{"id":2420,"date":"2025-08-06T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T00:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2025-07-16T09:36:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T00:36:34","slug":"how-to-eat-pho-vietnamese-noodle-soup-guide-22066","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/how-to-eat-pho-vietnamese-noodle-soup-guide-22066\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Eat Pho Like a Local: Flavor Hacks and Etiquette from Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Savor the Soup<\/h2>\r\n
\"Chopsticks\"<\/div>\r\n

In Vietnam, pho is traditionally made with fresh rice noodles. However, due to cost considerations, most places in Japan use imported dried noodles. At “Chopsticks,” though, they serve fresh pho noodles made from Japanese rice.<\/p>\r\n

\"Shabu<\/div>\r\n

Among the many pho options available, we ordered the “Shabu Beef Pho.”
\r\nFirst, take a sip of the soup. Check the balance of sourness and saltiness at the start, then adjust the flavor to your liking afterward.<\/p>\r\n

Enjoy the Noodles<\/h2>\r\n
\"Enjoy<\/div>\r\n

Next, enjoy the noodles. In Vietnam, slurping like in Japan is considered impolite. It\u2019s better to use a metal soup spoon to scoop the noodles and bring them to your mouth. That said, if you\u2019re eating at a Japanese restaurant, there\u2019s no need to worry too much about it.<\/p>\r\n

Squeeze the Lemon<\/h2>\r\n
\"Squeeze<\/div>\r\n

In Vietnam, pho usually comes with lemon or lime. Locals typically squeeze it in first. The slightly strong-flavored soup becomes lighter and more refreshing. At Chopsticks, you can also ask for a lemon for free.<\/p>\r\n

\"You<\/div>\r\n

You can also request fresh chili for free, which is common at street stalls in Vietnam as well.<\/p>\r\n

Change the Flavor with Condiments<\/h2>\r\n
\"Aromatic<\/div>\r\n

After enjoying the lemony flavor for a while, it\u2019s time for a flavor change.
\r\nOn the table, you\u2019ll find aromatic vinegar and nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce). If you\u2019d like some sate (chili sauce), ask the staff.<\/p>\r\n

\"I<\/div>\r\n

Add a little at a time and adjust the flavor to your liking.
\r\nI wanted a spicy kick, so I added some sate.<\/p>\r\n

\"You<\/div>\r\n

Once you add condiments directly into the soup bowl, there\u2019s no turning back.
\r\nIf you\u2019re new to pho, try putting a small amount in a side dish and experimenting with the seasonings gradually.<\/p>\r\n

\"You \"Go<\/div>\r\n

If you don\u2019t mind the flavor, you can also add coriander as a topping. Go big with extra coriander (for an additional charge) for a more ethnic vibe. I went all in and added everything!<\/p>\r\n

Be sure to enjoy it while the soup is still hot. By the way, in Vietnam, pho often comes with a variety of herbs and vegetables, not just coriander.<\/p>\r\n

\"Enjoy<\/div>\r\n

Vietnamese cuisine features unique seasonings and herbs not commonly used in Japanese cooking, offering many delightful surprises. When you eat pho, try experimenting with condiments to enjoy the true flavors of Vietnam!<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pho is one of Vietnam\u2019s most iconic noodle dishes, known for its light, clear broth and fresh rice noodles that resemble Japan\u2019s kishimen. Among Vietnamese cuisine, pho is relatively mild in flavor\u2014making it the perfect canvas for a wide variety of flavor-enhancing add-ins. This time, we visited Chopsticks in Koenji, Tokyo\u2014famous for its fresh pho noodles made from Japanese rice\u2014to learn how to enjoy pho the Vietnamese way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":2423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[55],"class_list":["post-2420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-slug_articles","tag-how"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2422,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions\/2422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}