“Rich, sweet broth, replete with morsels of tender tripe alongside rare-cooked minced beef,” is how The Independent describes the pho at the celebrated Pho Hoa Pasteur -- “and that was before I started exploring the condiments: fresh limes and chilli, fermented soy bean sauce, chilli sauce …” This is one of the city’s most famous pho places, “serving huge portions and consistent quality throughout the years,” says Wanderluxe. “The broth is a clear, sweetish soup with a good level of beefy aroma. Everything tasted really fresh, and you can tell that there is no MSG. It definitely lived up to the reviews.”
“To get the full experience you need to come early for breakfast,” advises Travel and Leisure, because that’s when “the clientele is all Vietnamese.” Pho tai nam is the suggested order, “with rare beef and well-done flank (recalling a thick-sliced pastrami).” Then, “in genuine Southern style,” add bean sprouts, hoisin sauce, chili sauce, a squirt of lime, “and leaves from the heaping platter of basil, sawtooth coriander, and rice-paddy herb, whose tiny leaves pack a cumin-like punch … now it’s 7:15, and you’re ready for your first cup of coffee.”