Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a Vietnamese noodle soup made from a slow-simmered bone broth, flat rice noodles (bánh phở), and thinly sliced meat — most often beef or chicken. Topped with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and chili, pho is Vietnam’s national dish and one of the most popular soups in the world.
Whether you’re ordering pho for the first time or simply curious about its origins, this complete guide covers everything: what pho is made of, its history, the different types, how to eat it correctly, and where to find the best bowl near you in the US.
📋 In This Guide
Pho is a Vietnamese soup centered on three core elements: a deeply aromatic bone broth, silky flat rice noodles, and protein — most traditionally thinly sliced beef. It is served in a large bowl and finished tableside with a customizable array of garnishes including fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, hoisin sauce, and sriracha.
More than just a dish, pho is a cultural institution in Vietnam. It is eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Street vendors have been ladling it out since before dawn for over a century. For many Vietnamese families, pho is comfort food at its most profound — a bowl that tastes like home.
Today, pho is one of the most-searched foods in the United States, with over 1,800 dedicated pho restaurants across all 50 states. Cities like San Jose, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington D.C. have vibrant Vietnamese communities that have made pho a staple of American dining.
Pho is pronounced “fuh” — not “foe,” not “fo,” not “fo-oh.” The Vietnamese word phở uses a falling-rising tone (ngã) in Vietnamese phonetics, which sounds closest to a short, breathy fuh in English.
🔊 Quick pronunciation guide:
Tip: Think of saying “fun” but drop the “n” — you’ll be close enough that any Vietnamese restaurant owner will appreciate the effort.
A great bowl of pho has four layers of components, each playing a distinct role.
Pho broth is the soul of the dish. Traditional beef pho broth (nước dùng) is made by simmering beef bones — typically knuckle bones and oxtail — for 8 to 12 hours, sometimes longer. This process extracts collagen, marrow, and deep beefy flavor.
What makes pho broth unique is the aromatic spice blend charred and added during cooking:
The bones and spices are combined with fish sauce and rock sugar to achieve a broth that is simultaneously savory, aromatic, slightly sweet, and deeply comforting. A properly made pho broth should be clear, golden-amber, and deeply fragrant.
Pho uses flat rice noodles called bánh phở. These are made from rice flour and water, giving them a smooth, slightly chewy texture and a neutral flavor that absorbs the broth beautifully. They come in different widths — thin noodles are common in northern-style pho, while wider noodles appear in southern variations.
Unlike wheat noodles (used in ramen), pho noodles are naturally gluten-free, which is an important distinction for diners with dietary restrictions.
The most common proteins in pho are:
| Vietnamese Name | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tái | Rare beef | Paper-thin raw slices that cook in the hot broth when served |
| Chín | Well-done brisket | Slow-cooked, tender brisket slices |
| Gân | Tendon | Gelatinous beef tendon — prized for its texture |
| Sách | Tripe | Beef tripe, chewy and mild |
| Viên | Beef meatballs | Bouncy, firm beef balls |
| Gà | Chicken | Used in pho gà — chicken pho with a lighter broth |
One of the most joyful aspects of pho is the garnish plate that arrives alongside your bowl. This typically includes:
Pho varies significantly by region and by the protein used. Here are the main types you’ll encounter in Vietnamese restaurants across America:
Originated in Hanoi. Clear, pure broth with minimal garnish. Thin noodles, fewer toppings, more focused on the quality of the broth itself. Often considered the “original” pho.
Popularized in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Sweeter, richer broth. Wider noodles, larger garnish plate with bean sprouts and basil, more sauces. This is the style most common in the US.
Pho originated in northern Vietnam in the early 20th century, most likely in the Nam Dinh province near Hanoi around 1900–1910. Food historians believe it developed at the intersection of Vietnamese, Chinese, and French culinary influences:
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees resettled in the United States, particularly in California, Texas, and Virginia. They brought pho with them. By the 1980s and 1990s, pho restaurants were spreading across America. Today, there are over 4,000 pho restaurants in the United States — in all 50 states — and pho has entered the mainstream American food conversation permanently.
Eating pho well is a skill. Here’s the proper sequence, as practiced in Vietnam:
Pho and ramen are both beloved noodle soups, but they are fundamentally different dishes from different culinary traditions.
| Feature | Pho 🇻🇳 | Ramen 🇯🇵 |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Vietnam | Japan (Chinese roots) |
| Noodles | Flat rice noodles (gluten-free) | Wheat noodles (curly or straight) |
| Broth base | Beef or chicken bone broth | Pork, chicken, fish, or miso |
| Broth flavor | Aromatic, spiced, clear | Rich, savory, often opaque |
| Key spices | Star anise, cinnamon, clove | Soy sauce, miso, salt |
| Gluten-free? | ✅ Generally yes | ❌ No |
Pho is generally considered a nutritious and relatively healthy meal, especially compared to many other fast-casual or takeout options. Here’s a breakdown:
Pho is now available in all 50 US states. The highest concentrations of excellent pho restaurants are found in cities with large Vietnamese-American communities:
🍜 Find the Best Pho Near You
Browse our directory of 1,800+ Vietnamese pho restaurants across all 50 US states — searchable by city and state.
Find Pho Near Me →Pho is Vietnamese. While it was influenced by Chinese noodle soup traditions and French colonial cooking practices, pho as we know it — with its star anise and cinnamon spiced broth — was created in northern Vietnam in the early 1900s and is considered Vietnam’s national dish.
Pho broth tastes savory, slightly sweet, deeply aromatic, and warming — with a distinctive spiced note from star anise and cinnamon. It is lighter and more delicate than ramen broth. The overall flavor is complex but clean, often described as comforting and restorative.
Traditional pho broth requires 8 to 12 hours of simmering to properly extract flavor and collagen from beef bones. Many pho restaurants start their broth overnight. Home cooks can achieve a reasonable result in 4–6 hours, or use a pressure cooker to reduce the time to 2–3 hours.
Traditional pho uses rice noodles, which are gluten-free. However, cross-contamination can occur in restaurant kitchens, and some sauces (like hoisin) contain wheat. If you have celiac disease, always ask the restaurant about their kitchen practices and sauce ingredients.
Pho is Vietnamese and uses rice noodles in a clear, spiced bone broth. Ramen is Japanese and uses wheat noodles in a richer broth (often pork-based, or seasoned with soy or miso). The flavors, textures, and cultural traditions are entirely different.
Yes. Many pho restaurants offer pho chay — vegetarian or vegan pho made with a mushroom and vegetable broth. It captures the aromatic spice profile of traditional pho without any meat. Always confirm with the restaurant that the broth base is truly meat-free.
