, lemon or lime, noodles, hot sauce or jalapenos. You assemble your own dish to taste. Hate cilantro? Just don’t put it in. In the U.S. an order of pho comes in a bowl the size of a baby pool amounting to a half gallon of soup and 2 pounds of meat. Try not to let this detract from Vietnamese cuisine’s refined sense of balance, freshness of ingredients and elegant flavors. But if this soup is just a free-pho-all (that’s mine) of ingredients the diner adds at will, what’s so special about it?

Made by cooking bones for many hours and scented with warm spices like cloves, anise, ginger and cinnamon, the rich, transparent broth is the most important element of pho. Also essential is the freshness of the added vegetables and herbs. Interestingly, pho has only been in existence for less than one-hundred years and its origins are a bit mysterious. The French occupied Vietnam from 1850 to 1954 and Vietnamese cuisine today shows evidence of the beautiful integration of French cuisine (as well as those of other cultures) into their cooking. The name “pho” may relate to the French word for fire, feu which refers to the classic French dish, pot au feu.

Souperbowl Sunday I visited Pho Hoai which offers eighteen different kinds of pho varying mostly in their combinations of meat parts. I had the Xe Lua which featured six different kinds of meat including omosa, thin ribbons of tripe, brisket and tendon. Full of locals, Pho Hoai serves some of the best pho in Brooklyn in a comfortable ambiance similar to Manhattan’s Chinatown restaurants. Their crispy squid is also outstanding. While pho is traditionally a beef soup, Pho Hoai (like most New York Vietnamese restaurants) offers shrimp, shredded chicken, fish and vegetarian options. The Vietnamese may eat pho for breakfast, but it makes for a great Sunday dinner and lunch the next day.

Pho Hoai
1906 Avenue U
and
8616 4th Avenue

Originally posted on Until Monday: Brooklyn.