Pho-bsession

Breakfast over Christmas and New Year took on a different form this year.  Between the five of us we must have consumed litres of delicious, delectable phở (pronounced 'fur').  Our breakfast obsession led us on a breakfast-time venue hop around the Old Quarter of Hanoi where we were the often the only Western faces around (apart from a few gazing curiously at us from the street).  Our search was over when we found Phở 10.

Our phở venues were always packed, but it never mattered too much because one huge difference between Vietnamese street-side restaurants and food markets and their counterparts in Singapore is that patrons in Vietnam are happy to move (or be moved) to make way for new customers.  The number of times two small groups of people shuffled around so our bigger (in physical size and numbers) group could sit down were countless.  God forbid you try that in Singapore – you’d get the death stare at best, and I shudder to imagine what at worst.

Over the nine days we played around with different accompaniment combinations – chili sauce, fresh chili, lime, coriander, fish sauce, bread… my favourite combination was three or four small drops of chili sauce, a couple of slices of fresh chili – but no seeds, two quarters of lime, a squirt of fish sauce and a bread stick to sop up extra juices.  Just spicy enough to jump start your morning, not so spicy that the sweat starts to prickle my scalp.

Prior to this Vietnam trip I was definitely a phở ga (chicken) devotee, courtesy of my friend Paul’s mum, who makes the best phở in New Zealand – hands down.  Now I must admit I prefer phở bo (beef), especially when the beef is raw fillet (it's sliced to finely it cooks almost instantly when the broth is poured over).  

Now, back in Singapore my obsession has shifted from eating someone else's to recreating my own phở.  I found this authentic-looking recipe (at least to my untrained eyes) on Epicurious and gave it a whirl on Sunday.  Not bad for a first attempt, but definitely a few things to learn for next time.  Beef is veeeerrrry expensive in Singapore, so I skimped by omitting the chuck and picking a knuckle with less meat on it – big mistake.  The finely sliced fillet was delicious but the broth lacked the deep meaty flavor.  Next time I will make sure my knuckle has enough meat, and definitely add the chuck.  I’ll add a bit more salt as well.

It’s actually a really easy recipe, but the simmer takes a long time.  As the recipe suggests, it might be easier to start in advance.  Apparently phở broth will keep in the fridge for around three days – I’m wondering how well it freezes…

Here’s the link to the recipe – if you can’t make it to Phở 10 in Hanoi, it’s a great alternative.  Let me know how you get on!

Where:  Phở 10, corner of Chân Cầm and Lý Quốc Sư, Hanoi

Authentic Hanoi version

My version

Coriander, mint, chilli, sprouts, lime, fish sauce... glass of red wine!

The kitchen of  Pho 10 - that could be my bowl in the foreground

I know it's well over due, but I promise I'm getting there with a few posts on my Northern Vietnam Christmas/New Year holiday (or food extravaganza) AND volcano-climbing in Java.  Stay tuned.