I love a good pho. Steamy, aromatic broth. Slurpy rice noodles. Meat of choice and a handful of herbs. This hug in a bowl is proof that good food is simple food, and imho, that the Vietnamese do make the best soup on earth.

I first tried pho about a decade ago, at a casual eatery near Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. That was long before I knew how to pronounce it properly- as ‘fuh‘ with a rising intonation, not Po the Teletubby, lol. This eatery was packed to the rafters with office workers at lunch, ritualistically picking their Thai basil leaves and working their chopsticks like pros. I’ve had a taste for it ever since and have sought it out everywhere I’ve lived- from Kuala Lumpur to Cairns, Perth and Noosa. 

So it was kind of inevitable that I’d become a phoholic when I moved to Ho Chi Minh City. For the past two years, it’s gone from a monthly soup staple to a twice-weekly (or thrice-weekly) lunch or dinner. It was, hands down, the Vietnamese dish I ate the most.

If you’re visiting Saigon, then I’m sure you’ll be searching for a bowl of the good stuff as soon as you land too. This small list is a mix of pho joints I’ve been loyal to in my suburb of Thao Dien, as well as ones I’ve enjoyed across the river in Districts 1 and 3. Enjoy!

Fast track to pho here, or jump straight to the map.

Northern vs Southern Pho

Northern-style pho is said to have a clearer, more delicate and savoury broth with subtler spices. Since pho originated at the top end, purists will say that is where you find the best version, but I disagree and think the lines are blurrier these days. Both styles are delicious, but the southern just nudges forward for me because of the slightly sweeter, more aromatic broth. 

It’s also much more generous with the herbs (gotta love me some herbage), whereas the north comes with minimal or none. Traditionally, the Vietnamese use what’s available locally, so Saigon’s herb game is strong. Usually, your soup is served with a generous trio of:

1. Thai basil – which has a beautiful aniseed flavour.
2. Rice paddy herb – has smaller leaves with subtle notes of lemon and cumin.
3. Sawtooth herb – a large leaf with slightly jagged edges with mild coriander flavs.

Sometimes you’ll get Vietnamese mint, or coriander. Plus bean sprouts, a wedge of fresh lime to squeeze over, sliced chilli, and a side of sauces like sriracha or hoisin to customise. General etiquette is to dip your meat into the sauce rather than squeeze it into the broth, but the Sailor never listened to that. You do you!

Why did southern pho conquer the world?

Like me, I’m sure most of you tried your first pho overseas, which means it’s likely you’ve tried the “southern” version (so you’re probably used to the 2-minute ritual of picking herbs before you eat!). After the American War- known overseas as the Vietnam War- which saw the Fall of Saigon and years of sociopolitical unrest, well over a million southern Vietnamese fled the new communist regime. Most migrated to America, Canada, Australia, and France, with many spreading further. You can find southern-style pho in practically every major and minor city these days. However, it’s extremely hard to find one that rivals a bowl from its motherland.

Best Pho in Ho Chi Minh City

There are thousands of pho joints across Saigon, and no real best one- everyone has their own personal favourite that they become loyal to, and usually that’s your local.

If you’re seeking one close to you, try and find somewhere that only does one type – i.e. just beef (bò) or chicken (gà), as they would have spent more time loving and perfecting this one specific dish. Instead of being a jack of all trades, they’re a master of one.

We actually found it harder to find chicken pho here, and beef was more common (which makes sense, as it’s the OG pho meat… more history in the FAQs). The only thing that put us off eating at some places was tough meat. Sometimes the beef would be so chewy that it never broke down after endless grinding, which wasn’t for me. The locals, however, love a good chew! 

Chị Mơ – top pick

I was in a bit of a beef pho dry period after my favourite eatery closed down a few months after I arrived. So I was absolutely stoked when Chi Mo opened up in Thao Dien. 

Chi Mo is, hands down, my favourite pho place in Saigon. The owner is wonderfully obsessed with the quality of the broth and ingredients, which are all locally sourced. Every few weeks when I went, they’d ask if the soup tasted different as they’d been working to improve it. Somehow it did just keep on getting better.

They don’t use MSG in their broth and build flavour by using different bones, charring them, and simmering them on low heat for longer, up to 24 hours. That’s love, guys. The result was stunning- full-flavoured and more refined than other beef phos I’d had. 

You can choose from 3 types of broths- a clear northern, a bold northern, or the southern* (my preference). You can also pick from four different cuts of beef (common in Saigon), and all of them are deliciously tender. I usually went for the flank or rare cuts, but the waiters would be happy to recommend one.

Seriously though, everything here was amazing. It’s not your typical streetside gaff, but an elevated pho experience. They even sell wine by the glass and cocktails, which is rare here!

I also really enjoyed the setting, which was a quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle of Thao Dien. They had a peaceful garden on a quiet street, and somehow, they were always quiet when we came, which suited me after a crazy day at school (they were busy during lunch though).

The only bummer for me was that Chi Mo closed their Thao Dien venue a few months before I left Saigon! I was gutted. However, that was so they could relocate to District 1, and they’re reopening sometime this October- so watch this space.

Chi Mo also serves up a range of other Vietnamese goodies, which were delicious and slightly different from your norm. I’d definitely recommend pairing your pho with a Quẩy Bánh Mì (a sourdough Chinese oil stick with pâté).

Note: just before Chi Mo closed their Thao Dien branch, they very deservedly made it into the Michelin Guide. I’m sure their D1 branch will be busier, so you may want to book ahead.

Where to find Chị Mơ 🥢

323 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ben Thanh Ward (District 1) – MAP
Reopening soon! 👀 In the meantime, check out their menu or Insta. 

Phở Miến Gà Kỳ Đồng – Saigon’s best chicken pho

I used to have a favourite chicken pho joint near my home in Thao Dien. Until one day, we saw the boss lady casually pause her herb prep to pull a chopstick from a tin on the table, shove it down her T-shirt, and robustly scratch her back with it. Then she put it back in the tin, and 5 minutes later, did it again. Sadly, that was an RIP for our favourite local chicken pho joint. ⚰️

Pho Mien Ga Ky Dong is a little further from home, so I didn’t discover it until just before I left, when researching another good chicken pho place for you guys. Had I known about it sooner, it would have definitely been a regular haunt when I was in District 1. They do the best chicken pho I’ve eaten in Ho Chi Minh City.

We visited on a Saturday lunch, and they were pleasantly pumping with customers, all Vietnamese (somehow, we were the only foreigners). They operate a tight ship with a well-curated production line of workers, each with their own job- chopping the chicken, blanching the rice noodles and spooning over the broth. They’re so popular that they apparently go through about 1,000 chickens per day. 😳

The broth here was refined, rich and delicious, and the chicken was beautifully tender, with no gristly bits or funny business. The small size was plenty for us, but maybe go large if you’re a hungry American. 

Pho Mien Ga has been around since the late 1970s and has rightly earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the past few years.

Where to find Phở Miến Gà Kỳ Đồng 🥢

14/5 Bis Ky Dong Street, Nhieu Loc Ward (District 3… but right near the D1 border) – MAP
Open from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm.

Phở Phượng – bangin’ beef

When Chi Mo temporarily closed, I needed to fix my beef pho craving. I found out about Pho Phuong from another local blogger (thanks, Tom from Vietnam Coracle), and it was clear why Phuong has been a long-time favourite for so many.

Firstly, she very much owns this joint. For most of our visit, she sat in a chair near the entrance counting her big wad of money and didn’t stop talking, very loudly, lol. But she was friendly, as were the staff, even though there was a slightly arrogant air about the place (perhaps because they know they’re good). 

Phuong makes a mean beef pho, and has been brewing the good stuff for the past 40 years. Before that, her mother ran the pho business for 20 years.

The family hails from the north, but they’ve adapted their pho to suit southern palates with a slightly sweeter broth, and it’s super well balanced. Phuong is still very much in charge of the broth-making process and ensures the flavour profiles are on point before it reaches the table. What stood out for us was how rich and flavoursome it was, with a decent crack of pepper for an added kick. 

The meat was also lovely and tender. You can pick your cut- we both went for the brisket as it’s tasty, soft and works beautifully in a pho.

The setting here was also quite pleasant for Saigon, perched on a tree-lined road across from the canal in District 1. Phuong has received Michelin recognition since 2023, and coincidentally, her sister also runs another Bib Gourmand joint in Saigon called Phở Hoàng (open 6 am to 2 pm).

Where to find Phở Phượng 🥢

25 Hoang Sa Street, Saigon Ward (District 1) – MAP
Open from 5:30 am to 8:30 pm.

Honourable Mention – Phở Sol

Pho Sol is a chain of 7 eateries across Ho Chi Minh City. They’re a consistent, solid option and make a tender wagyu beef pho, which was always our go-to. The broth isn’t as refined as the other three, but it’s tasty and rich. 

Where to find Phở Sol 🥢

I usually went to their leafier Sala branch after a run around the park, or more locally in Thao Dien (both in District 2), but they also have 5 other branches in D1, D4 and D7.

Open from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm. Check out their website for more deets.

A Final Pho-well at Tan Son Nhat Airport

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want one last pho fix before leaving Saigon! Before your flight out of here, I think the better airport pho is Big Bowl (which lives up to its name… I always went for their chicken) and TT Bistro, who both have a few branches around the airport. Don’t expect it to be as good as the others on this list, and you’re paying airport prices (about $18 USD), but it’s tasty enough. I’d take a nutritious bowl over plane food any day. (Tip: it’s slightly cheaper to get one before immigration than after.)

Pho Map

All the eateries in this guide are pinned on this map for easy navigation- just tap the top-right icon to use it on the road with Google Maps, or save it for offline access.

* * *

The great thing about pho is that you can literally eat it every day. While I am also a ramen loyalist, it’s not light on the calories and can’t ever become a daily (or weekly) addiction, sadly.

But honestly, I think the Vietnamese just know how to do amazing things with soups. There are others that you should definitely try when you’re in the city – check out my other article for all my favourite Vietnamese dishes and where to find them in Saigon, paying particular attention to numbers 6 and 8. Otherwise, if you’re more of a banh mi obsessive, you may have fun with my banh mi crawl.

Shezz. xx

Pho FAQs

Where did pho originate? A brief phistory.

It’s an uncomfortable truth, but colonialism often produces the most interesting food. The French brought their taste for beef and baguettes, and Vietnamese cooks turned them into pho and banh mi.

Pho’s humble origins trace back to the late 1800s in Nam Định province, south-east of Hanoi, with the village of Vân Cù often named as its birthplace. Back then, local farmers kept cows for working the rice paddies rather than for eating, and it was the Frenchies who brought an appetite for beef. Vietnamese cooks saw the bones and scraps going to waste, so they boiled them into a broth, poured it over noodles and sold it to local and French workers.

The flavours go back much further, though.

The main five spices in phở (cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, and cloves) are essentially Chinese five spice, brought here when the Chinese occupied Vietnam hundreds of years ago.

Didier Corlou

Pho didn’t reach southern Vietnam until the 1950s. When the country was split in two at the end of French rule in 1954, almost a million northerners fled the communist north and brought their soup with them. (For pho buffs, I enjoyed reading more about its origins in David Farley’s intriguing article).

When is pho most commonly eaten?

Pho is most commonly eaten for breakfast in Vietnam, and I’d often see folks mopping up a bowl as I went to work at 7 am. To feed the morning trade, some joints open from 5:30 am. But these days in Saigon, it’s common for them to stay open for lunch and dinner too (my preferred time… I’m not a morning person).

What’s the photiquette? Is it rude to slurp?

Good manners: The noise you don't make when you're eating soup

Bennett Cerf

Bennett clearly didn’t eat soup in Asia! In Vietnam, it’s common to slurp the hell out of your soup, so don’t be afraid to make some noise.

Slurping also cools down the noodles as you eat. As an easy way to eat them, lift a few strands out of the bowl, then slurp away to get more in your gob.