How do you pho?
Feb 6, 2015 | 3:38 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,642
Brisket, rare beef, tendon, tripe.
I throw all the sprouts and basil in the soup too.
Using hot chill sauce (not sriracha) and hoisin as a dip most of the time. If I'm feeling lazy, I just throw it in.
Usually hung over. Or sick. Pho solves those problems.
I throw all the sprouts and basil in the soup too.
Using hot chill sauce (not sriracha) and hoisin as a dip most of the time. If I'm feeling lazy, I just throw it in.
Usually hung over. Or sick. Pho solves those problems.
Feb 6, 2015 | 3:45 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
rare beef, flank, brisket, tendon and tripe
As much bean sprouts that can fit into the bowl, with a little basil, peppers and lime.
A little bit of sriracha and a lot of hoisin.
As much bean sprouts that can fit into the bowl, with a little basil, peppers and lime.
A little bit of sriracha and a lot of hoisin.
Feb 6, 2015 | 6:40 pm
#18
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
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Pro tip for those who don't know: Try ordering your thin sliced rare beef on the side instead of in the bowl... that way, it comes to your table and you can dip the portion beef in the soup yourself, and get the perfect temperature to your tastes. Leave it up to them, and by the time it reaches your table it's almost always overdone.
Some places will charge you extra, but I've found most places to accommodate this request free of charge.
Some places will charge you extra, but I've found most places to accommodate this request free of charge.
Feb 6, 2015 | 6:45 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 46
Brisket and Beef ball. Noodle. Soup. Little bit of lemon/lime.
That's it. No additives, no sprouts. No anything else
I started eating it like that because that's what my wife orders (who is Viet, although she has Hoisin to dip her beef into). Now I can't order it any other way...
That's it. No additives, no sprouts. No anything else
I started eating it like that because that's what my wife orders (who is Viet, although she has Hoisin to dip her beef into). Now I can't order it any other way...
Feb 7, 2015 | 7:10 am
#20
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
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Mmm always time for a pho thread! I like it with prawn and tripe. Strange combo I know, but it gets the job done. And of course some hot sauce and you cannot give me too many noodles!
Feb 7, 2015 | 11:23 am
#21
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Location: QLA
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Feb 7, 2015 | 12:20 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Laguna Beach, CA
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 364
Rare beef on the side, so it can be cooked in the broth to desired doneness. Sometimes, add in brisket.
A good amount of Sriracha and lime.
Handful of bean sprouts.
For take-out, I get the noodles uncooked, and drop them in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Prevents those clumps from pre-cooked noodles.
A good amount of Sriracha and lime.
Handful of bean sprouts.
For take-out, I get the noodles uncooked, and drop them in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Prevents those clumps from pre-cooked noodles.
Feb 7, 2015 | 5:48 pm
#23
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,508
Rare beef on the side, so it can be cooked in the broth to desired doneness. Sometimes, add in brisket.
A good amount of Sriracha and lime.
Handful of bean sprouts.
For take-out, I get the noodles uncooked, and drop them in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Prevents those clumps from pre-cooked noodles.
A good amount of Sriracha and lime.
Handful of bean sprouts.
For take-out, I get the noodles uncooked, and drop them in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Prevents those clumps from pre-cooked noodles.
My dirty little secret for my take home is to skip the rice noodles and use instant ramen instead
Feb 8, 2015 | 2:13 am
#24
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: EWR
Posts: 2,167
I'm not very picky, so I'll take any meat (especially if I can get tripe), bean sprouts, lime, a little bit of hoisin, and chili. Naturally, there's a nice stem of basil leaves as well and a small stack of jalapenos. The place I go to gets the food out from the kitchen fast enough that the meat isn't always completely cooked through, which is a nice touch.
I would rather use chili paste/sauce with seeds, as I think Sriracha is too watery and isn't very flavorful-I'd rather have a chili paste that's more robust and has some oils
I would rather use chili paste/sauce with seeds, as I think Sriracha is too watery and isn't very flavorful-I'd rather have a chili paste that's more robust and has some oils
Feb 8, 2015 | 10:45 am
#25
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LGA - JFK
Programs: UA, AA, DL, B6, CX, KE, Latitude, VIFP, Crown & Anchor, etc.
Posts: 2,589
Winter storm is going to skirt us north of NYC, heading across upstate NY into New England today, sorry fellow FT's up in BOS - we might get 1/5" coating of ice @LGA for Monday's AM commute, not going to be fun & a few inches of snow for Thursday, hen bitter cold heading into the long weekend for some of us.
Hungry yet ?? Can't figure out what we're going to do for lunch - an excuse to "drop by" to see what one of our retired BIL chef is cooking at home (like our last we imprompt visit) Imagine if CX find a way to serve up a nice bowl as a midflight "snack" option at 33,000 ft. - one can dream 
or,
Hungry yet ?? Can't figure out what we're going to do for lunch - an excuse to "drop by" to see what one of our retired BIL chef is cooking at home
(like our last we imprompt visit) Imagine if CX find a way to serve up a nice bowl as a midflight "snack" option at 33,000 ft. - one can dream or,
Feb 9, 2015 | 1:55 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,656
i order mine with rare steak.
when it comes, i first loosen up the pieces of meat so that they cook in the broth, and then i submerge them under the noodles. then dump a few jalapenos in a "corner" of the bowl (to make it easy to find and take them out after a few minutes), top with some basil leaves, bean sprouts, and a squeezed lime slice or two. followed by a half lap of sriracha and 1.5 laps of hoisin.
when it comes, i first loosen up the pieces of meat so that they cook in the broth, and then i submerge them under the noodles. then dump a few jalapenos in a "corner" of the bowl (to make it easy to find and take them out after a few minutes), top with some basil leaves, bean sprouts, and a squeezed lime slice or two. followed by a half lap of sriracha and 1.5 laps of hoisin.
Mar 2, 2015 | 6:33 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: North Sentinel Island
Programs: UA Gold, BONVOY TIT
Posts: 788
I used to only be able to get a bowl of pho by venturing down from the Great White North (Lake County -- I mean that in the sense that we're currently buried under a few feet of snow, but I guess in another sense it's always true) to Argyle Street in Chicago, but a pho restaurant (The Pho House) has recently opened up in nearby Libertyville.
The carryout pho order they give you is huge in terms of both the amount of broth and the add-ins. Too big a bag of bean sprouts; I only use a fraction of what they provide. Next time I think I'll just say no bean sprouts.
Biggest thing with pho for me is tender meat, such as brisket. I haven't yet tried tendon in pho; that might be my next order ... although the first few lines of this Serious Eats post have me reconsidering ...
What I won't order again is sliced pork or beef round. Raw lean meats turn into unappetizing shoe leather (in my opinion) in hot broth, and I'm not interested in chewing and tugging at them while I'm trying to enjoy the broth.
I like to add cilantro, Thai basil, and lime (this place gives you another bag just for those) and add dashes of fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and or chili paste as needed.
The carryout pho order they give you is huge in terms of both the amount of broth and the add-ins. Too big a bag of bean sprouts; I only use a fraction of what they provide. Next time I think I'll just say no bean sprouts.
Biggest thing with pho for me is tender meat, such as brisket. I haven't yet tried tendon in pho; that might be my next order ... although the first few lines of this Serious Eats post have me reconsidering ...
What I won't order again is sliced pork or beef round. Raw lean meats turn into unappetizing shoe leather (in my opinion) in hot broth, and I'm not interested in chewing and tugging at them while I'm trying to enjoy the broth.
I like to add cilantro, Thai basil, and lime (this place gives you another bag just for those) and add dashes of fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and or chili paste as needed.
Last edited by rdurlabhji; Mar 2, 2015 at 6:35 pm Reason: NOT sriracha
Mar 2, 2015 | 8:59 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA
Posts: 275
Lime, herbs and hoisin mmmmmm... Can't get enough of my friend's homemade chicken and beef pho (she's Vietnamese - hard to go back after mama's recipe!). But love the tofu version at the Vietnamese restaurant near my work, nicely browned, I almost always choose it over meat there. And I love any kind of animal protein! Perfect for a cold day (in Florida, so really not that cold, but I'm a wimp!)
Mar 14, 2015 | 12:29 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Saigon/Hanoi/San Francisco
Posts: 1,779
I like my Pho with flat rice noodle, cooked and rare beef, no bean sprouts, just lots of finely chopped green onions & cilantro, add a couple of cooked 4-inch cut white part of onion stems, fresh red chili pepper and a squeeze of lime. Never used hoisin sauce or sriracha in my broth because it ruins the subtlety aroma of Pho broth.
I agree with you that the broth has to be clear and not cloudy. But I'm confused about the "northern style with its sweetness, masking that "beef" taste". If anything that's the exact opposite of what true northern style beef Pho is supposed to be. Northern Pho uses a lot less sugar and the broth is clear and subtle, not bold with spices to mask the beef taste. There are lots of US based Pho restaurants that pretend to have authentic northern style Pho. But in reality, it's not the real thing. If you have ever had the real northern Pho in Hanoi, you'll know what I'm talking about. 