Vietnamese pho breaks into global list of 20 best soups

By Hoang Phong January 10, 2022 | 05:11 pm PT

A bow of pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) is served at a restaurant in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Phuong Anh

CNN has included pho bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) in its list of 20 best soups in the world along with China’s Lanzhou equivalent and Thailand’s Tom yum goong.

Pho is made and served across the country though it originated in Hanoi and was taken to the south, where people added their own touches. The noodle soup has been getting rave reviews from global travel magazines for decades.

The broth is cooked with beef bones and simmered for hours with cinnamon, star anise and other spices.

It is served with raw beef, cooked beef, brisket and tendon.

A bowl of pho in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi cost from VND30,000 to 50,000 ($1.32-2.20).

In HCMC, tourists can try a bowl of pho at famous restaurants like Hoa, Phu Vuong or Le while Bat Dan, Thin, Ly Quoc Su are the most popular addresses in Hanoi for original flavors.

The CNN list also includes French Bouillabaisse, Spanish Gazpacho, American Gumbo, Myanmar's Mohinga, Japanese Tonkotsu ramen and Soto ayam from Indonesia.