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First sold by local street vendors, also known as “phở gánh” – an unique beauty of ancient Hanoi. Under the skillful and talented hands of Vietnamese people, seemingly simple and familiar ingredients such as rice noodles, beef bones, beef, vegetables and spices are combined together to make the one-of-a-kind phở – the dish that put Vietnamese cuisine on the global map.

In the 1930s, from just a simple dish by the street vendors, pho became a popular dish among Hanoians in large restaurants. But “phở gánh” from the street vendor were still maintain a symbol to ancient Hanoi’s rich culture.

In the mid-1950s, people from the North migrated to the Central and Southern regions and brought phở with them. Along with that, other variations and flavors of pho also appear. For example, rolled pho, tendon, encrusted, pho with beef mix wine sauce, chicken pho, etc. However, the main flavor of pho is still rare beef pho or cooked pho, with clear and savoury broth.

Currently, there are still many opinions surrounding the true origin of this quintessential dish. According to two writers Nguyen Tuan and Thach Lam, pho can be absorbed from “ngưu nhục phấn” – a Southern Chinese dish, the noodles are also made from rice flour similar to pho, and the phrase “phở” seems to be similar to the spell of the word “phấn”.

Some other documents contend that pho was inspired by the French method of preparing pot-au-feu beef stew but was modified to better suit local tastes and ingredients with fish sauce and herbs.

Some of the best places to try out phở in Hanoi:

1. Pho Bat Dan

• Address: 49 Bat Dan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• Opening hour: 6:00 am to 10:00 am & 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
• Price: 50,000 VND – 70,000 VND

2. Pho Thin – Traditional Restaurant

• Address: 13 Lo Duc, Pham Dinh Ho, Hai Bat Trung District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 5:30 am to 9:00 pm
• Price: 60,000 VND to 100,000 VND

3. Pho Bo Ly Quoc Su Restaurant

• Address: 10 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Or N2A Hoang Minh Giam Or 6 To Huu, Van Phuc, Ha Dong, Hanoi Or 42 Hang Voi
• Opening hour: 6:30 am to 10:30 pm
• Price: 60,000 VND – 120,000 VND