The journey to bring Hanoi Pho to the world

Pho is not only a dish that exists in the consciousness of Hanoians in particular, but has now almost become a symbol of the rich cuisine of Vietnamese people in general and has gone beyond the territory of Vietnam to reach the world cuisine.

The Origin of Hanoi Pho

According to many historical records, the dish "Pho" in Hanoi was born in the early 20th century. Initially, Pho was a street food, carried around and sold throughout the streets of Hanoi in the years 1907-1910. There are many different opinions about the origin of Pho, with 3 popular hypotheses: Pho originated from the French dish pot-au-feu; Pho originated from the Chinese dish Ngưu nhuc phan and Pho originated from the Vietnamese dish bún xao trau.

Through research on documents and actual surveys of some long-standing pho shops in Hanoi, it can be seen that the process of forming pho as well as the profession of cooking pho in Hanoi is the creativity of many people, of the community associated with the social, historical and cultural context of the early 20th century in Hanoi. In addition, the process of forming pho is associated with the urban environment, eating needs and living habits of urban people.

Famous Pho restaurants in Hanoi

In 2023, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports conducted a survey of 18/30 districts and counted 700 pho restaurants that met food hygiene and safety standards, mainly concentrated in the following districts: Ba Dinh (21 pho restaurants), Hoan Kiem (32 pho restaurants), Cau Giay (29 pho restaurants), Dong Da (9 pho restaurants), Hai Ba Trung (30 pho restaurants), Thanh Xuan (56 pho restaurants), Long Bien (93 pho restaurants). Traditional pho brands (over 2 generations of making pho) usually only specialize in selling beef pho or chicken pho, mainly concentrated in Hoan Kiem district, Ba Dinh district, Hai Ba Trung district.

The original cultural space of the heritage was the pho vendors selling around the Old Quarter of Hanoi. To create the Pho Thin Bo Ho brand today, in the 50s of the 20th century, Mr. Bui Chi Thin started his business with pho vendors selling around the Bo Ho area, Con Coc flower garden, then selling permanently at 61 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.

Pho Ong Dao at 33 Hang Giay, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi was formerly started by Mr. Vu Van Tam selling pho on the Nguyen Thien Thuat and Tran Nhat Duat Streets in the 50s of the 20th century. Mr. Cu Nhu Than sold the first pho on the street and then passed the profession on to his 5 children, one of whom was very successful in creating the famous Pho Chieu brand on Hang Dong Street, Pho 49A Bat Dan (daughter is Cu Thi Thanh Xuan) Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Later, pho vendors gradually switched to selling at fixed locations such as at home or renting shops and using part of the sidewalk to set up tables for customers to sit and eat.

For Hanoians, pho is often called “breakfast food”, so pho is most commonly eaten for breakfast. Accordingly, pho shops that sell half the morning (until about 10am) set up tables on the sidewalk. In addition, to serve a part of the people who work the night shift, there are also shops that only sell from late afternoon to late at night such as Pho That (48 Tran Nhat Duat), Pho Gan at the intersection of Hang Duong - Hang Chieu; Pho Ga Nguyet 5B Phu Doan.

Bringing Hanoi Pho to the world

In 2023, during their tour in Vietnam, when they came to Hanoi, the group BlackPink had an impressive experience with pho. Member Rosé of the group really loves pho and described the action of "slurping down the last drop" when enjoying this famous dish.

Pho has become a must-try dish for many tourists when coming to Hanoi. Enjoying Pho brings a different taste experience, helping tourists feel the unique culture of the capital and enhancing the impression for tourists when coming to Hanoi.

Pho is not only a dish that exists in the consciousness of Hanoians in particular, but has now almost become a symbol of the rich cuisine of Vietnamese people in general and has gone beyond the territory of Vietnam, reaching the level of world cuisine. Hanoi Pho has contributed to enriching the pho of Vietnamese people in general, pho has become a proper noun in a series of famous dictionaries in the world and is present in over 50 countries in the world.

According to Lonely, Vietnam is one of the countries with 7 dishes served in bowls that bring the best experience in the world. This list is based on the criteria that the dishes must be both delicious and comfortable to serve and enjoy. The site even states that if you come to Vietnam, diners must definitely try pho, otherwise it will be a huge mistake.

Vietnamese Pho was also voted by the famous Business Insider magazine as one of the must-try dishes for those who love to travel around the world. Thetravel newspaper, a travel website, published a list of 10 countries with the best food in the world, including Vietnamese Pho.

Pho has become a must-try dish when visiting Hanoi. Enjoying Pho brings a different taste experience, helping visitors feel the unique culture of the capital and enhancing the impression for visitors when coming to Hanoi.