Faux Pho Fantastic

Any Londoner who's wandered downtrodden, bleary-eyed, and laden with shopping bags away from the 'Oxford Street Tide' up Great Titchfield Street knows that Pho is not far away. That deliciously sloppy, utterly comforting, hot, spicy, fragrant Vietnamese noodle dish is a warm salve from the inside out after a weary afternoon of damage in Selfridges.

The enormous steaming bowls are accompanied by heaps of crunchy bean sprouts, Thai/holy basil, mint, lime, bird's eye chilis, and variety of sauces ranging from sweet to hot-sweet to bitter-hot. And there's always extra fish sauce on hand.

Pho--pronunced 'fuh'--very likely comes from the French word 'feu', as an appropriation of the French dish pot-au-feu. Pho bac, or pho from northern Vietnam, is more straightforward in its flavours and reflects the origins of the dish, which are thought to be near Hanoi. When French colonists began slaughtering cows for meat, pot-au-feu, the beef, and the word stuck. Pho bac broth is clear and clean, less layered than its tarted up bedfellow of the South--pho nam--and many purists consider it to be the true pho.

Being the wanton glutton that I am, I tend to steer towards the pho nam for its deep, rich broth. While reading up a bit on pho, I was struck by the extent to which the dish represents so completely the history of Vietnam--from its colonial past to the eating habits and histories of North and South. It's no surprise that it's considered somewhat of a national dish. Historically, the South has been spared the food shortages suffered in the North, and the sheer amount of fresh condiments served with pho nam attests to this fact. The growing number of pho restaurants in the US (particularly on the coasts) and Canada (especially around Vancouver) naturally reflects the influx of Vietnamese refugees to these regions some forty years ago. Pho in London is one of the first places I've encountered in the UK to get pho, and I've no doubt that its popularity will only grow. When is someone going to come out with the iPho application for the UK?

Last Tuesday I was desperate for a quick soup, and as Pho was so far far away, I decided to try my hand at a faux feu. Before dashing out the door to a pilates class, I set beef broth on a low simmer and threw in smashed garlic cloves, an inch-long cube of ginger, some lemongrass (beaten and cut into chunks), a red birdseye chili, roughly chopped, and a glug of soy and a glug of fish sauce and let it go for an hour or so. I left the lid ajar, and when I came back the broth had reduced slightly, the house smelled wonderful, and all that was left to do was throw in some thinly sliced red peppers, some pork and shrimp wontons, some rice noodles, one more fresh chili for a good kick, and top with green onions and coriander. I like mine on the hot side, so I added some sambal oelek, along with more nam pla (fish sauce).

Bliss.

The wontons were decidedly unconventional, but they were also so comforting and rich, having cooked through in the broth. After dumping in whatever you wish to add, it's best to let the whole lot simmer for a minute or two, until the vegetables are just slightly softened and the broth has absorbed into or cooked the protein. Tofu would be wonderful here, too...along with the kitchen sink.

So, not exactly pho bac, nor pho nam. It was absolutely faux pho, but for a weeknight meal that is warming from the gut, it hit the spot.

And the leftover ingredients made for excellent peanut noodles!