What the Pho !?

What the Pho? It is one of Vietnam’s most loved dishes, known for its warm broth, soft noodles, and simple toppings. It’s a bowl many people enjoy from morning to night, whether at home or on a busy street corner. Today, this familiar dish has even inspired a creative twist: the Pho Cocktail.

1. What is Pho?

Before we talk about the Pho Cocktail, let’s start with the dish that inspired it: Pho.
This dish is one of Vietnam’s most loved foods and a big part of everyday life. A bowl usually has soft rice noodles, slices of beef or chicken, and a clear broth that cooks for many hours. The ingredients include star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, grilled ginger, and dried onions.

Simple, warm, and comforting, that’s what makes it special.

2. How the Pho Cocktail Is Made

With pho’s increasing recognition, the food has crossed over into the drink scene with bartender Pham Tien Tiep inventing the Pho Cocktail in 2012 for his entry to the Diageo World Class cocktail competition. The Pho Cocktail didn’t disappoint—winning him “Best Bartender in Vietnam.”

While initially this combination might sound strange, don’t worry! The cocktail doesn’t have any broth or meat in the drink and instead combines the usual its spices of star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon mixed with gin, orange liqueur, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

3. Why You Should Try this Cocktail

Not only is the Pho Cocktail a unique combination of flavours, but witnessing the crafting of the cocktail is not to be missed. For this impressive presentation, the bartender sets up a tall metal apparatus with three layers of saucers, packing each with anise, cinnamon, and cardamom.

The bartender then lights the gin and Cointreau and pours it through the metal apparatus. Passing through each saucer, the flaming mixture becomes infused with the sweet flavours of the spices.

It tastes more savory than sweet, with rich, herbal flavors that feel uniquely Vietnamese. The fiery presentation also captures the lively, colorful energy of Vietnam’s city streets.

Enjoy the Pho Cocktail on Vivu Journeys’ ‘What the Pho?’ tour. Try both the classic bowl and creative twists of this iconic Vietnamese dish, the best way to taste its full range.

You may also like: Vietnamese Beer Culture: Drink Like a Local.

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