Pho here, and pho there

In Vietnam, there is a long-standing rivalry between northern Vietnamese noodle soup (pho) and southern Vietnamese noodle soup. While it originates in Hanoi and is therefore in its most "pure" form in the north, I personally prefer the southern variation- a bit sweeter and more fragrant with what I find to be a more complex blend of spices, as well as the side-dish of herbs and bean sprouts that comes alongside of it.

What I didn't realize, though, and what is kind of a cool piece of Vietnamese-American cultural history is that because it was mostly southern Vietnamese people who immigrated to the US as a way to escape the fall of Saigon in 1975, all of our Vietnamese food in America is colored by the southern regional palate!

That being said, I have always LOVED pho in the US but figured it was due to its novelty, not its actual fabulousness. But weirdly enough, I never really liked pho in Vietnam-- the noodles are a bit mushy, the broth seems simple and bland, and (at least in the north where I was doing the majority of my eating) there were no delicious bean sprouts and basil leaves to accompany the dish.

I was curious whether or not I'd want pho (my once go-to favorite treat when it comes to cheap meals) once I returned home, but I decided to test my luck at Pho So 1, my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Massachusetts that just happens to be conveniently located on my driving route to Cape Cod. Lucky me!!

The verdict?

The pho is just as good as I remembered it being (if not better!!), and tastes nothing like the noodle soup that tended to bore me in Vietnam! The noodles are much firmer, the broth is insanely flavorful, and those bean sprouts and basil leaves on the side...!!!

Mmmmm.

Furthermore, the weirdest part of being in said restaurant was just how familiar the pictures on the walls were!! Before going to Vietnam, I only half-glanced at those pictures and wrote them off as generic, unidentifiable pictures of the Vietnamese countryside or various cities. How wrong I was!!

Coming back to this restaurant, I could identify the location of EVERY single picture on the wall!!

"There's the big market in Saigon! And there's the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi, and there are the two kissing rocks in Ha Long Bay!"

It was a really cool, proud moment to realize the ownership I had over my Vietnamese experience and my knowledge of the country and culture.

Will I be returning to Pho So 1 on a weekly basis to satisfy my Vietnamese-craving taste buds? ABSOLUTELY. Next visit: dinner on July 3 en route to Cape Cod for 4th-of-July-week!