Hi Mariah: Yes dipping in the sauce is a great way to enjoy the ingredients in pho without mucking up the good broth, assuming the broth is good. Personally, like you, I do not put hoisin and chili sauce in my pho either. I enjoy the taste of the broth all by itself, so clearly pho with less than decent broth does not get my business 😉 I do like the tart acidity of the lime in my pho however, so I always have to have that squeezed in.
Hi New to Pho: I've not visited any Pho 32. You say it's Korean owned? Where may one be located? I googled and found a Pho 32 in NY. Is that the one?
Yep, it's in Queens which is in New york. Do you not live in New York? (if you don't sorry, we new yorkers kind of assume everyone lives in NY ^^)
@New to Pho: No I'm in nice San Diego my man (I'm assume you're a guy, if not, my apology 😉 Though I did visit NYC 3 years ago and would love to go back. Did take a tour of Queens though.
So if you like pho I'm sure you'd have tried places other than Pho32 right? I always tell people when they ask me questions similar to yours: there are a few rules that can definitely help such as 1) trying a variety of places to know what's common/authentic/accepted pho versus what's "creative" pho, 2) get a Viet friend's opinion, 3) try a pho shop full of Viet people eating in it. In the end we're not that much different then Koreans, in that I think you know how to find good authentic Korean restaurants with less effort than a typical non-Korean.
Something may also help is this article On Viet People’s Expectations, Standards, and Ideals for Pho vs. Non-Viet. I'd be very interested in trying the pho at the Korean owned Pho32.
Awesome site! I love your tips for eating Pho. I still remember my first pho experince in Victoria St of Melbourne... I have to admit i too was nervous and didn't know what to do. Well now I am living in Lima Peru, where not yet do they have a Vietnamese restaurant. That doesn't stop me from making my own though :). Check out my facebook album with the pics of it!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.215430771808731.62273.174418105909998&l=087505fa48
Hello Jason: Thanks for sharing your home-made pho. It's quite complete and I'm impressed! So that clear noodle is rice noodle? Never seen it like that, but the whole "El phở de Jason" looks great. By the way, how's the beef in Peru compared to that of Australia?
Thanks Cuong!
Yeah it is rice noodle but it was some expensive chinese one. I prefer the normal white ones i just decided to buy those in search of the best! It's alot harder to get a hold on Asian ingredients here altough chinese ingredients aren't too hard. It isn't like Australia where you have a lot of choice in the supermarket though. I have to go to the center of the city! The beef I have to admit isn't heaps good, it is a shame because it could be with the wonderful natural environments we have here. We do have at hand imported Angus from the US and also beef from Argentina and Brazil. The beef from brasil is a good value for quality option 🙂
Jason: Peru has never been the hotbed of Vietnamese foods for obvious reason. It's very much the the same as when the Vietnamese first came to North America in the 70's. We were lucky to find white rice and soy sauce at a local Chinese market. I remember I would eat just steamed rice and soy sauce and be content for the whole month! Authentic ingredients are definitely important for making an authentic dish.
