BEST PHO IN SAIGON

HITS FROM THE BOWL

The Mouth sent it's team of broth-bellied missionaries to Ho Chi Minh City over the course of a decade, to sample, dissect, critique and slurp as many bowls as they could without bursting. Having read countless blogs, newspaper articles, in-flight magazines, youtube comment sections and interviews with chef's we trust, the following list are a product of having tried the top 25 places in town.

Inconsistencies aside, one of our writers tested each of the 25, ignored rabid arguments and protestations, and decided what style and format was our personal favourite. Whilst everyone has their own interpretations of what makes the perfect bowl of Pho, for us it's simple:

Great broth, not too sweet, not too perfumed. Good quality meat. Fresh herbs and toppings. Home-made chilli sauce if possible. Personally we do not go for the ultra fatty or super clean bowls, liking a balance between flavour and clarity. Sometimes you find a place where the broth is dynamite but the beef is like eating string, so those places end up falling out of favour because the overall purpose is a good all-round eating experience.

Service and price are not the deciding factors, since Pho is more of a streetfood dish eaten fast and not waited on by attentive staff to refill glasses of expensive plonk. No, our favourite Pho places are either street stalls, or halls with stainless steel tables, piles of fresh herbs, chilli sauce to make your tongue peel and the heady smell of stewing soup.

Food is forever evolving, and sometimes it devolves. Owners change, locations change, chefs change. We can only assure you that when we visited, we liked it.