Questions remain whether pho is an original Vietnamese creation, or an adaptation of some foreign culinary blend. Indeed, the uncertainty is taken seriously enough that a delegation of the European Commission met in Hanoi in 2002 to debate this very topic. “Today, “says chef Corlou, “it has become the pride of a nation.” Fittingly to its origin, the country’s best pho is in Hanoi – and the secret to a good pho, says Huu Bang at the EU conference, “is the cleanliness. The bowl in which pho soup will be served should not have any smell.” The stock, he continues, “should be simmered from the day before, in order to extract all of the vitamins from the bone and the meat should be boiled together with the bone, both of them being plunged in cold water at the start of cooking.” Our own stock secret rests with a large oval spice known variously as “brown cardamom” or “bastard cardamom.” About 3/4 in/2 cm long, it is unlike the small lantern shaped cardamom of pastry and Indian cooking fame, so don’t confuse them. For convenience, we’ve also discovered a pre-mixed spice bag from Pho Pasteur, available in Asian food markets.

While beef and chicken pho are the most common, there is a plethora of pho dishes to choose from: Pho Bo is generic beef pho; pho bo tai is made by adding thin slices of raw beef at the last minute; pho bo chin uses previously cooked beef, often shank; pho ga means chicken, while pho lon is a rustic and uncommon pork version. Pho xao is a dry pho, without soupy broth. It is stir fried, usually with mustard or cabbage greens, then topped with a rice starch-thickened brown sauce. Because this revered soup is considered an everyday meal, it is not served during parties, wedding or other celebrations. And the winner for best pho in Hanoi? #42 Nha Chung, although there is a close second at #49 Bat Dan Street.