"Few dishes better capture Houston's spirit than a steaming bowl of pho. The iconic Vietnamese noodle soup is as much a staple as smoky brisket or gooey queso. It's an essential dish woven into the fabric of the Bayou City. Houstonians eat pho for breakfast as eagerly as they do past midnight, in suburban strip mall restaurants and banquet halls and at backyard pop-ups."
"While the dish's origins are murky, it's generally believed to have roots in northern Vietnam. Pho bo, or beef pho, is the most common version of the soup, but it varies from north to south: In Hanoi the recipe calls for a minimalist broth with a whisper of star anise and cinnamon, while the version in Saigon is often sweeter and served with more garnishes."
Pho functions as a cornerstone of Houston dining, consumed from breakfast through late night in strip malls, banquet halls, and backyard pop-ups. A classic pho combines a clear, deeply savory broth with springy rice noodles and slices of rare beef, brisket, or tendon, accompanied by bean sprouts, Thai basil, and lime. Regional differences span from Hanoi's minimalist, star anise–and–cinnamon–whispered broths to Saigon's sweeter, garnish-forward bowls. Pho connects the Vietnamese diaspora to home while local cooks and restaurants balance tradition and experimentation, offering chicken, vegetarian, and Houston-specific barbecue-infused variations.
Read at Bon Appetit
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