A sour note that takes pho to a new high

By Di Vy   July 11, 2018 | 12:22 am PT
A tamarind twist to the nation's iconic noodle soup delivers a pleasant surprise to food lovers.

In a small alley off  Nguyen Thien Thuat Street in Saigon's District 3, an unassuming street-side stall has been serving a distinctive dish, sour pho, since 1954.

Huynh Thi Kim Phuong, the current owner shared that her mother in law passed down this family recipe. Since 1954, our family has been keeping the same taste iconic taste from northern style Pho, which my mother (in law) brought along with her from Lang Son Province as she moved to Saigon.

Huynh Thi Kim Phuong, the current owner: “Since 1954, our family has been keeping the same taste of the northern style pho, which my mother (in law) brought along from the northern Lang Son Province when she moved to Saigon.”

Sour Pho does something that its name does not suggest. It is not the broth that is the star of this dish, but a brown, gooey, tamarind sauce.

Sour pho does something that its name does not suggest. It is not the broth that is the star of this dish, but a brown, gooey, tamarind sauce.

Contrary to the name, sour Pho is made in a very different way. Instead of using broth as the star of this dish, sour Pho is added with a brown gooey sour sauce made from tamarind. The dish is topped with vegetables and sliced pickled papaya.

The dish also has a distinct topping - vegetables and sliced, pickled papaya.

Broth is served in a separate bowl instead.

Unlike the original pho, the broth is served in a separate bowl.

The dish uses chicken meat and intestines such as liver and heart.

The dish uses chicken meat, including innards like intestines, liver and heart.

You can also add greaves to add a more crunchy texture.

You can also use some spiced pork crackling to add a more crunchy texture to the soup.

A bowl of sour Pho will cost VND45,000. A reasonable price for every food adventures out there.

A bowl of sour pho costs a very reasonable VND45,000 ($1.95). 

Phuong claims that, the venue is completely sold out in five hours. Sometimes, customers will have to preorder by calling ahead of time.  The venues open for business at 3:30 p.m. and close around 6-7 p.m.

The restaurant opens for business at 3:30 p.m. and closes around 6-7 p.m. and sells out every day. Sometimes, customers preorder the dish by calling ahead of time. 

 
 
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