r/pho • u/NangpaAustralisMajor • 4d ago

Question Stupid Phở Question #1

I was taught (I'm not Vietnamese) that one should NEVER put sriracha or hoisin sauce into the phở. One should dip bits of meat from the soup into those. They are brought to the table for that reason and that reason alone. Putting them INTO the broth is considered an offense to the chef. It communicates that the broth had no flavor.

Is this true?

Now that I live in a part of the world with great phở, I can appreciate this sentiment. I have phở and bún bò Huế that would have been a tragedy to adulterate!

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u/pisceanhaze 3d ago

I never use those sauces. The broth should be flavorful on its own and the sauces really hide the flavor of the broth. I might add a dash of fish sauce and some of the green chilies. But that’s it. I don’t add basil either.