Originally Posted by
imm2b
LOL....to me, I'd never set foot in place that uses Cinnamon and Star Anise (Chinese-Viet owned Pho shops in the US does this a lot), it tells me that they don't know how to cook proper Pho and have to use spices to mask their broth. Additionally, Hoisin sauce ruins the broth, a good Pho broth is always clear, never cloudy. Anyway, I know everyone's taste is different, I'm just used to a certain style of Pho.
Well... I didn't say it was DOMINATED by spices, just that cinnamon and anise were more present than in other broths. To my knowledge - although I am not a professional Vietnamese chef - herbs and spices are an integral part of pho broth. The mom-and-pop who own and run the place are decidedly Vietnamese, not Chinese.
I personally don't use hoisin sauce in my pho. But just because it's there on the table doesn't mean the pho is crap. It means the owners are aware enough of the standard American palate to have it there for those who want it.
But anyway, to each his own.