Give me my bowl of pho

If there’s one dish I can have for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Vietnam, then pho it is for me.

After all that walking around the Old Quarter in Hanoi, dodging motorists on their mopeds and bikes, and generally making sure you’ve crossed onto the other side of the road safely, why not stop by and indulge with a portion of pho.

If there’s one dish I can have for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Vietnam, then pho it is for me. Pronounced as fe (like in fern), it’s a soup with broth, noodles, herbs and chunks of meat.

Walk around and you’re sure to find one on every street. Of course, there are restaurants too. But who’d want to miss out sitting on a low plastic stool, in a cramped space, practicing with chopsticks and a spoon, and savouring every moment, as life continues on the street just outside, as usual.

If you’d like to add a bit more spice, ask for some extra red chillies. It’s sure to bite, however it adds an extra zing, which makes it totally worth it. And all this for, what, about 25 cents. Heck, take me back.