Pho Hoa Pastuer, Ho Chi Minh

It was our last day in HCM, we were sad as we need to return to Hanoi. We were in Benthanh Market when Jeffrey asked if we would like to have the best Pho Bo in Saigon.

I wondered why he asked at all..He should know our answer :p

So we cut short our shopping time in Benthanh to ensure we got to savour the delicious noodles..

The moment we stepped in, we were greeted with the aroma of beef and beef stock..as we climbed to higher floors, we could see diners (mostly locals) tucking into their huge bowl of pho with gusto. I knew then that we are in the for some seriously good pho.

The tables were already laden with goodies..

meatpies, dough fritters, meat paste, fresh vegs, bananas..to snack on if you are still hungry after having the pho..

Dragon girl and Jeff ordered crunchy flank and fatty flank while I ordered fatty flank and sliced beef. We didn't wait long, soon, a piping bowl of pho was placed in front of me.

To my disappointment, they prepared my pho with just the sliced beef. No fatty flank :(
The soup, unlike most of the pho bo we have tried so far, was a little murky. It taste heavenly; hours of boiling the bones and meat gave the broth a sweetness and flavour like no other. The pho was so smooth that it practically glides down my throat. And the sliced beef; I suspect they served sliced raw beef on my noodles and just poured boiling hot broth over it to cook it. The texture was perfect; tender and juicy; almost, just almost; melt in mouth..

Dragon girl passed me a few fatty flank..I took a bite and I was totally smitten. This was even better than the sliced beef..This piece of meat was so flavourful, I just cant describe the burst of beefiness in my mouth that I'll remember for a long, long time. Perfecto.

I dunked some gio cha quay (aka yau zha gwai in cantonese) into my pho too..that tasted delicious with the noodles. The combo sounds weird, but trust me, it's yummy :). And if you like trying all sorts of beef preparation, you should order pho with mix beef; you'll get brisket, sliced beef, flank (crunchy and fatty), tendon and beef paste.

Our total bill was about RM25, which I would willingly pay for this fantastic bowl of pho bo..

Pho Hoa Pastuer is located at 260C Pastuer P8, Q3 TP, HCM.

Pho 24, Ho Chi Minh

For those who went to Ho Chi Minh before, am very sure you've seen Pho 24 almost everywhere. It's the local 'fast food' joint, you wont get burgers and chips; you'll get pho bos and pho gas.

If you cant stand sitting on short stools,waiting for pho bo being cooked in make shift stoves and questionable hygiene level; Pho 24 might be your choice. As we were told by Jeffrey that it's just mediocre, Dragongirl and I never had the urge to try it.

Until one evening when it was raining so heavily (when it rains in HCM; it pours in bucketfuls)..we were left with not much choice as Pho 24 was just a few shops away from our hotel.

A quick order and soon the 'basics' for the pho is placed on our table..the vegs..

I decided to have the sliced beef and beef ball noodles Which was quite huge in serving..Broth was clear, rather bland. The beef, though quite tender, was not fragrant enough for me..The beef balls were just ok, think Malaysia's version is better..

Dragongirl's chicken noodle (pho ga).. The chicken taste was very strong..sorta like those meat that was kept in freezer and defrosted for the noodles. I didn't like it.

You can see Pho 24 nearly every where in HCM, so there's no address..

So Pho 24 or small pho bo stalls? Small stalls for me, anytime..

Pho Bo @ Hang Dong, Hanoi

We were wandering at Old Quarters in the morning when I thought we should try our first bowl of pho bo (beef noodles). After trying our utter best to talk to the locals; with some help of pen, paper and hand gestures, we managed to find a Pho Bo shop recommended by the locals at Old Quarter area. Ordering was easy; since we cant speak vietnamese; we just pointed at the beef and said pho bo. They understood us perfectly :)

Soon, a piping hot bowl of beef noodles were served and it looks wonderful (and it was a huge bowl too!). The smooth silky noodles were topped with generous amount of thinly sliced beef..As it was a rather cold and dull day, we were quite glad for some warm soup to add some cheer to our bellies. The soup was clear, mild in flavour, with hints of beef and herbs. The beef; sliced thinly had a nice bite to it, very tender. You can also add other condiments to the soup if you find it bland (Dragon girl did); such as the chilli sauce, bean sauce, lime etc. I enjoyed this bowl of simple beef noodles and for 10000 dong a bowl (about RM2), it's definitely worth it.

If you are at Old Quarter and wandered to this part of the road, why not try pho bo at this shop? I'm not sure what Hang Dong means, since the street was with shops selling plumbing/pipes products, guess that's your clue :)