Pho Hoa Pasteur (Saigon, Vietnam)



Before coming to Vietnam I was fully aware that one of the few dishes that was tastier in the States was pho, but I just couldn't fathom going all the way to Vietnam and not having a bowl of pho.  Pho Hoa Pasteur is one of the city's oldest and most famous pho restaurants.  Its so famous that most of the pho restaurants in the States are named after it - Pho Hoa or Pho Pasteur.

Pho Hoa Pasteur has two level and its smart to go straight to the second floor to eat because that floor is air conditioned.  Most of the tables are already set and have a variety of dishes already on them from pate chaud to bananas.  If you choose to eat anything, then you will be charged on your bill at the end of your meal.

I can never get enough cafe sua da, especially in this heat and while eating pho.

 



Pho Tai is my standard order of pho.  Here instead of serving the meat in thin, round slices, its ground up and piled into the bowl of pho.  Since the bowl of pho is quite hot, the raw meat cooks rather quickly.  The broth was murky and very light in flavor.  It lacked the distinguiable beefy taste that is found in pho from the States.  The broth is tenfolds better back home.  I did like the noodles, which were chewy and not clumped together.

 



The herbs for adding into your bowl of pho.



Address:                   Pho Hoa Pasteur
                                   260C Pasteur St
                                   Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Type:                         Vietnamese

Popular chomps:      gio chao quay (Chinese fried donuts)
                                   pho tai
                                   pho bo

Chomp worthy:       nothing