Her famous pho broth is easy and simple, it can be made at home. The broth is made with a joint pork and chicken base. Both pork and chicken bones are boiled in a large pot. The broth is filtered to remove the bones, and then a generous helping of pork loin is stewed and soaks it up. Many seasonings are further added to the broth. Dried squid, dried shrimp, daikon, radish, and garlic are all added and allowed to simmer along with the pork loin. Once the pork loin is cooked it is removed and chilled. The cooled meat is then drained of juices and cut into many very thin slices.
The broth continues to simmer for a further 3 to 5 hours, significantly thickening in the process. This thickened broth is seasoned with salt and sugar. Fish sauce is then added, a form of fermented sauce made from fish oils. A separate pot is brought to a boil in order to cook calamari and prawns. The calamari and prawns are then removed and chilled. Pork liver is boiled, chilled, and sliced. The sliced pork liver and pork loin is put into a drying pan, along with a scoop of the broth. Noodles are then boiled in a separate pot. Garlic oil is used to prevent the noodles from sticking.
The noodles are then placed into individual bowls. At this point all the meats are portioned on top of the noodles. The pork loin, pork liver, prawns, and calamari are all joined together over the noodles. The broth is ladled into the bowls, allowing it to run over and through the great mixture of meat and noodles. The dish is garnished with spring onion, coriander, pepper, salted radish, and garlic oil. Some side dishes include bean sprouts, sliced chili, and lemon wedges. Soy sauce is typically set out as a condiment. This pho is hearty and filling and presents a truly unique flavor.
In Toronto, the top Vietnamese restaurant where you’ll find pho is easily TorontoPHO. It’s really in the name. Customers from all over the GTA come to enjoy our pho, available in a range of different flavors. Choose your meat, choose your type, and enjoy a warm bowl of authentic Vietnamese pho.
